The Grande Traversée des Alpes (GTA) is a long-distance hiking trail in the
French
French may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France
** French people, a nation and ethnic group
** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices
Arts and media
* The French (band), ...
Alps
The Alps () are some of the highest and most extensive mountain ranges in Europe, stretching approximately across eight Alpine countries (from west to east): Monaco, France, Switzerland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Germany, Austria and Slovenia.
...
, connecting
Thonon-les-Bains
Thonon-les-Bains (; ), often simply referred to as Thonon, is a subprefecture of the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in Eastern France. In 2018, the commune had a population of 35,241. Thonon-les-Bains is part of a ...
on
Lake Geneva
Lake Geneva is a deep lake on the north side of the Alps, shared between Switzerland and France. It is one of the List of largest lakes of Europe, largest lakes in Western Europe and the largest on the course of the Rhône. Sixty percent () ...
with
Nice
Nice ( ; ) is a city in and the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes department in France. The Nice agglomeration extends far beyond the administrative city limits, with a population of nearly one millionSentier de Grande RandonnéeGR5.
The GTA was created in the beginning of the 1970s. It was soon imitated in Italy, where another GTA, the
Grande Traversata delle Alpi
The ''Grande Traversata delle Alpi'' (GTA) is a long-distance hiking trail in the Italian region of Piedmont. In about and 55 day hikes, it runs through the arc formed by the western Alps from the Pennine Alps through the Graian and Cottian Al ...
was created. The
Via Alpina
The Via Alpina is a network of five long-distance hiking trails across the Alps, alpine regions of Slovenia, Austria, Germany, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Italy, France, and Monaco. The longest of trails is the red trail, whose termini are in Trie ...
uses some legs of both the French and the Italian GTA.
The ''Grande Traversée des Alpes'' (GTA) is also the name of the association which manages the GTA trail as well as the French part of the Via Alpina and other projects in sustainable, interregional mountain tourism in the French Alps, located in
Grenoble
Grenoble ( ; ; or ; or ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of the Isère Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, region ...
.
Records
* Sébastien Raichon holds the speed record for running the GTA in 6 days and 6 hours.
*
Louis-Philippe Loncke
Louis-Philippe Loncke is a Belgian explorer, adventurer and motivational speaker. In 2008, he achieved the world first crossing on foot of the length of the Simpson desert, which was a North to South traverse passing through its geographical ce ...