The Grand Traverse of the Massif Central. Alan Castle

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      Alan has trekked and cycled in over 30 countries in Europe, Asia, North and South America, Africa and Australasia, and for 17 years led organised walking holidays in several European countries. A member of the British Outdoor Writers and Photographers Guild, he has written more than a dozen guidebooks, several on long-distance mountain routes in France. His longer solo walks include a grand traverse of the European Alps between Nice and Vienna (2430km/1510 miles), the Pilgrim's Trail from Le Puy to Santiago de Compostela (1545km/960 miles) and a coast-to-coast across the French Pyrenees (870km/540 miles). His cycle tours include Land's End to John O'Groats, and several long European rides in France, Germany, Austria, Belgium and Holland. A Munroist and erstwhile national secretary of the Long Distance Walkers Association, Alan now lives at the foot of the Moffat Hills in Scotland, in the heart of the Southern Uplands.

      Alan has been exploring the French Massif Central for over 20 years, since his first visit to the Velay and Cévennes in 1988, to research the route taken by Robert Louis Stevenson a century earlier. He has walked many hundreds of miles of the region's trails, including the GR4, as well as circular tours of the Velay, Cévennes, Mont Lozère and Mont Aigoual, and long trails in the Causses. In addition to the Grand Traverse of the Massif Central (GTMC), Alan has also toured the Massif Central by bicycle as part of a 2400km (1500 mile) cycle tour around France.

      Other Cicerone guidebooks by the author

      Walks in Volcano Country (Auvergne and Velay, France)

      Walking the French Gorges (Provence and the Ardèche)

      The Brittany Coastal Path

      Walking in the Ardennes

      The River Rhine Trail

      Walking in Bedfordshire

      The John Muir Trail

      The Southern Upland Way

      The Robert Louis Stevenson Trail

      The Tour of the Queyras

      © Alan Castle 2010

      First edition 2010

      ISBN: 978 1 85284 571 1

      Printed by KHL Printing, Singapore

      A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

      All photographs are by the author unless otherwise stated.

      Dedicated to all lovers of adventure and to Carys – may she enjoy life to the full.

      ‘All I seek, the heaven above

      And the road below me.’

      ‘The Vagabond’ from Songs of Travel, Robert Louis Stevenson, 1896

      Acknowledgements

      My wife, Beryl Castle, has always over the years given freely of her advice, support and encouragement during the planning, research and writing of my guidebooks, and for this book there was no exception. For this I am ever grateful. Beryl accompanied me on my ride across the Massif Central along the GTMC and has also helped in the preparation of the sketch maps for this guidebook. I am indebted to Alan and Sheila Sides, two experienced cyclists and mountain bikers, who accompanied us in France and offered much advice. In particular they provided plenty of information and suggestions for a road route across the region. Finally, I thank the team at Cicerone Press for their professionalism in publishing this and my other guidebooks.

Advice to Readers

      Readers are advised that, while every effort is made by our authors to ensure the accuracy of our guidebooks as they go to print, changes can occur during the lifetime of a particular edition. Please check the Cicerone website (www.cicerone.co.uk) for any updates before planning your trip. It is also advisable to check information on such things as transport, accommodation and shops locally. Even rights of way can be altered over time. We are always grateful for information about any discrepancies between a guidebook and the facts on the ground, sent by email to [email protected], or by post to Cicerone, 2 Police Square, Milnthorpe LA7 7PY.

      Front cover: Mountain bikers taking a break before the Buron de Paillassère–Bas (Stage 4, photo: Alan Sides)

      CONTENTS

       INTRODUCTION

       A Long Distance Mountain Bike Trail

       A GTMC for Road Cyclists

       Walking the GTMC

       Climate – When to Go

       Supported or Unsupported

       Travelling to and from the Region

       Accommodation

       Food and Water

       Equipment

       Maps

       Waymarking

       Training

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