Mountain Hiking in France

La Tournette 2351m, P1514m - Annecy Pre-Alpes.  A French Ultra accessible to hikers, assisted by chains and fixed ladders - photo Mark Trengove

Introduction

At over 550 km2, France is the largest country in the European Union.  Its size and geology create  a wide diversity of upland landscapes, from the High Alps of Savoy to the rugged granite coastline of the Brittany coast.  There is a vast network of long distance trails and local footpaths, offering exciting opportunities for mountain hiking. 

Although the High Alps and Pyrenees may require the full panoply of mountaineering skills to reach the summits, many peaks of the lower Pre-Alps and Pyrenees are accessible to those who have the skills and knowledge to gain the tops of the mountains just by hiking.  Some may require rock-climbing or scrambling skills, but many are accessible without the use of hands. 

Aside from the great ranges of the French Alps and Pyrenees, and the jagged ridges of Corsica, the lesser ranges in the country afford great hiking opportunities for those who are uncomfortable with precipitous drops.  The Jura and Vosges ranges, with forests yielding to high pastures above, offer gentler hiking challenges.  In the centre of the country the Massif Central presents a different choice of landscapes – the green extinct volcano cones of the Auvergne, for example, contrast with the dry limestone plateaux of the Causses to the south.    

Clothing & equipment

Full mountaineering equipment will be needed throughout the year to gain the summits in permanent snow.  However, in spring, summer and autumn, when there is no snow, the clothing and equipment you use for standard mountain hiking will be quite sufficient for the lesser peaks.  In summer, expect high temperatures, and dress accordingly to keep cool and protected from the sun.  However, storms can be frequent, especially in the afternoon in high summer.  Temperatures can drop rapidly in storms, so waterproofs and warm layers should always be packed.  Water drunk from streams should always be filtered using a high-grade purification method.

Right to roam, and wild camping

Although there is no legal right to roam over all parts of France, in practice, in upland areas you will encounter few difficulties, if you hike responsibly.  There is normally no need to stray from a path anyway, so extensive is the network across the country.  Likewise, responsible wild camping is tolerated. 

However, in autumn and winter, hunting may become an issue for safe access in some areas.  It's not illegal to hike during hunting days, but it's something best avoided, if possible.

Hunting season runs roughly from September to January or February.  The exact dates vary between departments, and only certain days of the week are hunting days.  There should be signs posted clearly stating both date, ranges, and specific days.  The website https://www.chasseurdefrance.com/pratiquer/dates-de-chasse/ may show dates, but may not be regularly updated.  There's also a mobile phone app (Chasseco), but it is only of limited use.

Sentiers de Randonnée

There are over 100,000 kilometres of hiking trails across France, ranging from long distance trails (Sentiers de Grandé Randonnée [GRs]– see at  https://www.gr-infos.com/gr-en.htm) to local footpaths.  Most are well-maintained and signed.  Colour striped markers are often painted on rocks or trees to mark the route, and signs give average times to the pointed destination.  You can assume legal access if you are on a marked sentier. 

Refuges

There is an extensive network of manned and un-manned refuges in the mountain areas of France – especially the Alps and Pyrenees.  These enable the hiker to stay high in the mountains without the need to descend to valley accommodation.  Refuges vary from basic to comfortable accommodation offering separate rooms, full meals and alcohol.  It is always advisable to plan and book ahead, either by phone or internet.  For more information, see at https://en.france-montagnes.com/magazine/mountain-activities/mountain-refuges

Mapping

Official maps for the whole of France are published by the Institut National de l’information géographique et forestière (IGN – website at https://www.ign.fr), both in paper and digital formats.  For hiking purposes, the 1:25k maps (Série Bleue) are recommended.  These maps have a 1km UTM Grid, plus latitude and longitude lines at 5’ intervals.  Contours are at 10-metre intervals.  It is also useful to carry IGN 1:100k maps (Série Verte) to gain a wider view of the area.

IGN maps are a joy for the hiker to use, with paths and trails clearly indicated, and crisp clear marking of a wide variety of mountain and other landscape features.

Guidebooks

There is a wide choice of guidebooks available on hiking in the French mountain ranges, both in French and English.  Particularly recommended in English are the guidebooks published by Cicerone (see at https://www.cicerone.co.uk/) and Rother.  If not obtainable from bookshops in your own country, French maps and guidebooks can be purchased online from the Map Shop, Upton-on-Severn, UK (website at https://www.themapshop.co.uk/).

Safety, insurance & mountain rescue

As in any mountain area, safety should be of paramount importance to the hiker in France.  As well as the hazards that may be encountered in the lower ranges, the high peaks of the Alps and Pyrenees will present their own particular dangers – glacier crossing, for example.

Mountain rescue may not be free in France, depending on where you are.  You should therefore ensure that your travel insurance policy will cover you for rescue and medical aid for the activities you plan to undertake, or seek specialist insurance if it does not.

To contact Mountain Rescue, the European emergency number 112 should be dialled.

Mountain Weather Forecasts

Meteo France, the French weather forecasting agency, provides mountain weather forecasts, including information on snow conditions – see at https://meteofrance.com/

Peak-lists and peak-bagging

Although the French are a nation of keen mountain hikers, the activity of peak-bagging is relatively unknown in the country.  There are, of course, lists of the higher peaks attractive to mountaineers, and Summits on Air (SOTA) has a French branch (see at  https://summits.sota.org.uk/association/F).

Given the wide range of altitudes in the mountain ranges of France, producing height-based lists for the whole of the country is not really practical.  If broken down into ranges, then more possibilities for height-based mountain lists do become possible – the 1000-metre Vosges summits, for example (there are 44 of these, with at least 100m of prominence (see at https://peakery.com/challenges/france-vosges-1000m-peak-challenge/).

Prominence-based lists for the whole country tend to give better outcomes – at 1000 metres, for example. 

As far as I am aware, I am the first person who started, back in 2004, to produce prominence-only based peak-bagging lists for French mountain ranges, and for the whole country.  You can view my efforts, as far as they have got to date, at https://sites.google.com/site/europeaklist/Home/france, and its sub-pages.

Such are the wide variety of upland landscapes in France, the opportunities for peak-bagging are immense, with challenges suited to all levels of experience and age.  Pick a range and create your own challenge, at an altitude and/or prominence threshold that suits you.

Mark Trengove

(with thanks to Richard Harbron for hunting information)

Published June 2022