GR5 - Anyone done it?

[snack_ie]

Got a week of time in early September and half tempted to try and ride from Geneva to Nice via the GR5...

Might be biting off far more than I can chew - anyone done any of this or got any information on the route?

Would travel light and bivi/stay at refuges.

Thanks,

N

[jameso]

Did a lot of it a few years ago, rode Geneva-Nice on GR5 and GR55 or 52. The GR5 itself isn't always the best riding though, especially on loaded bikes or if you're not technically confident, we freestyled it with IGN maps much of the time and found some amazing trails. Brilliant ride. The GR5 out of Geneva until Morzine is pretty poor riding and chunks of it are national park and shut to bikes. Still, worth scoping out a route along that general line. PM me if you have questions, will help if I can.

edit - a thread on a similar route - http://bearbonesbikepacking.co.uk/phpBB ... =15&t=7360

[Alpinum]

Hiked it from Thonon to Menton taking the high route variants. Tough but most of the best riding is where no riding is allowed (for good reason). For the legal sections, they mostly looked amazing too and for a capable ride pure fun. Up is mostly a push. And there's lots. On our route it added up to about 56'000 m of climbing

Skirting the NP's will level the profile a lot, but one week seems a bit short. I'd divide the route into two at Briançon and decide on one of the two sections, then have a closer look.

I find geoportail.fr very helpful.

[snack_ie]

Thanks guys,

After researching it's definitely too much for a week. The elevation is nuts!

There also seems to be lots of sections in NPs you need to skirt around too which would be major hassle / mean lots of research which I don't really have the time to do right now.

Been looking at the JoeRoute instead from German Alps to Italian Lakes - looks a lot more doable!

Niall