Walking France's Forgotten Valley [MC]

Tour Highlights

Key Facts

• Four-night tour, with arrivals any day from March to October.
• Self-guided and moderately-challenging [MC] walking.
  
• All-inclusive transport tour, which commences and finishes in Alès, near Nimes.

Please click the headings below or scroll down.

1. Model 4-night tour: Forgotten Valley tour.
2. Accommodation
3. What's Included
4. Prices 2010
5. Booking
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When Walking France's Forgotten Valley you get aquainted with some beautiful countryside on the eastern flank of the Cevennes and Mont Lozere. Late sixties hippies have built alternative lifestyles here, and wooden solar-powered eco-homes inhabit the same valley where many houses are still bereft of running water.

Walking France's Forgotten Valley is your chance to immerse yourself in a charming rural world of isolated homesteads and ‘alternative’ farming. A real opportunity to get away from 'normal life', then.

As if untouched by time, this tour comes with the option to visit the only surviving chestnut-drying house still functioning in France; an organic farm, an organic wine grower of ‘illegal’ Clinton grapes - and all within a stone's throw of one of France’s purest river. The imposing Cheylard castle is never far away, keeping a watchful eye from its hilltop vantage point.

For a 7-night walking tour in France of the same theme, see Walking the Cèze Valley

Day 1. Alès.

Arrival in this charming market town in the Cevennes foothills. Check in and pre-tour briefing. Night in Alès.

Day 2. Aujaguet. 7.5 kms-5 miles or 7.5 miles-12 kms.

Morning transfer to Aujac. A memorable walk that takes you across a dam, various bridges, past a water mill, into the water itself (optional swim), through two very different villages, to an organic farm, a recently- restored church and all under the watchful gaze of a most imposing castle; and not necessarily in this order. Night in Aujac.

Day 3. La Cham Bonnevaux.10.5 miles-16 kms.

You are higher up today walking some ancient drovers ’ trails and enjoying some fabulous views. You will start by climbing a steep marble-coated path, level off to enjoy the view before plunging into a pine forest, descending into a forgotten hamlet and then, rather unexpectedly, extending yourself once again – but its well worth it - in order to reach the village of Bonneavaux. Is this the smallest town hall in France? Night in Aujac.

Day 4. The Crest of the Waves. 8 miles-12 kms.

This route follows the watershed as you descend 700 metres to Bordezac and back to Besseges along the Cevenol and Upper Ceze Valley hiking trails. Night in Besseges

Day 5. End of your tour.

Transfer to Ales, au revoir and à bientôt.

4. What's Included.

• 4 nights B & B and all local hotel taxes -
  leaving you free to purchase your meals according to your personal preferences and budget:
  relevant information is available in your dossier;
• All travel and luggage transfers that are integral to the programme, including transfers from Alès to Aujac and Besseges to Alès;
• Pre-tour & post tour briefing;
• Walking Insight Notes™ that make map reading redundant;
• Themed vacation dossier;
• Emergency telephone help-line service with local British support.

Single person rate:
£475.00 or €525.00 or $795.00

Click to go to Booking