GR5 Day zero – singing in the rain

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 probably explains it, they don’t mess about with easy introductions on the GR5!  If this elevation keeps up I will have buns of steel by the time I reach Menton


In the end it took me five hours!  The uphills were ok but the downhills were like skiing through mud!  Really claggy mud.  Oh, and it rained the whole time.


I am sure the views would have been magnificent but it was a bit cloudy.   I had a lot of songs going in my head to keep me moving uphill, but honestly mostly it was poi e (the kiwis know that one,) and I heard it before I left home so it is cemented in my brain and was a pretty good rhythm for getting up those hills

I arrived in Chapelle d’abondance and had a very long hot shower and cleaned my filthy socks.  Then I popped down to the local superette for supplies for tomorrow.  It was closed!  So I asked a local where the nearest supermarket was and she said ’10 minutes down the road’, I clarified that I was walking and she said ‘yes, 10 minutes’.  That lady must have been a world record speed walker as the inter marche was 3.5km away!!!  So I did a bonus 7k not counted in today’s distance.  


Sun is finally out!  Will be in bed by 8.30 for a 6am start tomorrow

Distance = 19km

Elevation gain/lost = 1829m/1210m

Bars consumed = 4

Times trail lost = 3

Times fell in butt = 1 (a new record for me)

Pieces of cake inhaled = 0 🙁

Funds raised =£4899.66 from the amazingly generous donors plus another £4899.66 as I am matching all donations. There’s still plenty of time to donate if you haven’t already at justgiving.com

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