The USA has its Pacific Crest Trail, Appalachian Trail and CDT, New Zealand has its Te Araroa, Italy has its VA Sentiero, France now has the HexaTrek, the great crossing of France through its most beautiful mountains !
HexaTrek is a 3034 km hiking trail, connecting 14 of the most beautiful nationals parks and crossing France from the Vosges to the Pyrenees.
The path follows the highest mountain regions of our country, often nicknamed "l'Hexagone" for its hexagonal shape, joining together some of the most emblematic summits, natural wonders and wildest places.
47 Great Hiking GR® trails have been brought together in a single path to create this thru hike.
Stopping off in the most picturesque villages, HexaTrek is a journey into wilderness, tradition, history and french culture.
If you feel like adding a few meters of altitude difference to the 140,000 m already present on the route, discover the alternative routes of the HexaTrek.
Here is our top 10 peaks over 3000m accessible from the HexaTrek route
THE HIKING GEAR LIST
Equipment you should carry in your bag
The gear you are bringing with you on your thru-hike is paramount to its success
To guarantee your independence and autonomy, here is a gear list to help you be ready to face the HexaTrek.
Hiking with your dog
The Complete Guide
Between a reserve and the heart of a national park, the official HexaTrek route is only 80% passable with your dog.
Find here the complete guide to prepare for the hexatrek with your dog, the route that we recommend...
BEFORE YOU START
Leaving for several months to cross France requires preparation!
Find our 3 most useful articles to help you organize.
THE MOBILE APP
Find all the points of interest, bivouac areas, refuges and all the places essential to your autonomy
The official application of the trail, finally available!
All maps are available offline
Find all the bivouac areas, unguarded shelters and huts along the trail and know where to spend the night.
Don't miss any of the unmissable points of interest, natural wonders and the most beautiful villages in France
Identify water and resupply points to guarantee your autonomy
MOBILE APP
YOUR GUIDE ON THE TRAIL
ARTICLES ABOUT HEXATREK
Click the logos to read the articles
HexaTrek Association
Thanks to your membership fee, the HexaTrek Association will be able to continue its adventure while developing the trail for future hikers.
Join the HexaTrek community, receive invitations to organized events, benefit from advantages offered by the association and take part in HexaTrek's associative life.
Dive into the heart of the trail, this documentary film invites you to discover the HexaTrek, a great and unusual hike in the heart of the mountains, 3000km to connect the most beautiful natural parks in France.
Whether it's a hot shower, a meal, a piece of land, or a warm night's sleep, find out about all the trail-side people who have offered to help HexaTrek hikers.
We hope that the HexaTrek Trail Family will grow and that many magical moments will arise between hikers and hosts.
Discover our online store dedicated to all hikers! Tshirts, knives, caps, patches, stickers and lots of other surprises... Everything you need to be recognizable on the trail.
- Knives, Patches and Stickers: Shipped once a year in APRIL
- T-shirts, caps, mugs.... Delivery all year round
In this series of portraits, find out who's crossing France on foot.
Have you completed the HexaTrek? Fill in the form to be added to the list of HexaTrek finishers.
In the north-south direction, we recommend starting after May 15 and before July 1. Snow accumulations in the Alps are still very high until early July.
Leaving before June 1 exposes you to snow difficulties as soon as you arrive in the Alps.
In the South-North direction, the best departure time is between June 1 and July 15.
Heading north-south (SOBO): With a gradual start in the Vosges mountains, hikers will have time to build up their physical fitness and arrive in the Alps well-prepared, once the passes have been freed of their winter snow. Bonus: magnificent sunsets over the Pyrenees, and a more symbolic arrival at the Atlantic Ocean!
-Heading south-north (NOBO): Starting from the Pyrenees, you'll need to be in better physical shape at the start.
After a few years' experience, we increasingly recommend this direction to avoid snow problems in the Alps.
By the end of your hike, the Vosges will never be so snow-covered as to block your way, so you can go at your own pace.
With a departure in June, you'll cross directly into the Pyrenees in June and the Alps in September, two great periods outside the school vacations to enjoy the best of both ranges without the tourists and full refuges.
At a rate of 25km per day, with one rest day per week, the trek will take an average of 120 days to complete the entire thru-hike.
Feedback from previous years indicates a duration of between 90 and 150 days.
For those who don't have the time to do the whole trek in one go, we've divided the trek into 6 sections, so that it can be achieved in several stages over several seasons.
25km per day is an average, but some sections will be much more physical than others. Remember, the HexaTrek represents some 139,000m of cumulative ascent; 15 times Mount Everest!
Over a distance of more than 3,000km, you'll cross some of France's most beautiful mountainous regions.
74% of the HexaTrek is in areas where bivouacs are permitted.
To find out where these are, you'll need to pay close attention to the signs on the trail, or you can download the official HexaTrek mobile app, which lists all areas where bivouacking is prohibited.
This answer varies widely according to hiker profile.
10 € per day: Almost exclusively bivouacs, less than one night in a refuge per month and one restaurant per week. Your only expenses are your supplies and any breakages.
25 € per day: This is the average, i.e. €3,000 for 120 days.
This includes 1 refuge per week, several midday or evening meals in the refuges and a few small pleasures during your 4-month walk.
+ 40 € per day: You regularly stay in half-board accommodation, sleep in refuges very often and buy quality groceries, freeze-dried food, sometimes sleep in hotels or treat yourself to other, more expensive pleasures.
The HexaTrek is a long-distance trek that can't really be organized in advance. It's hard to book a hut several weeks in advance, or deal with the unexpected on such a long trek.
Along the way, you'll find regular water points, and the distances between 2 ressuply point are never more than 5 days of food carry.
In the HexaTrek mobile app, you'll find all the water points, refuges, resupplies and other information you need to organize your day-to-day activities.
The entire HexaTrek is a made only of Hiking Trail.
This is a challenging route, reaching many peaks close to 3000m elevation.
Demanding physically and mentally condition, the Alps and Pyrenean stages include a lot of elevation gain.
They also include some tricky passages, but no mountaineering skills are required during the summer season.
If you set off outside the recommended periods, special equipment such as crampons or ice-axe may be required.
The HexaTrek also includes alternatives paths, more demanding routes in the high mountains. A full list of the 11 alternative routes can be found on the mobile app, along with all the points of interest indicating where the difficult sections are.
Good physical preparation is recommended, but long-distance hiking is an endurance activity accessible to all.
he HexaTrek association is a registered non-profit organization under the French law of 1901. It was founded in 2021 to serve as an administrative structure, with the aim of developing and promoting this new trail in France and around the world.
The project is run by a team of passionate volunteers, if you'd like to support us, join the HexaTrek community, enjoy benefits or participate in the life of the association, you can become a member.
It is not always easy to know the regulations limiting access to dogs. Between reserve and heart of national park, the official HexaTrek route is only 80% passable with your dog.We have published a complete guide to preparing for the hexatrek with your dog, the route we recommend as well as feedback from the first person to have hiked this trail accompanied by the now legendary dog : Thrall!➡️ See the article in the Complete Guide
Hexatrek is a non-profit association dedicated to creating the French hiking trail.
Crossing France through its mountains, culture and wilderness, your donation will enable us to continue to grow Hexatrek, improve our infrastructure and maintain the trail.
As an association, your donation will be eligible for tax deduction, and your generosity will help us build the trail's future.
Your donation will also enable you to become a member of our association.
If you have any further questions, we invite you to join our DISCORD channel.
thousand hikers have joined us on this forum, and we regularly answer any questions people may have.➡️ Join us on discord
Vosges - Doubs - Jura
Etape 1 - Le Grand Est
Rencontrez les paysages féeriques du Grand-Est. Entre forêts verdoyantes et cascades d’eau cristalline, à travers les trésors cachés de l’est français.
Distance
670 km
Dénivelé +
21.200 m
20 à 35 J
Durée
Savoie - Beaufortain - Vanoise
Etape 2 - Alpes du Nord
Une traversée au cœur des plus beaux paysages de montagne, au centre de la mythique chaine des Alpes.
Distance
382 km
Dénivelé +
22.500 m
15 à 30 J
Durée
Ecrins - Belledonne - Vercors
Etape 3 - Hautes Alpes
Les Hautes-Alpes sont un paradis pour les randonneurs qui s’y aventurent. Des espaces naturels sublimes à chaque virage de l'étape.
Distance
497 km
Dénivelé +
26.800 m
20 à 35 J
Durée
Cévennes - Tarn - Languedoc
Etape 4 - Gorges & Causses
Ici, les gorges ont façonné les paysages au fil du temps et de l’eau. Créant de hauts plateaux entre les jonctions de ces rivières, ces reliefs offrent aux randonneurs de l’HexaTrek d’incroyables points de vue.
Distance
514 km
Dénivelé +
14.300 m
15 à 25 J
Durée
Corbière - Catalogne - Ariége
Etape 5 - Pyrénées Est
L’itinéraire de cette étape traverse continuellement les frontières, entre la France, l’Andorre et L’Espagne. Vous resterez au cœur du massif pyrénéen, au plus proche des sommets.
Distance
532 km
Dénivelé +
30.600 m
25 à 35 J
Durée
Parc National - Bearn - Basque
Etape 6 - Pyrénées Ouest
Des plus hauts sommets pyrénéens au littoral français, cette étape vous conduira à travers des lieux mythiques comme le cirque de Gavarnie ou le pic du midi d'Osseau
Distance
437 km
Dénivelé +
22.600 m
20 à 30 J
Durée
DISCOVER 6 STAGES OF THE TRAIL
Whether you are going for the big adventure, or just a section of the HexaTrek, discover each stages in more detail
Vosges - Doubs - Jura
Stage 1 - The Great East
Discover the mystical landscapes of the Grand Est. Between green forests and crystal clear waterfalls through the hidden treasures of Eastern France.
Distance
670 km
Elevation
21.200 m
20 à 35 J
Time
Savoie - Beaufortain - Vanoise
Stage 2 - Northern Alps
Throughout the heart of the most beautiful mountain landscapes, hike and enjoy the beautiful vistas in the center of the exceptional Alps.
Distance
382 km
Elevation
22.500 m
15 à 30 J
Time
Ecrins - Belledonne - Vercors
Stage 3 - Southern Alps
The Hautes-Alpes are a paradise for hikers who venture there. You will encounter magnificent natural areas at every corner.
Distance
497 km
Elevation
26.800 m
20 à 35 J
Time
Cévennes - Tarn - Languedoc
Stage 4 - Gorges & Causses
Here, time and water have shaped the landscape and dug deep gorges. Creating high plateaux between the junctions of these rivers, this contrast offer HexaTrek hikers incredible views.
Distance
514 km
Elevation
14.300 m
15 à 25 J
Time
Corbière - Catalogne - Ariége
Stage 5 - East Pyrenees
The itinerary of this stage crosses the borders continuously, between France, Andorra and Spain. You will remain in the heart of the Pyrenean range, close to the summits.
Distance
532 km
Elevation
30.600 m
25 à 35 J
Time
Parc National - Bearn - Basque
Stage 6 - West Pyrenees
From the highest Pyrenean summits to the French coastline, this stage will lead you through world-famous places such as the cirque de Gavarnie or the Pic du Midi d'Osseau.
Distance
437 km
Elevation
22.600 m
20 à 30 J
Time
Maxime
J'ai bouclé l'Hexatrek en vivant l'une des expériences les plus marquantes de ma vie. J'y ai fêté mes 20 ans , mais c'est surtout la bas que j'ai réellement grandi , Jour après jour , face a l'adversité , j'ai appris à ne rien lâcher , j'ai découvert en moi une force que je ne soupçonnais pas , ce trek ma offert bien plus que des kilomètres , il m'a offert des rencontres magiques , des paysages gravés à jamais dans ma mémoire et des moments de joie pure que je n'oublierais jamais, rien de que de repenser au soirées sans fin avec d'autre marcheurs , je me dis que ça valait tout l'effort du monde .
Ce que j'ai aimé par dessus tout , c'est ce sentiment de liberté totale , décider quand dormir , manger, faire une sieste ,vivre selon son rythme , être déconnecté du superflu , mais tellement connecté a ce qui compte vraiment ,
L'hexatrek c'est sa pour moi : la liberté , la résilience et le bonheur simple d'être vivant .
Randosavoie , mon instagram
Camille
Brièvement l'hexatrek c'est , porter sa maison sur son dos, les rencontres, les sourires, maudire un peu la pluie puis la chérir sur l'étape 4 où il pleut des cendres, manger des purées mousselines en haut des cols en regardant passer les nuages (et les troupeaux), se dire je ne vis que pour les boulangeries enfaite, mes jambes c'est à moi ses jambes qui me portent encore ??? pleurer en regardant passer des marcassins à la tombée de la nuit, montées, descentes, on remonte ? On descends ? encore ? Bien dormir, qu'il est doux mon duvet, se rendre compte que la liberté c'est juste une bonne paire de godasses et crapahuter sur les sentiers.
Aurélien
Une aventure unique, fortes en émotions… des moments de joies, de peines, de deuil pour ma part, mais une immense joie de retrouver les amis sur le sentier après !!!
L’hexatrek m’a offert des rencontres uniques, et surtout des amis !
Une façon de voyager mon pays à la force de mes jambes, et de mon mental qui n’a jamais flanché 😁
Merci à l’hexatrek, merci aux copains du trail, mais surtout merci à moi même d’avoir cru en moi, et de mettre lancé dans cette aventure incroyable.
didier
Sur le sentier, chaque journée se résumait à marcher, poser le sac, retirer les chaussures et sentir le silence s’installer.
La solitude n’était jamais pesante. On m’a répété souvent : « Tu n’as pas peur de marcher seul ? » mais c’est précisément cette solitude qui rendait chaque pas plus intense, confrontait au chemin et à soi-même.
Les rencontres ont marqué l’aventure : quelques Hexa croisés, un échange de mots, un silence partagé ou quelques jours de marche ensemble. Ces moments donnaient une véritable dimension humaine au rythme des kilomètres.
Au final, l’Hexatrek montre que l’on n’a pas besoin de tout contrôler. Le chemin impose, transforme, simplifie et révèle ce qui compte vraiment.
Que cela soit un simple banc, une table de pique-nique, un abri ou encore un châlet-refuge, vous croiserez de nombreux aménagements entretenus par le Club Vosgien et leur bénévoles. À travers leurs sentiers et leurs balisages d’une qualité unique en France, vous découvrirez le massif des Vosges et leur richesse historique, culturelle ainsi que leur biodiversité remarquable.
HexaTrek
HexaTrek - La randonnée longue distance de France
Alors que les Etats-Unis ont le Pacific Crest Trail, que la Nouvelle-Zélande a le Te Araroa, il etait grand temps de donner à la France un parcours qui mette en valeur toute la beauté et la diversité de ses paysages ! Une équipe d’authentiques passionnés lancent l’HexaTrek en 2022 : 3 034 km de sentiers à travers les montagnes !
A la une
Top 10 Thru-Hike au monde
Les sentiers de longue randonnée inspirent des récits contradictoires de solitude et de camaraderie, de lits de rivière déserts et de plateaux de montagne, de plaisir et de douleur.
L'idée de parcourir des milliers de kilomètres à pied est elle-même à peine croyable. C'est peut-être ce qui rend ces aventures si mémorables.
HexaTrek
Club Vosgien is partner of the HexaTrek
Whether it's a simple bench, a picnic table, a shelter or even a refuge shawl, you will come across many facilities maintained by the Club Vosgien and their volunteers. Through their trails and their markings of a unique quality in France, you will discover the Vosges mountains and their historical and cultural wealth as well as their remarkable biodiversity.
HexaTrek
Hexatrek - The French thru hiking trail
United States has the Pacific Crest Trail, New Zealand has the Te Araroa, it was time to give France a trail that would hike all the beauty and diversity of its landscapes! A team of true enthusiasts are launching the HexaTrek in 2022: 3,000 km of trails through the mountains!
Breaking News
Top 10 Thru-Hike in the world
Long-distance trails inspire conflicting tales of solitude and camaraderie, of deserted riverbeds and mountain plateaus, of pleasure and pain. The idea of walking thousands of miles is itself hardly believable. Perhaps that is what makes these adventures so memorable.
Would you like to share your hiking days on Strava?
Join the HexaTrek Club, share your activities and find the journey of other hikers
TRAIL ANGEL THE TRAIL COMMUNITY
Whether it's a hot shower, a meal, a piece of land, or a warm night's sleep, find out about all the trail-side people who have offered to help HexaTrek hikers.
We hope that the HexaTrek Trail Family will grow and that many magical moments will arise between hikers and hosts.