 Poster: A snowHead
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Following a question in Apres, a brief intro to the system of designating routes for rambling around the French mountains when the winter season is over...
Each route is numbered, and when you see the numbers along the route it is to distinguish between local paths where routes cross - it's not the numbers that indicate the direction the routes take as such, but specific symbols (usually).
In France you've got three main categories of footpath:
- the GR, or Grandes Randonnées (red and white signs/symbols), the main long distance paths, some of which cross from one side of France to the other,
- the GR Pays, Grande Randonnées de Pays (red and yellow signs/symbols), a way of designating the local variations and deviations from the above routes that have developed from the original GRs,
- the PRs, local walks ("Promenades and Randonnées"), usually indicated by yellow signs/symbols (but not always  ).
Once on these routes, the symbols used are the same, simplified to three main ones - straight on, change of direction, and wrong direction...
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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wouldn't a number with an arrow be a lot easier..?
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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What's the point, the routes rarely cross? The symbols are pretty simple I reckon - the occasional one at the top to indicate that you've not gone wrong, the second one down to warn you of a change of direction just before a place where you could go wrong, and the third one to tell you you have gone wrong if you've just missed the above.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Walking above Evian the route I followed did have a number,...I think.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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The big routes have them occasionally, but quite often all you get is a splash of paint symbol on a rock, tree, etc.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Around Montalbert / La Roche there are quite a few Red outlined triangles with the no 17 in them alongside the GR symbols above.
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boredsurfin, yes, hence "but not always..."  -I've seen red triangles and various other signs for local paths marked up by volunteers. It's confusing, especially as triangles are the official mountain bike route markers (yellow or red usually, two circles on top of each other, beside a triangle pointing in the direction of the route to follow...) (Bridleways are marked in orange usually)...
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PG, Ah yes there was one of the VTT signs but the rest were triangles, although one of the paths was justwide enough to walk, there certainly wasnt enough space to push a bike as well 
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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boredsurfin, there are some good guide books - one that centres on Bourg but includes walks all over is:
"52 Balades en Famille" by Sarah Valenti
Published by Didier Richard
Includes the Bief Bovet walk that starts at the Centre Jean Franco at Montalbert (1600).
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PG, The Bief Bovet walk we did, a really good walk with the history of the Bief on plaques on the tree's all the way along. amazing that water has been fought over for so long!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I've long cherished hopes of walking GR5. For domestic reasons, I probably never will.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| PG wrote: |
| The big routes have them occasionally, but quite often all you get is a splash of paint symbol on a rock, tree, etc. |
Yes, that was it generally, but there were numbers at times. As I recall I did cross one or two other routes as well.
The biggest is problem is loose dogs. 
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| skanky wrote: |
| The biggest is problem is loose dogs. |
I used to train along long distance paths (less damaging to the joints) in the UK, and GRs in France, for road races (running). Wasn't long after I took up the sport that I began carrying a hefty stick around with me at all times.
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You know it makes sense.
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Walked the bit of GR1 from Lac Leman to Le Brevent, then bottled out and took the cable car down to Chamonix - my knees had just started playing up and would never have made the descent, about 15 years ago. Can't remember exactly what the waymarking was like - a bit variable IIRC - but the route was generally pretty obvious. Fantastic walk all through the Portes du Soleil and Grand Massif - highly recommended.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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I've always wanted to the TMB at some point.
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FAQ
