GR 70:- Robert Louis Stevenson trail

[Roz.K]

My husband and I are considering an alternative long distance trail...has anyone hiked the GR 70 in France and can offer any advice, please?

 

[mspath]

My husband and I are considering an alternative long distance trail...has anyone hiked the GR 70 in France and can offer any advice, please?

Roz K,
Here is a list of earlier posts re the GR 70.

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/search/1466838/?q=Gr70&o=relevance

Enjoy your research and Buen GR70.

 

[Roz.K]

Thank you, will enjoy the reading.

 

[Tassie Kaz]

@Roz.K, if you're considering a guidebook, Cicerone published their completely updated & revised guide just last month. I have the 2007 edition but have yet to actually walk it...however it's on The (Ever-Growing) List.
Happy trails...or at least planning!

 

[Roz.K]

Planning is half the fun. I have ordered the new Cicerone guidebook and will read it thoroughly before I make any arrangements. Otherwise, we hope to do the Camino Portugues again in 2022.

 

[wayfarer]

@newfydog has walked this route but he hasn't been on here since 2020.
Have a look at this thread, it might help.

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/chemin-de-r-l-stevenson.16587/#post-118601

 

[Roz.K]

Thank you Wayfarer and Newfydog, lots of information to digest. I hope this trail isn't as strenuous as the Tour du Mont Blanc...that is the hardest one I have done so far.

 

[mspath]

I always thought RLS's description of the Trappist monks,
their contemplative silence and austere monastery to be particularly astute and evocative.

"A stern simplicity, heightened by the romance of the
surroundings, spoke directly to the heart. I recall the whitewashed
chapel, the hooded figures in the choir, the lights alternately occluded
and revealed, the strong manly singing, the silence that ensued, the
sight of cowled heads bowed in prayer, and then the clear trenchant
beating of the bell, breaking in to show that the last office was over
and the hour of sleep had come"

Be sure to listen for that "clear trenchant beating of the bell"
if you follow anew Stevenson's footsteps!

 

[mspath]

Here are some French and English films about donkey travels. Google each title for more info.

Antoinette dans les Cévennes/2020

Voyage avec un âne dans les Cévennes/1975

Voyage avec un âne dans les Cévennes/2015

Travels with a Donkey/1978

Since some of these are available on line you could start in the Cevennes this afternoon! Bon voyage!

 

[pinkwadingbird]

There is also a FB group dedicated to the RLS Trail if you're into FB.

 

[TMcA]

The following site for la Malle Postale might be useful. Of course, France continues to be under confinement rules and has no vaccine production of its own. The website is in French but you can use a translator and the suggested stages are easy to decode.

Le Chemin de Stevenson - La Malle Postale

GR 70 - Velay, Gévaudan, Mont Lozère, Cévennes. Partagez les pas de R-L Stevenson

www.lamallepostale.com

 

[Dandabika]

My husband and I are considering an alternative long distance trail...has anyone hiked the GR 70 in France and can offer any advice, please?

I walked the GR70 in 2018. There are not as many gites as on the GR65 and many of the villages no longer have any stores restaurants or cafés, so make sure you carry a couple of extra meals with you at all times. There are also a few stretches where potable tap water is not found, so a small water filter is a wise thing to have and much lighter to carry than 3 litres. I carry one and a half and got thirsty a couple of times. The distances between gites a few times were more than 30 kms but less than 35. The Stevenson Route is a heck of a lot less travelled than the Frances route and is very picturesque because if the wide variety of terrain, to include plenty of hills. Bon voyage !

 

[islandwalker]

Wikiloc has GPS tracks for all the stages of the GR70, many with extensive notes (in French; open in Chrome for auto-translation) and photos. Even if you don't plan to use a GPS, looking at the photos might give you a sense of what each stage is like. Here's one (click on the user name for the rest of his tracks):

GR70 - Etape 1 - Le Puy en Velay à Le Monastier sur Gazeille

GR70 - Etape 1 - Le Puy en Velay à Le Monastier sur Gazeille Hiking trail in Le Puy-en-Velay, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (France). Download its GPS track and follow the route on a map. Record your own itinerary from the Wikiloc app, upload the trail and share it with the community.

www.wikiloc.com

and many more:

Wikiloc | Trails of the World

Find the best outdoor trails for mountain hiking treks, bike tour itineraries, MTB rides, and up to 80 activities. Discover the most beautiful places in the world, download GPS tracks and follow the top routes on a map. Record your own trail from the app, upload it and share it with the community.

www.wikiloc.com

 

[Roz.K]

Thank you for your heip, I appreciate all the excellent advice.