5 Days Solo Winter Hike — Autonomous Bivouac in Vosges

Описание: GR5 Vosges in winter ❄️🏔️Thann → Markstein → Col de la Schlucht → Le Bonhomme → Ribeauvillé

It’s originally a 4-day hike, but with train logistics it turned into 5 days. I walked big stages for 3 days, and the first and last days were mostly easy, around 1 to 2 hours, just enough to camp near the start and finish points. My biggest day was the 4th day: 42 km, almost two stages in one between Col de la Schlucht → Le Bonhomme → Ribeauvillé. I was genuinely impressed by the effort I had that day, how the body adapts and switches into fight mode so easily. :)

I wild camped every night, so I had to search for a good flat spot. When your days are shorter, you’d think camping is easier… but in winter it’s the opposite. Finding a good night spot becomes the real challenge: flat ground, hidden, sheltered from wind, not too exposed, still safe. I had a few “nope, not here” moments and had to keep checking and adapting, but I handled it well, and it’s exactly the kind of problem I enjoy solving out there with that survival instinct.

This trip was more about testing equipment and having a peaceful time: walk, hunt for the right spot, set camp, reset. Vosges in winter is definitely underrated.

Access: Train to Thann to reach the start. Then a bus from Ribeauvillé to Sélestat train station, and a direct train back to Paris.

My coldest night was around -7°C, and I had to wear all my clothes to stay warm. Setup: -6°C comfort sleeping bag + thermal liner + SOL emergency bivvy (didn’t need it this time) + NEMO Tensor Extreme mat. With that setup, I believe I could go down to -10°C comfortably.

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