Parti pour un voyage d'un peu moins de 5000 km, l'Hexatrek a été la partie la plus extraordinaire de mon voyage. Tout est présent pour que l'aventure soit inoubliable. Traversée la France à pied par les montagnes, j'en rêvais avant même que l'Hexatrek n'existe. Mais victime de blessures aux genoux le rêve n'était plus à ma portée. Après plusieurs années à essayer de remonter la pente, même si je n'étais pas complètement guéri, je ne pouvais plus attendre davantage, il me fallait remettre mon sac sur le dos et partir. J'ai enfin pris le départ pour la plus grosse aventure de ma vie, avec je l’avoue la peur de raviver mes blessures. Marcher, trouver de l’eau et de la nourriture, chercher son lieu de bivouac, faire des rencontres, visiter des lieux à vous laisser bouche bée étaient devenu la réalité, ce n’était plus un rêve. Jour après jour on s’enfonce dans l’aventure de l’Hexatrek à tel point qu’une fois que l’on craint de voir l’océan, on voudrait que l’aventure perdure. Après chaque voyage, on ressort grandi de l’expérience que l’on vient de vivre, plus le voyage est intense plus on grandit. Et croyais-moi après l’Hexatrek, on grandit, il y a un avant et un après. Une fois à Hendaye, j’ai continué ma route sur les chemins de Compostelle, quitter l’Hexatrek et mes compagnons de marche a été un déchirement. Et arrivé à l’autre bout du continent, je réalise la chance que j’ai eu de réaliser cette aventure qui nous sort de ce monde avec lequel il est difficile de composer. La vie est tellement plus simple sur les sentiers perdus dans les montagnes, aux rythmes des pas. Pour les personnes encore hésitantes : partez à l'aventure à travers nos montagnes françaises, n’hésitez plus, l'aventure est au rendez-vous, n'attendez pas d'avoir toutes les cartes en main, elles viendront d'elles-mêmes au fur et à mesure des massifs que vous passerez.

Hendaye, on t’a imaginée. Hendaye, on t’a fantasmée. Hendaye, on t’a autant aimée que détestée. On t’aura attendue avec impatience. Hendaye, aujourd’hui, on te rencontre enfin pour de vrai. Et quelque part sur le sentier, on s’est peut-être rencontrés, nous aussi… Partis de Wissembourg le 22 juin, nous n’imaginions pas le tumulte que tu allais semer dans nos cœurs, toi, l’Hexatrek. Pas un simple sentier, mais une odyssée, sauvage et imprévisible. Tu nous as fait traverser une France sublime — des forêts profondes aux alpages immenses, des villages oubliés aux cimes les plus reculées. Nous n’oublierons jamais le soleil ardent sur nos peaux, le plafond d’étoiles au-dessus de nos têtes et la liberté que tu nous as offerte. À chaque détour, tu nous as émerveillés, épuisés, parfois malmenés, mais toujours fait vibrer. Sur ton tracé, nous avons rencontré des âmes lumineuses. Ceux qui nous ont tendu la main, offert un sourire, un toit, un repas ou juste un mot — grâce à eux, tu nous as portés plus loin encore. Tu nous as changés, Hexatrek. Sur tes chemins, nous nous sommes cherchés. Nous nous sommes perdus, souvent. Et quelque part, entre deux pas, deux doutes, deux horizons, nous nous sommes retrouvés. Tu nous as offert la possibilité de voir encore plus grand. Plus rien n’est impossible désormais. N’oublie pas, toi qui lis ces lignes : lorsque le souffle se fait court et que les doutes s’installent, le chemin se trace toujours par monts… et par soi.

Hello, we are Kate and Kieran - two 28 year olds from Canberra, Australia 🦘We chose to do the HexaTrek because we wanted to challenge ourselves to a thru hike but we also wanted the experience to be about food and culture too! We decided to go NOBO very last minute - like a week before we started - and it worked extremely well for us and we didn’t have to deviate off until we ran into early snow fall in Chamonix and had to take some alternate routes :( We loved how quiet the trail was going NOBO and are grateful that we missed out on peak season in the alps, however that meant we only made friends with those doing the GR10 or HRP as we didn’t run into any other hexatrekkers until much later in the hike :( I think if we were to do the hike again we would flip flop and do 4,5,6 then 3,2,1 - there are pros and cons to whichever order but my advice would be - just be flexible and not set on a plan - that way you avoid disappointment or sticking to something that just isn’t working :) Thru hiking in France in completely different to Australia in terms of wilderness but we made the most of and stopped for coffee and cake at the majority of the Mountain Refuges we passed 😂 Another treat we loved when we were hiking through stage 4 and every day for 2 weeks was 38-42 degrees, we would go to a store and buy a 4 pack of biscoff or magnum ice creams - we would sit in the store carpark in the shade and smash 2 each - they were the best 😂😂 I have so many little things I could write about on here, but honestly we had the best time, we met so many incredible people along the way and saw some of the most beautiful scenery and camped in some truely spectacular spots!! An absolutely incredible journey!!! Thank you to the team behind the HexaTrek association and the community for making this possible 💛

Si je ne peux donner qu'un seul conseil : gardez votre PQ à proximité, à moins de vouloir devenir vous aussi un vrai thru-hiker... PS : désolé pour les panneaux en moins et les commentaires sur l'app

My motto from the Hexatrek: "Simplicity holds the key to happiness." A warm shower, toilet paper and soap in a public restroom, a “chocolatine» from the bakery, or a wind-sheltered campsite. I realized that it doesn’t take much to be happy. You carry your entire home with you. Every item has its value and is carefully chosen, there is no room for anything useless. This brings me a sense of lightness and freedom. And when you pitch your tent in the evening, sit in front of your gas stove, and watch the sunset, you are overcome by a warm feeling of inner contentment. At least, that’s how it was for me. However, it wasn't always like this. I froze at night, could barely breathe from the heat, went hungry, and asked myself during every ascent: "What the hell am I doing here?" During the first stage, a fellow hiker told me: "Never quit on a bad day." I took that to heart when, after the third stage, I sat in my tent like a pile of misery and considered going home. I decided to keep walking—slowly and steadily, with intentional breaks. I wanted to hike more in the "now." And so I walked, further and further, all the way to Hendaye. Never before in my life have I experienced such contrasting emotions in such short intervals. Fatigue, exhaustion, and fear followed by pure joy and happiness. A firework of emotions. I loved the trail itself, the mountains, and the vastness. Indescribable. The landscapes were so diverse. I think the mix of wilderness, small villages, and historical sites is great. Every day I was surprised anew. I got to know and love France. Fun Fact – My Biggest Fears: Running out of toilet paper, a dead power bank, no water, not enough food, thunderstorms, livestock guardian dogs and ticks.

Que dire de cette aventure hors normes. Parcourir la France à pied a été un réel bonheur pour nous deux. C'est l'aventure d'une vie où on apprend à se connaître, à se découvrir, et rencontrer des personnes passionnantes et formidables. Grosse pensée à toutes les personnes qu'on a croisées sur le sentier. La montagne nous manque, on y retournera pour en découvrir encore davantage !

Waow ! Je me sens si heureuse et chanceuse d'avoir vécu ce moment de vie en nature. Je me suis sentie pleinement vivante, libre, connectée et émerveillée. Je souhaite à toustes de vivre une intensité de vie telle. J'ai trouvé merveilleux de voir les paysages se transformer au fil de mes pas et ce que j'ai préféré a été de vivre dehors : marcher, respirer, bivouaquer. Ca permet de créer un lien unique avec la nature et les animaux. Je me souviendrai toujours du coucher de soleil en haut du Mont Thabor, un spectacle qui m'a bouleversée d'émotion avec les nuages qui vont et vienne, cette couleur intense du soleil doré, avec la vue à 360 sur les massifs alentours. Maintenant, je sais que je souhaite intégré ce mode de vie en itinérance à ma vie quotidienne, je repars avec ce joli cadeau et de nouvelles amitiés. Pour moi, l'Hexatrek c'est VIVRE et que ça fait du bien !

We, that is Koni and Lea, loved the Hexatrek: the mountainous areas, the freedom and the food, especially the cheese! For us it was a challenging adventure that brought us closer together. We really enjoyed talking to people on the way, whether they were locals or other hikers. It was really worth to refresh our French before the hike so we could engage with the locals. We had a saying during the hike: "There will always be another pleasant surprise around the corner!" and that's what we cherished. We found plenty of local cheese stalls and surprise village festivals on the way. Our beloved tradition was to celebrate with a local cheese fondue after each stage. During the hike we tried to get as much variety in our food as possible and got very creative with inventing new hiking dishes, such as Roquefort soy creme pasta. In the end we couldn't finish all of the Hexatrek in 2024 due to snow and injuries, so we came back to finish the missing part, the Alps, in 2025 and it was just as much fun as when we left in the year before.

It took me longer than I imagined to come here and write this form, maybe because writing it felt like placing a final point on a journey that is still very much alive within me. Walking from Wissembourg to Hendaye was never an ending — it was a beginning. Those who know me know I had never done hikes longer than a weekend. Still, walking has always been my way of discovering places and people. Choosing the HexaTrek as my first long hike was one of the best decisions of my life. The landscapes are among the most beautiful I have ever seen — what a privilege France holds. If there is one word that defines this journey for me, it is courage. Rooted in the French word cœur — heart — courage is not the absence of fear. It is acting from your deepest self, guided by values, intuition, and love. It is choosing vulnerability and taking authentic steps even when fear, exhaustion, or uncertainty are present. That was the word I felt the most while crossing paths with strangers along the way, in every small gesture, every look, every quiet act of kindness. It was the best time of my life. Time to listen to the birds, the wind, and the silence of the mountains. Time of presence. And this time was never lonely. I am deeply grateful to my best friend and love, Cam, for inviting me into this journey and for walking beside me through every challenge and silence. To everyone who crossed our path — you know who you are — you are forever in our prayers. You will never feel completely ready to start. So my advice is simple: go. With every step, you discover yourself. When the body feels tired, the mind — and the heart — will guide you forward. I am proud to be the first Brazilian woman to complete the HexaTrek and hope many others will follow this path. And a final note to the French people I met along the way: don’t be afraid to speak English — you know more than you think. For us, it was a true pleasure to hear, through you, the beauty of your country.