Calling all seasoned hikers! The HexaTrek aims to link the main mountain ranges in France -- from Alsace to the Atlantic Ocean, via the Vosges, the Alps and the Pyrenees -- in a 3,000-km walking trail. The project is currently the subject of a crowdfunding campaign on Ulule, which should give rise to the first test walks in the summer of 2022.
While you may already be familiar with the Pacific Crest Trail in North America or New Zealand's Te Araroa, France now also has its own 3,000-km super hike through the heart of the country's most beautiful natural parks. And that's good news, because the French love hiking. Accessible to all and easy to do, the activity has been boosted by the covid effect: in fact, 35% of French people practiced this sport at least once in the last 12 months, according to the country's Sports Ministry.
And that could be reason enough to create the HexaTrek. This extreme hike promises to cover 3,000 km of trails linking 14 of France's most beautiful natural parks, from the Vosges to the Pyrenees. Some 47 of the country's "GR" or "Grande Randonnée" hiking trails have been brought together to facilitate this route, which also offers walkers bivouacking options.
In order to help hikers, HexaTrek uses an app to centralize all the trail's main information, such as water and refreshment points, refuges (free and guarded), as well as key places such as viewpoints, scenic villages and natural sights.
The project is helmed by Kevin Ginisty, a 31-year-old hiker who knows a thing or two about long walks. He has crossed America on foot, from Patagonia to the Canadian border. Still, nothing predestined this native of the Paris region to become an Indiana Jones of the mountains. He lives in Chamonix, and worked for 12 years as a marketing manager and project manager.
After this incredible adventure, Kevin Ginisty wanted to propose a similar hike in France, accessible with no need to fly. So, he launched his Ulule campaign, which has already been funded to nearly 400% of its target by over 400 fellow enthusiasts and supporters.
