Draft:HexaTrek

The HexaTrek is a long-distance hiking trail in France that crosses the country from northeast to southwest, crossing its main mountain ranges. Starting in Wissembourg on the German border, it crosses the ranges of the Vosges, the Jura, the northern Alps, the Massif Central and the Pyrenees. After covering a distance of 3034 km and an elevation gain/loss of 138000 m it reaches the Atlantic Ocean in Hendaye not far from the Spanish border.

It also touches the countries of Swizerland, Andorra and Spain.

Wild camping for individual nights (called "bivouac" then) is allowed along most of the trail. In addition, there are shelters, manned huts and hiker hostels in some parts.

Route
The route follows the eastern border of France, then crosses the southeastern part of the country through the Massif Central and finally follows the southern border to the Atlantic Ocean.

It starts on the German-French border near Wissembourg and traverses the Vosges range from north to south. After crossing the Belfort Gap, it leads into the Jura Mountains, which it leaves through Swizerland by crossing the Lake Geneva between Nyon and Yvoire, then heading back into France from there. The northern Alps are crossed with short stints into Swizerland. The Rhône valley is crossed at the level of the Donzère gorge, and the trail connects to the Massif Central through the Gorges de l'Ardèche. Afterwards, it leads through the Cevennes, the Gorges du Tarn, and the limestone plateaus Causse Méjean, Causse Noir and Causse Larzac. After crossing Carcassonne, it traverses the Pyrenees from east to west, starting in Canigou and ending in Hendaye, with short visits to Andorra.



Stages
The route is divided into six main stages.


 * Stage 1 - The Great East: 670 km and 21,200 m elevation change between Wissembourg and Nyon;
 * Stage 2 - Northern Alps: 382 km and 22,500 m elevation change between Yvoire and the Col du Lautaret;
 * Stage 3 - Southern Alps: 479 km and 26,800 m elevation change between the Col du Lautaret and the gorge of Donzère;
 * Stage 4 - Gorges & Causses: 514 km and 14,300 m elevation change between the gorge of Donzère and Carcassonne;
 * Stage 5 - East Pyrenees: 532 km and 30,600 m elevation change between Carcassonne and Bourisp;
 * Stage 6 - West Pyrenees: 437 km and 22,600 m elevation change between Bourisp and Hendaye;

The route partially follows 47 different long distance trails, crosses 14 national parks and can be hiked in three to five months.

History
The idea for a long distance hiking trail in France was brought alive in September 2021 through a crowdfunding campaign by hiking enthusiasts who had thru-hiked long distance trails in the USA, Croatia and New Zealand. The route was established in 2022.

The name "HexaTrek" comes from the shape of France on the map, which resembles a hexagon.

Thru-hiking
Thru-hiking is a term used in referring to hikers who complete long-distance trails from end to end in a single trip.

In the year 2022, about 200 people attempted to thru-hike the HexaTrek, and about 120 finished successfully. The trail can, of course, be hiked in parts as well. There is no permit necessary to hike the HexaTrek.

Hikers are supported by a mobile app which displays a map with a GPS track, current position, distance and elevation as well as nearby locations for camping, shelters, water sources and sights.

The HexaTrek is listed on fastestknowntime.com. So far (May 2 2024), no official fastest known time for a thru-hike has been submitted. The unofficial fastest time to hike the whole trail was 50 days.