Chris Townsend on the GR5: No Huts and No Plan

Show notes

Chris Townsend walked the Alpine section of the GR5 in autumn, as the mountain huts and village shops were closing for the season. He took about a month, slept under a tarp, and bought the food for his first week at a supermarket in Geneva train station before he started.

We talk about the rhythm of a month-long walk, finding water in unfamiliar mountains, the surprise of the southern forests, and the strange business of walking out of the mountains and onto the beach at Nice. There's also a story about singing Italian waiters in a near-empty hotel and a tangent into Death Valley, which last we checked is nowhere near the GR5.

About Chris Townsend

Chris is one of Britain's most experienced long-distance walkers. He's been writing about backpacking and the outdoors for decades, including books on his walks across the USA, Scandinavia and the UK, and regular work for outdoor magazines and his blog.

What we cover

• The two halves of the GR5: high alps in the north, rocky forested mountains in the south
• 1200 metres of ascent every day, and how to pace it
• Sleeping under a tarp rather than a tent
• Water and food planning when the season has ended
• The thunderstorm decision and the snow the next morning
• The sweet chestnut forests of the southern half
• The Italian-run hotel and the casual shopkeeper
• Walking into Nice with a rucksack and hill clothes
• Why a long walk feels different from a short one

Links

• Chris's blog: https://www.christownsendoutdoors.com
• Chris's books: https://www.christownsendoutdoors.com/p/publications.html

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