Today was an excellent lesson in going with the flow! So, I was planning to traverse the Crete des Gittes – a high exposed ridge – but it was covered in clouds! So I sensibly descended to Chapieux through the most and walked into the nearest main town by road (a boring 15km). I […]
GR5 Day 4 – Going with the flow Read More »
So, today was a happy day! The gr5 trail intersects with the deservedly famous TMB trail for the duration of my day. So while I had to endure lots of sunburnt people walking slowly with heavy packs, they had conveniently left me lots of tracks to follow through the snow!!! I walked from Les
GR5 Day 3 – Snow with friends Read More »
So today was not my day! Snow – my nemesis – almost got the better of me! More on that later….. But first – a beautiful start to the day in Samoens, with a beautiful river walk up to the Gorge du Tines which was stunning with the sun coming up through the trees The
GR5 Day 2 – My life flashing before my eyes! Read More »
It was always going to be a long day – 46k, more than 2000m of climbing and a guide book estimate of 14.5 hours of non stop walking. I was (overly) confident I could do it in much less. On the bright side it was a stunning stunning day in the Alps! Total perfection.
GR5 Day 1 – what happened to the path Read More »
So today I only did half a day on the GR5 given logistics of getting to the trailhead! It was only 19k so I thought that would be a piece of cake and couldn’t understand why the guide book said it would take 8 hours and 45 minutes. Hmmm, well the following elevation profile
GR5 Day zero – singing in the rain Read More »
I have travelled to 159 countries and only been properly robbed once (held up at gunpoint near Popayan in Colombia). However, I have had numerous occasions when I have avoided trouble by just recognising that it was coming….. So I have a few simple rules I live by to keep myself more or less safe
Staying safe on the road Read More »
Another auspicious entry to a country! I was met at the border by my 20 year old guide and promptly asked him to get the driver to stop 200 metres down the road so I could pee behind a tree. He was a bit bewildered as to why I hadn’t even approached the public
Off the Beaten Track – Tajikistan Read More »
So, as most of you know, I am attempting to hike the GR5 from Lake Geneva to Menton next week. It is about 620km with 2000+m of climbing every day . At the best of times I go lightweight, but when hiking these kind of distances every gram counts. A few of you have
How to pack for 18 days of hiking in less than 5kg Read More »
I sometimes wonder about how robust my planning skills are…. This morning I was on an early train to Chipping Campden where I had intended to run the Cotswold Way (160km) over four days. When I booked this I didn’t know I would still be recovering from the shin splints I got when running the
Wandering the Cotswold Way Read More »
Guyana – Not to be confused with French Guiana (its neighbour) is the least visited country in Latin America! Neighbouring Suriname to the East and Venezuela to the West, it is most famous (at least to me) for the Jim Jones commune in Jonestown where 990 Americans died from cyanide poisoning. It is also unusual
Off the Beaten Track – Guyana Read More »
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