Chris Townsend on the GR5: No Huts and No Plan

<p>Show notes</p><p>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.</p><p>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&#39;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.</p><p><strong>About Chris Townsend</strong></p><p>Chris is one of Britain&#39;s most experienced long-distance walkers. He&#39;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.</p><p><strong>What we cover</strong></p><ul><li>The two halves of the GR5: high alps in the north, rocky forested mountains in the south</li><li>1200 metres of ascent every day, and how to pace it</li><li>Sleeping under a tarp rather than a tent</li><li>Water and food planning when the season has ended</li><li>The thunderstorm decision and the snow the next morning</li><li>The sweet chestnut forests of the southern half</li><li>The Italian-run hotel and the casual shopkeeper</li><li>Walking into Nice with a rucksack and hill clothes</li><li>Why a long walk feels different from a short one</li></ul><p><strong>Links</strong></p><ul><li>Chris&#39;s blog: <a href="https://www.christownsendoutdoors.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">https://www.christownsendoutdoors.com</a></li><li>Chris&#39;s books: <a href="https://www.christownsendoutdoors.com/p/publications.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">https://www.christownsendoutdoors.com/p/publications.html</a></li></ul><p>If listening to this has got you thinking about your own adventure, head to <a href="https://bigtrailadventures.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">bigtrailadventures.com</a>.</p><p>Subscribe to <em>Notes From Big Trails</em> wherever you get your podcasts.</p>