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 The Online Fellwalking Club was founded on the 9th April 2001 at the height of the Foot and Mouth Epidemic to give fell and hillwalkers the chance to pacify their inaction during that sorry time. With the passing of the crisis the club continued to flourish. Although much of the action takes place on the Yahoo! Message Board this site will benefit strongly with input from the membership.
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Walking Cevennes by Rail |
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Written by Scott Anderson
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Wednesday, 03 March 2010 |
 Joncheres The Enlightened Traveller is proud to be associated with the Cevenol mountain railroad and play an active role in its economic viability via an eco-friendly tour that features tailored hikes laced together by short train-rides. This is one hiker’s reflections on Walking Cevennes by Rail… The Cevenol is a fascinating journey on the "line of 100 tunnels" that cuts through France’s Central Massif from Lower Languedoc to Clermont-Ferrand and beyond. A camera is de rigeur, but don’t lean out the windows en route.
The highest point of your journey is at La Bastide, an altitude of 3339 feet, confirming the line’s status as France’s last remaining working mountain railroad. La Bastide is where the line crosses the watershed between The Atlantic and The Mediterranean. It is a junction of historical standing, where The Cevenol meets the medieval Regordane and popular Stevenson Trail . I really enjoyed the 300-metre climb to Moure des Estombes via the Stevenson Trail – the yellow thickets of brum make for such a wonderful sight and I was fortunate enough to catch a glimpse of a couple of deer that crossed my trail at breakneck speed.
 Rachas
Back on the Cevenol the next morning, the view across Lake Villefort was something special before you disappear into another tunnel in anticipation of one of those heart-in-the mouth experiences across the Altier Viaduct - lying at 630 metres above sea level, this 257-metre viaduct crosses the River Altier at a height of 72 metres, the highest stone viaduct in France.
Feet back upon terra firma, I enjoyed the hike around the lake and remembered the stories of how it was created at the expense of the village of Bayard, the ruins of which lay submerged below the dam. Castanet castle was fascinating and I was pleased to see that its restoration following the recent internal fire had done nothing to alter its outward appearance as one of Le Midi’s cutest private castles. And the view from the other side of the Altier is magnificent.
The last hike on my tour was the chance to walk a fine Huguenot trail from Genolhac that climbs across heather-covered upland redolent of England’s north-western fells and the Scottish Uplands. It’s a fabulous figure-eight hike that takes you deep into Camisard country. Small wonder that Louis IV’s ‘dragonnades’ had so much difficulty tracking Protestant movements during the War in Cevennes .
Just down from Genolhac, on the way back to Ales, the stunning 410-metre long
Chamborigaud viaduct is a suitable grand finale to what must be one of the most eco-friendly and memorable walking holidays in France today.”
Walking Cevennes by Rail is one of a range of exclusive hiking in France opportunities available from The Enlightened Traveller. The tour can be personalised to suit various levels of walking effort, from light to moderate and beyond. Seven and four-night versions are available from April to late October, with easy access via Nimes.© The Enlightened Traveller Walking in the Mediterranean
Helmut Hudler wrote an excellent article outlining some aspects of writing on the continent, especially the Mediterranean islands, during the summer months. Even at altitude it can remain dry and very hot and needs a whole new outlook than our homeland hills and fells. <Click here for the article> |
| FROM OUR CORRESPONDENTS |
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 Jo and I did a circuit of Caiston Glen above Brothers Water today in weather which was forecast to deteriorate during the day. Four peaks, of which Jo had done Red Screes before, but the other three were new.
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 Our walk actually started in the dry and it lasted all of five minutes before the drizzle started. We were aiming for Dry Gill to gain some shelter from the wind on the ascent. By the time we reached Dry Gill we had all put overtrousers on and our hoods were up. Dry Gill was not quite dry yesterday, it had a trickle of water but not much.
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