If, for you, a route worth your while needs to have an elevation gain of at least three figures, or a distance of four figures, then you’ve come to the right place. And if that’s not the case? Don’t worry, no one will hold it against you if you hop on a magic bike. Er, sorry. Electric.
Finiels Peak
1,699 metres. You’d think it was afraid of scaring you by rounding up to the nearest hundred. A bit like price tags in supermarkets. Except that, in the case of the Pic de Finiels, it’s not your wallet that’s taking a hit. It’s your legs! Along the montjoies – those standing stones that once guided Robert Louis Stevenson in his day – the path climbs, climbs, climbs. It didn’t see fit to zigzag. Like an arrow, it shoots straight ahead to conquer the roof of Lozère.
Will you be just as quick when it’s your turn to tackle the 4 km stretch of uphill terrain with 300 metres of elevation gain? To keep you motivated, think about what awaits you at the summit. A snack, perhaps. A sip of cool water, no doubt. But also, and above all, a splendid panorama of the Cévennes valleys. I promise, you’ll soon realise why Stevenson nicknamed them the ‘blue hills’. In exactly 4 km’s time.
The Great Crossing of the Massif Central (GTMC)
1,380 kilometres. That’s further than the distance between Paris and Copenhagen. And yet that’s the distance that awaits you on the Grande Traversée du Massif Central – GTMC to those in the know. This legendary route was revamped in 2018. Doubling its length in the process. It now links the Morvan to the Mediterranean, with one promise: that you won’t have to carry your bike. Rather handy for electric mountain bike enthusiasts! In Lozère, there are 6 stages and 230 km of trails awaiting cycling enthusiasts. From north to south, limestone gives way to schist and granite, whilst forests and lakes make way for gorges and peaks. Lozère, in all its diversity, seems to have made itself at home along the trails.
The Ultra Lozère
6,000 metres. If only that were the distance of the Lozère Ultra Trail! But no, it’s simply the total ascent awaiting the runners. Over two days, they have to cover more than 100 km of trails. Doesn’t that sound like a dream? It does to them. It must be said that the breathtaking views are not to be missed. Viewpoints that are usually out of reach become accessible for the duration of a weekend. The unspoilt vastness of the Causses, the dizzying cliffs of the Gorges: faced with all these wild landscapes, the aches and pains fade away. The smile relaxes, until it becomes radiant. Almost as radiant as the May sunshine.
Thematics
