From Saint Gingolph to Novel

July 18, 2024

Take-off for Geneva this morning from Lisbon. I’ll be leaving with Gabriele, who’ll be accompanying me for the first week, then continuing on my own to the Mediterranean. I plan to complete the 600km crossing over a month or so of trekking.

At Geneva airport, we take the train to Lausanne, with a stop at the outdoor store to buy a gas cartridge, then take the boat to Saint Gingolph. The views are magnificent, and time stands still as we approach Saint-Gingolph.

Arriving in Saint-Gingolph, turn right to reach the official start of the Grande Traversée des Alpes in just a few minutes.

It’s almost 5 p.m., and the excitement is building to finally start the adventure. We had decided to walk to Novel on the day of the finish to gain a little elevation gain for the next day’s stage. And off we go!

We quickly leave Saint-Gingolph and begin the climb to Novel along a shady path that follows the river. It’s a good climb, but we’ve only got a few kilometers to go and a good dinner awaits us at Chemins du Léman.

Great hotel and dinner, great views of the mountains. The rest of the crossing will be mainly in tents, but after an early flight and a late arrival, we wanted to spend a comfortable night before really starting the adventure.

Alexia