GR54: The Ultimate French Alps Hiking Experience

This summer, I hiked the GR54 in the Écrins National Park in France 🤓🇫🇷

In this guide, I’ll share how I prepared, what I experienced, and give you tips to make your own adventure even better! 🙌

Let’s dive in!

Preparation

Route

The GR54 is a 189 km circular hike with a total of 11.320 meters of ascent and 11.320 meters descent, typically completed in 10 to 14 days.

Most people follow the GR54 clockwise, starting in Le Bourg-d’Oisans, which I will do too. Doing it this way, you save the pretty remote part for last.

Since there is still some snow above 2500 meters when I’ll be hiking, I might take a variant through the Fournel Valley which avoids Col de l’Aup Martin which is at 2738 meters.

I will probably also take some other variants to see some glacier lakes like Lac Noir and Lac de l’Eychauda.

Tip: want to make your hike easier? Get all my GPX files with variants and waypoints for good bivouacking spots along the way. It’s just 10 bucks 🤗

Accommodation

It’s allowed to bivouac in the Ecrins National Park, which means you’re allowed to set up your tent almost anywhere 🏕

So that’s what I’m planning to do! I’ll set up my tent whenever I feel like it’s enough for the day, and maybe once or twice treat myself on a bed in a mountain hut. We’ll see.

There are a few rules for bivouacking;

• Only between 19:00 and 09:00.
• Small tents only; you should not be able to stand up in it.
• No campfires, no excessive noise, leave no trace.

Some other guidelines;

• Avoid bivouacking next to a herd or a shepherd’s hut.
• Avoid moving stones unnecessarily.
• When bivouacking close to a refuge, ask the refuge caretaker first.
• Small hiking stoves are tolerated.
• In the Valsenestre valley, at lake Lauvitel and lake Muzelle there are dedicated spots to bivouac.
• Don’t leave tissues or other trash.

Food

I’ll start with 4 days of food and resupply at villages with supermarkets along the way 🛒

Something different I’m trying this time is to have a ziplock for each day to keep my food more organised.

Looking forward to score some baguettes and French cheese on the way 🤤🥖

Will probably also grab some food at the mountain huts if I camp near one.

Water

I’ve read several reports that state that there’s water streams almost everywhere.

So I’ll bring my 1 liter water bottle, dirty 2 liter water bag, and Sawyer Squeeze water filter.

I’ll fill the dirty water bag at the last stream before camp, giving me 3 liters for cooking, washing, and drinking overnight

Weather

The weather always changes rapidly in the mountains, so forecasts aren’t super reliable.

But I like to look up averages, so I know what kind of gear to pack;

• Temperatures
  • Daytime temperatures typically range from 15°C to 22°C.
  • Nights can be cooler, ranging from 10°C to 13°C.
• Sunrise and Sunset
  • Days are long in July.
  • Sunrise occurs around 06:06, and sunset is around 21:16.
• Rainfall
  • Usually in short bursts, 1mm per hour is usual.
• Thunderstorms
  • High possibility, usually in afternoon or early evening.
• Snow
  • No snowfall, but still old snowfields above 2500m. Microspikes necessary.
• Sun
  • On sunny days, the UV index is very high at 8 to 9.

To check the weather while hiking the GR54, I’ll use Meteoblue when I have reception or the Garmin Inreach Mini II when I’m out of reception.

Logistics

For me, there are four options to get to the trail. The first three involve taking public transport to Grenoble, from where I can get to Le Bourg-d’Oisans with a short bus ride

• Fly to Lyon, and take a train to Grenoble. Cost €500 return for me.
• Train to Paris, and another train to Grenoble. With an Interrail pass this would cost roughly €350 return.
• Overnight bus to Grenoble with a change in Paris. Costs €200 return
• Drive directly to Le Bourg-d’Oisans for 10,5 hours. Fuel costs €140 return.

I want to avoid flying, and would’ve loved to go by train but find it a bit too expensive.

I’m doubting about the bus, could be great but I think I probably won’t be able to sleep and will arrive super tired.

So I decided to take the car, which also has the added benefit of being very flexible on the way back. I’ll drive 8 hours the first day, 3 hours the next, and will try to take some people from BlaBlaCar with me.

I will park at the free parking lot in Le Bourg-d’Oisans, and will leave my details with the tourism office so they don’t tow the car away.

Packing list

I’ll leave all luxuries at home, and will only take what’s necessary.

The total weight of my backpack is 6.5 kilograms without consumables 🎒

(too bad I have to take the half-kilo microspikes)

Luckily I probably don’t need to carry much water, so I estimate my total pack weight will be 9 to 11 kilograms depending on how much food I carry.

Shelter ⛺

I bring a 1-person trekking pole tent, a pad with an R-value of 4.5, and a quilt with a comfort temperature of 4°C.

• Durston X-Mid 1P
• Therm-A-Rest NeoAir XLite MAX
• Cumulus Quilt 250

Clothing 👕

This is what I’ll be wearing:

• Trail runners
• Merino socks
• Merino underwear
• Merino shirt
• Hiking trousers

And this is what I’ll pack:

• Rain jacket
• Rain skirt
• Down jacket
• Sun hoodie
• Shorts
• Merino socks
• Buff
• Cap

Electronics⚡

I use my smartphone to navigate on trail, and to make pictures. The powerbanks will keep everything charged.

• iPhone 13 mini
• Powerbank 10.000 mAh (2x)
• Power adapter & cable
• Headlamp
• eReader

Toiletries 🧻

Stuff to help me stay clean(ish).

• Micro towel
• Sun screen
• All-purpose soap
• Toothbrush
• Toothpaste pills
• Deo
• Portable bidet
• Tissues
• Trowel

Miscellaneous

Other bits and bobs that don’t fall into the categories above.

• First aid & repair kit
• Microspikes
• Pocket knife
• Trekking poles
• Pack liner
• Cooking setup
• Wallet
• Passport

Trip report

Here’s a summary of my hiking adventure on the GR54 in Écrins National Park 🤓

Day 1 of the GR54

Distance: 15.0km • Elevation: ↑1430m ↓170m • Duration: 7 hours

After a long day of driving yesterday, I finally made it to Le Bourg-d’Oisans! 🥳

Very much a cycling town, I see cyclists and decorations above the street everywhere. Nice vibe.

I parked at the free big parking lot in the city center, and went to the tourist office to let them know I parked there.

I gave the friendly lady my license plate, car type, and phone number.

She said the police will keep an eye out for the car, and won’t tow it away after 7 days 👮‍♀️

(apparently it’s not allowed to park longer than a week on a public parking lot in France)

I got coffee and pistachio ice cream to cool down, it’s so hot already. That’s going to be intense in a bit when hiking up the mountain 😅

I started hiking at 14:00—a bit later than I wanted, but I still have plenty of time until sunset.

The river at the start was beautiful; I love its milky blue color. It must be glacier meltwater.

The trail immediately went steeply uphill. It was sooo hot, and my heart was pounding.

I had to cross the serpentine road over Alpe d’Huez a few times. It was cool to see all the cyclists climbing this famous road.

I passed near the famous Dutch Bend but didn’t feel like walking 600 meters up the road just to see a curve, hehe.

I filtered some water from a fountain and took a break. It probably didn’t need filtering, but it was fun to try my new gravity filter system—can’t hurt.

I hiked down a bit and crossed a crazy river. There was so much water coming down, it looked really cool and sounded intense.

The trail was steep going up. The smell of forest pine was amazing, but the trail went on reallllly long and steep. But some snacks pushed me through it 😋

I passed through the cutest village ever. It looked so old and charming—a real hamlet.

I hiked down towards the Sarenne River. It was sooooo pretty. There was this cool bridge, and behind it, big boulders over which the water was flowing. I filtered and drank so much water—crazy hot day.

I hiked along the Sarenne Gorge for a really long time. It was mostly a wide dirt road, but there were lots of narrow trails next to it so I could walk by the river with some cool ruins too.

I walked by a French family sitting in front of one of the few houses here, and they waved, inviting me to join them at their table for some snacks.

At first, I thought they were staying in the house, but they were actually camping next to it and hiking the GR54 with their kids in 15 days. Impressive! 😯

They suggested I camp next to the house too, but I wanted to keep going and reach Col de Sarenne, which was another 5 km away.

I passed a ski area. It actually looked really pretty, but it was a pity there was a road. At least I could walk rather quickly, so I hoped to make it to Col de Sarenne before sunset.

I passed another hiker who had already set up her tent, but she wasn’t very talkative, so I continued hiking.

I walked on the road for another hour before I filtered and filled up all my water for the last stretch to the col.

When I arrived at the col, I was surprised to see so much activity. There were a few campers and a little hut that sells cheeses.

But I didn’t feel like camping next to others, so I hiked a bit over the ridge—which was incredible! I walked there and had to blink to believe what I was seeing, especially the high peaks above the clouds that looked like they were on fire. So amazing 🤩

This picture really doesn’t it justice, but here you go;

And this is also where I set up my tent, on a small flat spot on top of the ridge.

Some goats came to visit, but as soon as I moved, they ran away.

After it got dark, I heard a high-pitched ‘beep beep beep’ sound. It took me a while to realize it was bats, hehe 🦇

I can also hear some goats nearby again, haha. Cute animals, walking on crazy mountains. I tied up my shoes before they could steal them, lol.

I’m so happy I kept hiking to this spot—absolutely epic.

Tomorrow, I want to make it to Lac Noir and be there early enough for sunset and maybe a swim 🤗

I woke up once in the middle of the night, and the view with the full moon looked fantastic—so mystical with the clouds below. Wish I had a better camera with me.

Day 2 of the GR54

Distance: 16km • Elevation: ↑1210m ↓820m • Duration: 9.5 hours

My alarm went off at 05:45, a bit before sunrise, and it was so worth waking up early! Look at that view! 🤩

I slept really well and enjoyed my overnight oats for breakfast with a warm coffee ☕

As I hiked down the mountain, I found it so beautiful that I talked to myself out loud, saying it wasn’t okay because it was just tooooo pretty.

It was exceptionally quiet on the way down, with only the sound of thousands of crickets.

I walked through the hamlet of Clavans-le-Haut, which was very cute, then hiked through a forest along the river before climbing again.

After going downhill for three hours, I finally started going up again, moving from 1250 to 2000 meters in elevation.

I’m so impressed with nature here: flowers blowing in the wind, massive powerful rivers, and towering mountain peaks. Awesome.

The village of Besse was charming, with its old buildings and a little square with a fountain.

I got a Coke and sat under a tree while enjoying the cool views. I’m curious about Lake Noir.

Going up was steep—first through trees, then above the treeline at 1,800 meters where it was steaming hot. I found a tree to take a shaded break.

The climb to the col took longer than expected, but it was worth it when I reached Col Saint Georges.

The view over the plateau with the snowy mountains behind it was stunning. I took a break and made some instant tomato noodles. They didn’t fill me up much but were quite nice.

I then headed towards the plateau and had to hike steeply up to the lakes. The rocky path was nice, and while the first lake was dry, I finally saw Lac Noir—the view was unbelievably beautiful.

I went for a swim, made some dinner, and set up my tent at 19:00 with a view of the mountains across the lake. Pretty! 😍

I went for a walk to the edge of the plateau and enjoyed the view of Lac Lérié the entire valley behind it. From my tent, it almost looks like the lake is connected to the higher mountains, obscuring the valley between.

Back at the tent, I enjoyed the sunset, which looked really nice with a bit of cloud cover, making it look very mystical.

I crawled into the tent and left the side completely open so I could continue enjoying the view until I fell asleep.

In the end, there were quite a few people at the lake—maybe 15 tents or so. But it’s big, so it doesn’t feel crowded; it’s cozy and everyone is respectful and quiet. However, I think I prefer being completely on my own somewhere; feels more adventurous.

I’m so tired and hope I sleep well; I really need it. I almost dozed off earlier today during lunch.

Day 3 of the GR54

Distance: 20.5km • Elevation: ↑830m ↓1130m • Duration: 11.5 hours

Goooood morniiiing! So pretty with the calm lake.

Pretty cold last night at this altitude, but luckily I brought a warm quilt. Now warming up quickly with the morning sun.

Hiked along the edge of the plateau, and went down towards Lac Lérié. Unbelievable view.

Got down to Lac Lérié and it’s very nice here too. Seems more quiet than Lac Noir too, only saw two tents.

I continued hiking over the plateau and suddenly came around a corner to find a whole group of bulls right on the trail. I tried to hike a big circle around them through the high grass, but they didn’t seem very bothered by me.

After that, there was a steep descent towards the town, during which I greeted people with ‘bonjour’ a hundred times (literally), lol. So many people were heading up; hiking to the lakes seems popular for a day hike. I see why—it was so pretty.

At the bottom of the trail, just before the town, there was a stunning river with the mountains behind it. Now that I’m at lower elevation, the mountains seem even bigger.

I came across the French family again in Le Chazette. They had camped at Col Nazié last night. I somehow thought I wouldn’t see them again, but they skipped the lakes and are quite fast—impressive with the young kid.

Met four guys from Brussels who are doing 30km a day, crazy with this kind of elevation. I offered to take a group photo of them. They seemed semi-nice or at least uncomfortable talking English. Not sure.

Made it just in time to La Grave before the supermarket closed. Treated myself to all kinds of nice things 🤤

I went down to the river to have lunch. It was a bit of a challenge to get down due to the sudden knee-deep mud, but it was a nice spot, and I sat there for almost an hour.

After my very tasty lunch, I had to climb steeply (everything seems steep here, lol) and ran into the French family again. We hiked together for a bit and chatted about the plants we came across, which they knew quite a bit about.

After about an hour, we said goodbye. They planned to spend the night in the village on the other side of the river, Villar-d’Arêne.

Tried to find a spot to swim, which was really hard with how wild the river was.

Before reaching the next village, I found a field next to the river where I could dry my tent and took a quick dip in the ice-cold water. It felt nice, though I couldn’t go very deep and had to sit in the water up to my waist.

Curious where I end up today; I really have no plan and no clue what to expect.

Walked further, passed the campsite, and suddenly walked towards a huge lake with sandy beaches. Would’ve been a bit easier to swim, hehe. The turquoise color was super nice, especially with the mountains in the background.

The trail going up is amazing, passing so many cool waterfalls.

Saw some marmots making high pitching noises. Apparently they make that sound when there’s danger nearby. Guess I’m the danger, sorry buddies! 🙈

Hiked by yet another beautiful waterfall, I wish I had a 360-degree camera or something. Just wow. Everywhere around me is beautiful. Three huge waterfalls.

Got a bit further up and was surprised to see snowy peaks again. Somehow thought I couldn’t see them from here. Joehoeee!

Man, I’m so excited; I can’t stop hiking. Going up here was also easy for it being so steep. It cooled down a lot, the sun is gone, and every corner I turn reveals a new waterfall or cool view. Wow. So lucky to be here.

At 2,050 meters altitude, I found the perfect spot with views all around. It’s so epic. On one side, there’s the valley I came from, and on the other, huge snowy mountains with a river flowing from them. There are also numerous waterfalls all around. I love it.

This might be my favorite spot so far. I also loved the lake last night, but this feels more special because I’m all alone 🤗

I saw several cute marmots up close, and they only ran away when I got within 1 meter of them. They’re so cute.

While making dinner, a black bull suddenly came quietly up behind me, only a few meters from the tent. Huge horns—doesn’t make me happy. But he walked peacefully by, glanced at me once, and didn’t seem to mind sharing the area for the night 😬

Day 4 of the GR54

Distance: 21.8km • Elevation: ↑1280m ↓990m • Duration: 12 hours

Slept amazing, and luckily no visitors during the night 😅🐃

Took it easy and left at 8:30.

Amazing views right away again; I love this valley.

It’s nice and cool in the morning; hiking up early was smart.

The sun came out—phew, it’s hot 🥵

Made it to Col d’Arsine, and doubted a lot about going to the glacier lake that’s a bit higher up in the mountains. There’s just a single trail there and back, and according to the sign it takes 45 minutes to get there.

Reminded myself again that I’m not on some kind of deadline, and that I’ve all the time in the world. Let’s go up! 💪

The trail up really wasn’t too bad, and it took only 20 minutes to reach the top from where you can see the lake. So happy I came up, this looks so different from everything else so far. The water itself was a light milky blue.

Everything is so dry but beautiful, reminding me of Tenerife.

After collecting some courage, I went for a swim in the lake, and made myself an ice tea (from glacier water!) while drying up.

Again, so happy I came up here 🤗

Went back down to Col D’Arsine, I felt so happy—this was awesome! It kept surprising me how nice and diverse the GR54 is.

From there, I followed the river down the valley.

The river is milky blue and epic, with so many curves. Extremely pretty 😄

Took a break here and ate some more baguette.

I kept going, turned the corner, and wow. The turquoise color is insane, and with the waterfall—it’s just breathtaking.

Is this even real? It looks photoshopped in real life, lol. Mother Nature is amazing 🤯

Nature is epic and free.

Walked further down, and it looks really cool, with more trees now and another mountain behind it.

Went for a swim in the lake to cool down. Holy shit, it was ice cold—even colder than the glacier lake, maybe because it flows more?

But man, it’s so pretty again. The turquoise color, snowy rocky peaks across the lake, the river crashing down to my right, and the waterfall across. Just wow; I can’t describe the beauty enough. Now drying up in the shade of a tree, as the sun is so intense.

Continued hiking and saw so many different butterflies. Nature is thriving here.

Made it to the pretty village of Le Casset all the way down the mountain, and treated myself on some nice lemon ice gelato.

Walked further along the river, and did a little detour to the supermarket in Le Monêtier-les-Bains.

Didn’t need much, but I got myself a new bottle, and bought some fresh fruit that I ate right away.

Then, I started hiking the variant towards Lac de l’Eychauda along the Le Grand Tabuc river.

Then I suddenly had to pass a massive herd of cows, which included little calves and huge bulls.

That was really scary. I know you shouldn’t get close to cows with their calves, but there was no way around them.

I walked right through the river, hoping they couldn’t reach me there, and ended up with soaking wet shoes.

They all looked at me but didn’t seem to care much—guess they’re used to seeing people.

I actually was planning to set up my tent somewhere here before climbing up the mountain, but no way I’m going to camp next to this many cows. So up we go.

The trail is incredibly steep, but luckily the views are amazing—and look at all the flowers!

I finally found a spot at 2347 meters just before it got dark. Tomorrow, it’s only 300 more meters to the lake! 😄

The spot is really nice, overlooking snowy mountains again. It’s a whole different valley; I can hear water, and not too far behind me, there are several snowfields. Hope it won’t be too cold tonight.

made mashed potatoes with some cheese I bought, and it was delicious. I really needed a warm meal. I intended to eat the baguette I bought, but unfortunately, it’s very chewy.

Before bed, I turned off my headlamp and looked at the stars for 20 minutes or so. I could see so many stars! And I saw three (!!!) falling stars 🤩. So cool. Made wishes.

Whoa, it’s late—now 23:27. I want to sleep, but it’s starting to get windy and it’s ice cold. Nowhere near the extreme wind on La Gomera, but it still feels a bit unsettling. I’m so exposed here; there’s really nowhere to go. Put some extra tent stakes in, but I should bring two more stakes in the future.

Will now try to sleep at 00:05, poeh. I could use a solid 8 hours.

Day 5 of the GR54

Distance: 13.5km • Elevation: ↑270m ↓1400m • Duration: 8.5 hours

Slept like a baby; don’t think I woke up once during the night. Woke up at 06:00 once because it got light, set an alarm for 08:00, and slept further.

Nice view from the tent again this morning. It almost starts to feel routine, haha.

Didn’t even got up yet and could already feel my hips and legs protesting, whehe.

Looks nice on the trail. A few clouds, but I can still see the big peaks in front of me. It looks cloudy near the lake; let’s see.

Going up to the col was crazy. It started off okay with steep rocky switchbacks, but at some points, I had to climb with hands and feet over the rocks. Then it got even crazier with steel cables, and I had to pull myself up with both hands. It was crazy and a bit scary, but I loved it at the same time.

The lake was breathtaking; I loved the view from the col. Sat there for almost an hour. Going over the edge was really cool—it was like, “Wow.”

Met a local who makes Génépi liqueur. He picks the plant in high alpine terrain, mixes it in 90% alcohol to extract the flavor, and then dilutes it. He let me smell it—intense! Nice! I wish I knew more about plants.

Chilled a bit at the lake. Didn’t go for a swim; it was a bit too crazy with the ice floating in it, and it wasn’t very sunny at that moment.

Descending switchbacks—holy shit, that’s a lot of switchbacks back to the valley. And soooo many people going up. It was nice to go down while they were all so exhausted, lol, but I also felt a bit for them.

Hothothot like a desert—the last bit in the valley after the switchbacks was just so freakin’ hot. No shade anywhere. Very happy with my sun hoodie.

So many waterfalls in the valley; really cool with incredible rock formations all around.

Went down to the river and found a spot to wash myself that felt like a little paradise.

But the water was ice cold—brrr. But I felt so fresh again! 🛀

Thought I was almost there, but it was still quite a long way down to the next village—about an hour or so.

Followed a narrow trail next to an irrigational canal that’s used for farming, pretty cool to see.

Got down and decided to stay at the municipal camping; it looks very nice and spacious. Smart how they use the ski area in summer like this—my tent is exactly underneath a ski lift.

(very affordable at only €9 per night)

Went to the Alpine supermarket across the river. It’s a bit pricey, but they had quite a good selection. Instant noodles, mashed potatoes, couscous—think I can get most of my supplies here tomorrow.

For dinner, I got instant ‘Mediterranean’ rice and added cheese, paprika, and an egg. Sooo happy with the egg—yum.

My neighbour offered me a chair, which was very friendly of her. I somehow said no thanks when I should’ve said yes, please. But then I asked her to charge my powerbank. Not sure when I’ll get it back; the language barrier made things a bit confusing, lol. She told me she’s from another part of France but is living here in her caravan for two months to escape the heat.

Went for my first shower in 5 days, but it wasn’t very satisfying. Not very warm and a bit dirty. I think I prefer the cold, clean river, lol.

Now in bed, phew, is my body tired. I think it’s a good choice to chill here for two nights. I could probably go further, but it’s more fun this way and probably good to prevent injuries.

It’s not very busy at the campsite, but it’s definitely different from being high up in the mountains. There’s talking, campervans arriving at 22:00, and so on. Hope I’ll sleep well.

Tried to charge my phone in the evening, but my lightning adapter for iPhone broke again—crap.

Rest day – 27 of July

Went to the market this morning to get a baguette, cheese, and luckily also a new lightning cable. There weren’t many options for hard cheeses, only big blocks. I got Emmental, but it’s not very nice—meh.

However, I made a nice picnic at the river with the cheese and some egg.

Spent some time thinking and planning what to do today. I need to do some more grocery shopping, clean my stuff, and charge everything.

Got my powerbank back from the friendly neighbour lady—fully charged. Tonight, I’ll charge my other powerbank near the toilets; there’s a whole charging station I didn’t notice before, lol.

I did some laundry and hung everything on the ski lift to dry.

Wanted to go to the pool, but it’s only allowed to go in with speedos. Too bad.

The new cable didn’t work, so I exchanged it for another one. This one seems to work. It’s crazy how many lightning cables and accessories I’ve had to buy the last few years because Apple uses this crappy lightning port. Good that they changed it to USB-C with new iPhones.

Now chilling under a tree at the river with an ice-cold watermelon.

Went back to the tent and made a list of food to get for the next few days on the GR54.

Bit difficult to estimate how much to get. There might be a small shop in 58 kilometres, which will probably take me 3 days, but I can’t figure out what kind of stuff they have. Could just as well be just a very small cheese shop.

Went to the grocery store. I didn’t get everything I wanted, but I think I got enough to get me through at least 5 days. It’ll be a bit boring with mashed potatoes, fried onions, and peanuts for three dinners, but I didn’t see anything else to add. Oh well, it’ll do.

Sorted everything in front of my tent and got rid of all excess packaging. Feel like a very organised hiker, haha.

Day 6 of the GR54

Distance: 19.8km • Elevation: ↑1220m ↓470m • Duration: 9 hours

Went to the supermarket for a fresh baguette, showered, and packed up. My pack is heavy—phew, quickly need to eat, haha.

Walked along the river down towards Vallouise. It’s a very pretty small town, and there’s some kind of cycling event going on.

Also saw several paragliders just after and before the town. It looks soooo cool—must be an amazing experience.

Walked through the forest, quite steep, where there were lots of painted poles with hats.

Not sure what that’s about, but it does look cute.

Someone came up from behind, and we started talking—Marie from Germany.

I hiked further with Marie, passed a col with a view of the entire valley we were heading into, and then slowly descended towards the river.

Hiked by the river for a short while, then chilled at the river with Marie. We both went for a short swim and then relaxed on a perfectly flat rock angled towards the sun—awesome! Made tea; Marie had cool marmot tea bags. She also gave me a few tea bags because she had more than fifty, haha.

We walked a bit on a dirt road because part of the route was diverted due to floods, but the views were still nice.

At some point, we left the river and went up the mountain, though we would still hiked parallel to the river. So pretty! 🤩

Set up camp together with Marie at 2000 meters elevation. It’s a really nice spot on a green hill overlooking the valley with water 50 meters away. Across the valley, we can see several cool waterfalls and some snowfields on the mountain. Looks really nice.

Some French people came by and said, “Superbe spot.”

We had dinner together, both making our own meals, and just when I was about to eat I realised I lost my spoon.

My solution was to use my debit card as a spoon. I cleaned it thoroughly first, and it’s about to expire anyway 😋

Now, we’re journaling together while watching the last bit of sunset.

Day 7 of the GR54

Distance: 16.9km • Elevation: ↑1330m ↓910m • Duration: 10 hours

Woke up at sunrise. Marie got up a bit before me and was doing some stretching and meditation.

I got up, and we ate our breakfast together.

Washed myself by the river, and got ready to go 💪

When we started, some people Marie told me about, Astrid and Billy, passed us. They seem like nice people.

The hike began smoothly over narrow trails through grassy hills.

Waterfalls were everywhere this morning. So cool.

Passed a new modern shepherd’s hut. The shepherd was busy hanging garlands, which looked cool. There was also a hiker’s hut on the other side near the rockface. It looked basic but cool. Maybe it used to be the old shepherd’s hut?

The trial continued gently uphill, with a view of the col in the distance. So far the climb is not too difficult.

Chilled with Marie, Billie, and Astrid near a big rock for some shade before doing the last steep climb up to the col. Billie and Astrid quickly told me about themselves. Astrid’s story is intense; she thru-hiked the Te Araoa two years ago and afterwards turned her whole life around. She left her husband of 35 years, her daughter, her house, and is now living a nomadic lifestyle.

The last stretch was steep, but the landscape was moon-like and amazing. It was so quiet and felt so remote.

We made it to the col! Feels great, and usually you have an amazing view of valleys on both sides.

There were a crazy number of switchbacks on the way down. Crossed several waterfalls and filled my bottle—water was crazy cold. Nice!

After a quick 1000-meter descent (🤯), we arrived at the hut. It was nice to walk with Astrid and Billy on the way down. Billy (66) used to be in network marketing and knew a surprisingly lot about marketing funnels. He also owns a hosting company. Astrid (54) is busy writing a book about her Te Araroa hike and how it changed her.

Now in the hut waiting for my lasagna at 14:00—why not? I’ll see if I continue later today. My legs and feet feel quite tired from all the climbing and descending, but it’s still early. Might chill for a few hours and then go.

The people in the refuge were so kind to gift me a new spoon, after I asked if I could buy one from them. Thanks!

Sat outside with two French photographers and the others. Talked about all kinds of things, laughed a lot—was really nice.

At around 18:30, Marie and I left and went up the mountain. It was much cooler in the shade, so this was a good choice. It was still quite tough, did 600 meters of elevation in an hour.

Set up our tents behind a massive rock close to the creek. We can hear the water, and the view is nice. Was nice to wash myself by the creek.

Chilled against a comfy rock, almost like a lounge chair. Watched the pretty sunset, cool with those mountains with the zigzag pattern near the top.

Then went into my tent at 21:15. Now journaling and then sleep.

Day 8 of the GR54

Distance: 20.8km • Elevation: ↑530m ↓1800m • Duration: 12 hours

Got up at 06:30 and left at 07:30. Had breakfast and watched the sun slowly come over the mountain.

The day involved a lot of ups and downs, crossing several passes. Every valley looked stunning, almost beyond words.

We got down to the small lake, saw some marmots, and enjoyed the view over the valley.

After the third mountain pass, we descended quite a bit until we reached a pretty refuge with a lake.

Billy & Astrid arrived not much later, they’re really nice to talk to.

I had apple juice, which was delicious, and went for a swim with Marie. Also washed some clothes and chilled in the sun for a while.

Hiked down a very pretty trail, surrounded by flowers and valleys. Lots of little streams crossing the path.

Chilled by a waterfall for a bit while Marie continued ahead. I decided to take it easy and enjoy the hike, as I’m in no rush.

I went for a swim, and admired how incredibly beautiful it is here. I love the peaks in the distance and how green it is.

Billy also arrived at the waterfall, and joked that Wim Hof would be proud of me, haha.

Continued further down. The sun was out, but with the wind and the descent, it was really nice.

I came to a diversion sign, and follow it to the other side of the river. There wasn’t any explanation, but there is probably a bridge gone somewhere downstream.

The diversion trail was actually really pretty, so I didn’t mind it at all.

But at some point, I noticed newly build bridges below at the river, so decided to follow the trail down towards those.

Big mistake 😅

I didn’t realize it at first, but after walking another two kilometers, I reached the point where I was supposed to cross the river.

However, there was no bridge. It had been destroyed in recent floods, and the diversion route was longer than I had expected. I went down too early.

Where the bridge used to be, there were some tree branches and planks arranged to help cross the river, but it looked quite sketchy.

I continued downstream looking for a better crossing point, but the water was too rough and there was no better spot.

Eventually, I returned to the makeshift crossing, met another hiker, and we crossed carefully, one by one. It was a bit scary 😬

Reached a really small, cute refuge. Talked briefly to the guy from the crossing who was sitting there with a beer. Then dropped down on a lounge chair—I really miss comfy chairs and sofas.

Ordered an omelette with ham and cheese from the lady working in the kitchen. She seemed to be the only one there.

The omelette was delicious, really well made. Enjoyed the simple but nice salad that came with it.

Astrid and Billy arrived just as I finished my meal. They told me they skipped the diversion and said they tried crossing without their backpacks first and then with them. I wouldn’t want to cross that river multiple times.

Chilled a bit, packed up my stuff, and paid inside. Gave the lady a regular €2 tip, and she was thrilled 😅

Said goodbye to Billy and Astrid and continued. It was a two-hour walk to the next village.

The walk was mostly downhill along the river, pretty easy going. Passed a cute small village, Rif du Sap, with very old houses.

Started to feel really tired, and still no camping spot in sight. If I didn’t find one, I would have to head to the camping in town, which wouldn’t be too bad but I’d prefer to be on my own somewhere.

Finally found a spot—a natural golden hayfield with a great flowery smell—just 1.5 km before La Chapelle-en-Valgaudémar.

Made dinner outside, counted my food, and texted with Marie, who ended up going camping in La Chapelle-en-Valgaudémar. I enjoyed hiking alone for most of the day, but I also missed having a camping buddy.

Now crawling into bed, incredibly tired. Managed 39000 steps today with lots of elevation.

So quiet here again. I can only hear the river and crickets.

Day 9 of the GR54

Distance: 20.3km • Elevation: ↑1880m ↓1130m • Duration: 13.5 hours

Woke up after sunrise, got up at 06:30.

Checked the weather, and for the first time they’re predicting some thunder in the afternoon.

Hiked the last bit to La Chapelle-en-Valgaudémar, and got some supplies in the shop there. Also bumped into Marie again.

They had more than I expected, so I got some yogurt, fruit, a baguette, and other supplies for the next few days.

Started the switchbacks; holy shit, I’m sweating like crazy 🥵

Could also definitely notice that my backpack was heavy with all the new supplies.

Took a break by a pretty waterfall in the shade.

Still sweating heavily, the trail is tough and it’s just so hot.

But I was happy when finally some clouds started to roll in.

Made it to the col! Feeling proud, that was quite an intense 1500m climb.

Heard classical music from far away. What could that be?

Saw the other lake and saw someone playing on a violin there. Cool! 🎻

Went for a swim in the lake, water felt so warm and nice.

Met the violinist, a French guy from Paris who travels from refuge to refuge to play music.

After chilling there for quite a long time, I headed down towards Refuge des Souffles. Such a pretty trail.

Got down to the refuge and met Marie again, who was already here for a while.

I ate a blueberry cane in one of the beach chairs, what a view.

I was thinking about staying and camping next to the refuge, but they didn’t have any availability for dinner anymore unfortunately.

Marie was going to continue hiking over the next col, and I decided to join her for a short bit and look for a bivouac spot away from the refuge.

But there weren’t many bivouac spots, and when I finally found one there wasn’t any water nearby. So decided to go with Marie over the next mountain pass.

After the col, we descended steeply for a long time with no suitable flat bivouac spots, and my legs were getting really tired.

It started to slowly get dark, but at least the sunset was very nice.

Marie said she had a marked bivouac spot in her Hexatrek app a bit further down, but it turned out to be a sheep herding place with barking dogs. We walked back a bit and then down to a spot that seemed flat.

Well, it wasn’t so flat but we managed to set up the tents in an angle. I’m sooo tired 😴

Marie got into her tent and then it happened..

I heard something rolling down behind me and Marie yelled that it was her backpack.

I got up right away, and saw her backpack rolling down over the edge into the darkness—it was gone 😱

I would probably have been smarter to look for her backpack the next morning in daylight, but Marie logically seemed very stressed because all her stuff was in there.

So we got our headlights, and hiked down the steep mountain trying to find her backpack.

We first found the rain cover, and then later the backpack itself that stopped just before a stream that went further down the mountain. So lucky!

She was so relieved, and we hiked back up to our tents while laughing a lot about what just happened 😅

Now it’s midnight, and I’m incredibly tired. Longest hiking day ever.

Day 10 of the GR54

Distance: 15.5km • Elevation: ↑1100m ↓1580m • Duration: 11.5 hours

Got up, feeling exhausted. The night was too short; I slept too late, got up too early, and slept poorly due to the awkward angle of the tent.

Hiked down towards the village, which was more work than I thought. Took about 1.5 hours.

Had breakfast in town with Marie. I had an omelette and cappuccino. It was a nice little place. The coffee was mediocre, but the omelette was just what I needed.

Then continued uphill along a riverbed; it’s sweltering hot today.

I took a quick break under a tree, sweating like crazy after just 180 meters of elevation. It was so hot—maybe it wasn’t the best idea to have such a long breakfast at the café. I said goodbye to Marie, who wanted to continue; I probably won’t see her again.

Walked to the next waterfall, which was completely dry. Luckily, two Dutch hikers came down, and I asked if there was any water up there. They said no but offered me some of their water. I now have almost a full bottle, but I’m still a bit anxious about the water situation with this heat.

Found water a bit further up near the col. Drank a whole liter and filled up my bottle and another liter in the dirty water bag. Reborn!

Near the top, there’s an old sheep trail that 50 men expanded with pickaxes over 26 days to make crossing the col easier. Thank you 🙏

Chilled for an hour at the col and made noodles. It was nice not to rush.

Now just need to descend 800 meters to the valley.

The rock formations are amazing and look really unique.

Descending through the forest; there’s a tiny bit of shade but not enough. I feel a bit overheated.

Slowly descending into the valley, which looks peaceful and very remote. There’s only a small mining town with just a few houses. I’m so tired and can’t wait to set up camp and crash. Only 150 meters to go until I’m at some kind of road leading towards the village.

After getting all the way down, I had to walk another 20 minutes or so until the designated bivouac spot. In this valley it’s only allowed to bivouac here to protect the sensitive flora and fauna in the valley.

Set up my tent in the designated spot and went to the town, which is charming. Really old houses and fountains, and everything looks so cheerful—almost like going back in time.

Made dinner by the river and washed some clothes. It was nice to sit there, though I missed having a comfy chair.

Back at the tent, the spot is decent, but I prefer being somewhere completely on my own. It’s free here, which is nice, but now we’re five tents on one field. I would have preferred to camp a bit higher up the valley towards the col, but I really didn’t have the energy for it anymore.

At least it’s very quiet at the campsite—only birds and the river in the distance.

Day 11 of the GR54

Distance: 8.2km • Elevation: ↑1190m ↓480m • Duration: 6.5 hours

I tried to sleep in until 07:00 but woke up at 06:30, slept well but my feet are still tired.

My overnight oats seem to have disappeared. I’m not sure if I left them by the river or if an animal took them. I could have sworn I had them outside the tent 🤷‍♂️

Big climb ahead, over 1000 meters of elevation!

The sun came out quickly, making it a bit hotter but also beautiful with the rays over the mountains.

I climbed up to 2114 meters and took a break behind a hill in the shade.

Only 495 meters of elevation left! So far, I feel stronger and more rested than yesterday 🤓

I walked on my toes for two hours through short, steep switchbacks. Apparently, the switchbacks were being dug out in 2010 by a spider digger machine after numerous safety complaints from hikers.

Made it to the col, and made some tea and finished my salami and fruit cake 😋

This is also where I met Isak from Sweden, who was busy filming the trail for his YouTube Channel. Friendly guy.

Then I had to cross a snowfield with microspikes, which I wasn’t too happy about after my experience in the Allgäu Alps.

But hey, at least I didn’t bring the microspikes for nothing 😋

It seemed fine, until I came across some deep gaping holes in the snow. Not cool, but could luckily pass those quickly.

I descended on a beautiful path with views of the lake.

At one point, there was the turquoise lake on the left and a waterfall on the right. Beyond pretty.

And at 15:00 I made it to the lake! Doing absolutely nothing for the next hour, except enjoying the view. Happy to have so much time today.

I walked a bit further down the lake to look for a suitable bivouac spot, filtered water, relaxed by the lake, then went for a swim and chilled in the sun.

I went to the refuge where two beautiful donkeys came down to drink at the lake. Many refuges use donkeys like these to resupply the huts instead of helicopters.

I sat next to Isak and a French guy and had a blond beer with a tasty cheese platter.

The French guy had a paper map, which was fun to look at and to compare our routes. Nicer than a tiny phone screen.

Isak shared some tips about hikes in Sweden and the Kungsleden.

I told them about my swim from earlier, tried to convince them that it’s not too cold, and we went for another swim together.

I said goodbye to Isak and walked around the lake, back to the spot that I found earlier.

It’s quiet and beautiful here, far from other tents. Great find.

I cooked instant noodles with peanuts and enjoyed the view. I love these alpine lakes.

Very tired, so hopped into the tent at 21:00 and enjoyed the last bit of sunset.

Day 12 of the GR54

Distance: 19.7km • Elevation: ↑500m ↓1880m • Duration: 11 hours

Good morning! Last hiking day 😄

Easy morning with tea and breakfast at the tent while enjoying the sunrise. It’s pretty cold, but warming up fast like always. Contrast between night and day is huge.

tThe trail starts rocky, then gentle switchbacks as I’m getting closer to the col.

Made it to the last col of the GR54—easiest col so far.

But whoah, so beautiful with the lake down below and rows of mountains behind it in the clouds.

From here on out, it’s only down, down, down.

And the trail down didn’t disappoint, and Lac Lauvitel came quickly in sight.

Very pretty view of the lake—amazing color, with two waterfalls flowing into it.

After lots of easy switchbacks, the trail got a bit more technical with a steel rope next to it.

Got down to the lake, and it’s incredibly nice.

Some people chilling at the little beach, and a few kayaks in the distance near the waterfall.

Jumped into the lake right away, which was incredibly nice. One of the warmest lakes so far 🤗

Time for the last descent, which was a rocky path going down through what felt like a jungle.

Got down to a road through the forest, and I really want to finish now 😅

6 kilometres or so on a path like this, let’s go.

Passed another pretty lake, but the vibe already felt different.

People were wearing regular clothes, and not everyone said “bonjour” anymore.

The last few kilometers were really difficult.

Not much to see, just a concrete road.

But then..

I finally made it back to Le Bourg-d’Oisans! Feel soooo happy and excited! 🤩

Can’t believe I actually made it! 🥳

Walking around the town with a smile.

Ordered a pizza to go and chilled on a bench next to the canal.

And that’s it, the end of my adventure.

Now it’s time to see if the car is still there and drive home 🤓

Afterthoughts of the GR54

What a blast of an adventure!

I absolutely loved every step of the trail, the views, and especially the people I’ve met along the way.

With all the variants, I covered quite a big distance;

• Total distance hiked: 208km
• Total elevation gain: 12.680m
• Total elevation loss: 12.680m

Honestly, when I started I wasn’t sure if I could even do this.

I’m so proud! 🤗

Also can’t believe how lucky I was with the weather; sun every single day without a drop of rain.

Quick learnings

Here is a list of things I learned during the hike, mostly about gear and thru-hiking itself;

• I took a microfibre cloth as a towel, but that thing attracts dirt when it’s hanging off my pack. Will get something different.
• Loved the 2m of extra tent guyline I brought, often used it as a clothes line between trees during a break.
• I needed so many cables because my second powerbank only had a USB-A out.
• Brighter phone case would be handy. Had a green one now and it was hard to find sometimes.
• Used my trowel a few times to push stakes into the ground if there were no rocks, that was handy.
• It’s really hard to cut through roots with my trowel.
• Loved my new rechargable headlamp, definitely saved the day when looking for a lost backpack at night.
• I didn’t trust the carabiner to attach the Garmin InReach because you can’t lock it, so just used a simple rope instead.
• Ziplock enforced with tape worked really well as my ditty bag.
• When using two powerbanks should drain both equally in case one breaks.
• Ziplocks to separate days of food were great.
• Differently shaped food bag would be handy to fit my backpack better.

Items I didn’t use;

• Rain jacket: weather was so good! But good to bring anyway.
• Headphones: didn’t need any entertainment.
• Ereader: days were so long that I went straight to bed after sunset.

Trip cost

I spent a surprisingly small amount of money.

• Accommodation: €29,60 (includes camping on the way there)
• Transportation: €108,53 (only fuel calculated)
• Supermarkets: €67,50
• Restaurants/refugios: €59,50

So that’s a total of €265,13💰

The ability to bivouac almost anywhere along the GR54 saved me a ton of money, and I made most food myself.

This was probably the cheapest two-week holiday I’ve ever had. Awesome!

Recommendations for hiking the GR54

Here are some tips I wish I would’ve know before starting the GR54.

Variants to hike;

• Don’t miss out on Lac Noir & Lac Lérié, it’s only a small detour. Especially camping at Lac Noir is out of this world.
• Lac de l’Eychauda was epic which its turquoise color and floating ice in it. It’s technical at the last bit towards Col des Grangettes, but if you go slow and hold onto the steel ropes not much can go wrong. So worth it.
• I did the variant through Fournel Valley because there was too much snow at Col de l’Aup Martin, but really enjoyed it. So beautiful, and with so many waterfalls.
• After Valgaudémar I went up to Col de Colombe, where you have an awesome view of Lac Lautier. The lake is really awesome to swim in too, not cold at all. The lake is also great for bivouacking with plenty of flat spots with great views.

Food;

• Don’t bring too much food. I’ve talked to people who carried eight days’ worth, but you come across a small market every two or three days and there are mountain refuges nearly every day that offer snacks/lunch/dinner.
• In the afternoon, the refuges serve things like lasagne, vegetable omelette with cheese and blueberry pie.
• The small alpine supermarkets don’t have a big selection, but just enough if you want to be self-sufficient in the mountains for a few days. Some simple dinner ideas that you can get in all of them; instant noodles with extra peanuts, mashed potatoes with fried onions, pasta, baguette with cheese.
• Most small supermarkets close between 12:30-15:30, so be sure to plan accordingly. Sucks if you arrive at 13:00 and have to wait for hours.

Other tips for the GR54;

• Plan in more time than you think you’ll need. It’s so worth it to be able to sit down for an hour and enjoy the view.
• It’s very easy to find bivouac spots for a small tent along the trail, and I would encourage you to do so. You can sleep at the most epic places, and it gives so much more freedom than staying in the refuges because you can go as far as you like every day.
• Try to save climbs to the col for early morning or late afternoon. They’re much easier when you avoid the heat.
• I’ve seen so many tissues. Use a antimicrobial pee cloth or pack your tissues out; it takes at least 3 months for a tissue to decompose. Hundreds of people will walk by your nasty tissue before a ranger picks it up.
• If you plan to hike the GR54 in June or July, make sure to check the snow conditions.

I made a GPX file with the whole route and all variants that I hiked and recommend, including waypoints of over 50 cool bivouac spots along the way. Get it here for just 10 bucks.

Conclusion

I still can’t believe all the beauty I’ve seen in the Écrins National Park.

I would do the GR54 over in a heartbeat 😄

What about you?

Are you going to hike this trail?

Let me know in the comments below 🙌

Would love to hear from you!