This Trek Through The Alps Has Been Called The Pacific Crest Trail's 'Hotter French Cousin'

The Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) is considered by many trekking enthusiasts to be the Holy Grail of thru-hiking. This popular 2655-mile route that starts at the Mexican border and ends in Canada is one of the longest hikes in America, and features open desert, deep forest, rivers, lakes, and the alpine wonder of the west coast's two big mountain ranges: the Sierra Nevada and the Cascades. The beauty and challenge of the PCT draws thousands of hopeful hikers each spring, though only around 20-30% will likely finish.

However, when it comes to thru-hiking, the PCT isn't the only game in town. There is also the Appalachian Trail and the Continental Divide Trail in the US, and New Zealand's incredibly scenic Te Araroa. Europe also boasts amazing trails, including Italy's Va' Sentiero, the legendary Camino de Santiago in Spain and Portugal, and the newest entry into the thru-hiking catalogue: France's HexaTrek, which some have described as the PCT's "hotter cousin."

Established in 2022, this 1885-mile route winds along France's eastern and southern mountainous spine, connecting the Vosges range in the north to the Pyrenees in the south, with plenty of time spent in the Alps. With mountains that rival anything in North America, along with hundreds of historic villages that give the route a distinctly European flavor, it's no wonder the HexaTrek has begun to steal some of the PCT's thunder.

As reflected in its name, the HexaTrek is comprised of six stages, each presenting a unique window into France's outdoor majesty and amazing history, which can be seen firsthand in the ruins and castles that dot the landscape. The trail passes through valleys, snakes along mountain ridges, plunges into deep forests, heads past incredible glaciers, and brings hikers into quaint villages with cobblestone streets.

Stage 1 takes you through the Vosges Mountains of Alsace — one of France's great wine regions — which also boasts one of the highest densities of castles per square mile in the world, while Stages 2 and 3 head up into the French Alps. This includes the stunning scenery of Vanoise and Le Écrins National Parks, the massif Belladone, and the Saint-Sorlin Glacier. 

Stage 4 features two of France's most famous gorges — Gorges du Tarn or Gorges de l'Ardèche — which you can kayak through — and Stages 5 and 6 tackle the Pyrenees. In a route packed with nonstop scenery, these last two legs are arguably the most beautiful of the journey, with waterfalls, lakes, and several peaks reaching nearly 10,000 feet that are optional summits if you have the time and energy to climb them.

Like most big thru-hikes, you can either choose to go north to south or south to north on the HexaTrek. Most people opt for the former, though you risk running into a lot of snow once you hit the Alps in Stages 2 and 3, so much so that it may be impassable until well into the summer.

The HexaTrek is best hiked May through October, and takes anywhere from three to six months to complete, depending on your speed, snowpack, and weather conditions. While it is a French Trail, it also passes through parts of Switzerland, Spain, and Andorra, which only serves to enrich the experience. While there are plenty of villages with accommodations, most hikers will bivouac (overnight camping) most of the time, with 71% of the route open to this form of short-term, wild camping.

This is a thru-hiking trail in its infancy, with just 450 people making the whole trek in 2024. It's an exciting alternative to the PCT, which has become a victim of its own success and now battles crowds. To access the HexaTrek, head to the charming, Rick-Steve's-recommended town of Strasbourg in the north or Hendaye in the south, both of which can be reached by major rail lines.