AndyCook
Well-Known Member
Late season trip for us this year and first trip abroad in the Hilux
Covered 3300 miles and came home with 18 cases of wine....
Hilux did very well, cruise control was great on the empty French motorways.
We started in Brittany for a day or so to avoid wetter weather in the south, then headed to Bordeaux area, and then across to Puy Mary for some hiking.
Then did 5 days of driving trails following a roadbook in La Lozere. Wild camped every night here, soon founnd avoiding the valleys at night was a good idea due to overnight fog. So camping at 1000-1200m, it was a chilly 6-7degC. BBQ kept us warm.
Trails not tricky, occasional mud hole, quiet a few narrow overgrown scratchy lanes.
Hardly saw anyone on lanes. Nice variation of oak forests, pine and vast open limestone plateaus.
Tarn Gorge was impressive, nice for a bike ride too.
And we climbed Mt Lozere (1699m) for an afternoons hike.
We used channel tunnel since we had "Jet" our young black lab with us, she is only 9 months old.
2nd day we were in Brittany, so stopped nearMont Saint-Michel
Then headed to St Malo to see the old town and wartime fortifcations
Bullet holes were sobering
found a near by campsite by beach
local cider, calavdos and wine with dinner...
All too much for Jet
Then down to Bordeaux and first few cases of wine
local campsite by a pond. Campsite owner initally told us we couldnt camp here because it wasn't a "desert"
tip dont camp under an Oak tree in Autumn, it bombed us with acorns during night. BANG on hardtop tent
then over to Puy Mary, cloud cleared for view during our walk
And then over to St Flour in Massif Central to hit the trails
found a nice river to camp by for first night, but last time we camped low due to thick fog in mornings in the valleys
blue skies for first few days and pleasant day time temperatures
Muddy and overgrown lanes at first
got stuck here in 2wd, shifted to 4wd and was out fine
looked at the sites in Marveljos
and first wildcamp in hills
plenty of refreshements
BBQ at night and Jet had her own tent (which went in car at night)
morning mist in valleys
then onto limestone areas and GREENlanes
and first of many "Dolmens" - ancient burial chambers
Tarn Gorge
Took Jet out in her chariot for a bike ride in the Gorge
more Dolmens
and remote wildcamps
and BBQ
wild camp further up Tarn Gorge
saw some Eagles
got some fog in morning
but sun soon burned it off
Berlingo's seem to get anywhere!!
hiking up Mount Lozere
found a ski centre! The Station Bleymard
onto next Roadbook now, the "Lozere, Haute Loire, Puy" just did one day of this 5 day route, saving the rest of roadbook for a future trip
fewer wildcamps spots that evening, camped on a deadend track in forest
and found it was cosier with the awning side panels up
then onto filling the Hilux canopy with wine
Tain l'hermitage first for Rhone reds
camped in municipal campsite by Rhone, a shock after 5 nights wild camping...
then drove up to Chardonnay...
love the vineyard tractors on stilts
got some fizzy whites and Macon reds
stayed night in municpal campsite in Macon and took bikes for a spin
next day cleaned the Hilux
and on to Beaune to get some Burgundy and more fizzy stuff, only really wet day for us too
then north to Arras in northern France. one of campsite employees had a nice 80 series, the campsite owner called it "le Tractor" when i asked her about it
even Jet boozing now
had taken Jet to vet in Beaune to get necessary tapeworm treatment prior to Pet Passport checks in Calais before getting the train back to UK
and the haul of wine unloaded at home
The Trip log
Enjoyed visiting a new area of France. Alps and Pyrenees were not suitable for this time of year, too cold for us!!!
but liked this area of Massif Central a lot,
very rural and not many people about, will certainly re-visit it
A good trip and nice to do a bit less driving and more exploring and cycling and hiking this time
Covered 3300 miles and came home with 18 cases of wine....
Hilux did very well, cruise control was great on the empty French motorways.
We started in Brittany for a day or so to avoid wetter weather in the south, then headed to Bordeaux area, and then across to Puy Mary for some hiking.
Then did 5 days of driving trails following a roadbook in La Lozere. Wild camped every night here, soon founnd avoiding the valleys at night was a good idea due to overnight fog. So camping at 1000-1200m, it was a chilly 6-7degC. BBQ kept us warm.
Trails not tricky, occasional mud hole, quiet a few narrow overgrown scratchy lanes.
Hardly saw anyone on lanes. Nice variation of oak forests, pine and vast open limestone plateaus.
Tarn Gorge was impressive, nice for a bike ride too.
And we climbed Mt Lozere (1699m) for an afternoons hike.
We used channel tunnel since we had "Jet" our young black lab with us, she is only 9 months old.
2nd day we were in Brittany, so stopped nearMont Saint-Michel
Then headed to St Malo to see the old town and wartime fortifcations
Bullet holes were sobering
found a near by campsite by beach
local cider, calavdos and wine with dinner...
All too much for Jet
Then down to Bordeaux and first few cases of wine
local campsite by a pond. Campsite owner initally told us we couldnt camp here because it wasn't a "desert"
tip dont camp under an Oak tree in Autumn, it bombed us with acorns during night. BANG on hardtop tent
then over to Puy Mary, cloud cleared for view during our walk
And then over to St Flour in Massif Central to hit the trails
found a nice river to camp by for first night, but last time we camped low due to thick fog in mornings in the valleys
blue skies for first few days and pleasant day time temperatures
Muddy and overgrown lanes at first
got stuck here in 2wd, shifted to 4wd and was out fine
looked at the sites in Marveljos
and first wildcamp in hills
plenty of refreshements
BBQ at night and Jet had her own tent (which went in car at night)
morning mist in valleys
then onto limestone areas and GREENlanes
and first of many "Dolmens" - ancient burial chambers
Tarn Gorge
Took Jet out in her chariot for a bike ride in the Gorge
more Dolmens
and remote wildcamps
and BBQ
wild camp further up Tarn Gorge
saw some Eagles
got some fog in morning
but sun soon burned it off
Berlingo's seem to get anywhere!!
hiking up Mount Lozere
found a ski centre! The Station Bleymard
onto next Roadbook now, the "Lozere, Haute Loire, Puy" just did one day of this 5 day route, saving the rest of roadbook for a future trip
fewer wildcamps spots that evening, camped on a deadend track in forest
and found it was cosier with the awning side panels up
then onto filling the Hilux canopy with wine
Tain l'hermitage first for Rhone reds
camped in municipal campsite by Rhone, a shock after 5 nights wild camping...
then drove up to Chardonnay...
love the vineyard tractors on stilts
got some fizzy whites and Macon reds
stayed night in municpal campsite in Macon and took bikes for a spin
next day cleaned the Hilux
and on to Beaune to get some Burgundy and more fizzy stuff, only really wet day for us too
then north to Arras in northern France. one of campsite employees had a nice 80 series, the campsite owner called it "le Tractor" when i asked her about it
even Jet boozing now
had taken Jet to vet in Beaune to get necessary tapeworm treatment prior to Pet Passport checks in Calais before getting the train back to UK
and the haul of wine unloaded at home
The Trip log
Enjoyed visiting a new area of France. Alps and Pyrenees were not suitable for this time of year, too cold for us!!!
but liked this area of Massif Central a lot,
very rural and not many people about, will certainly re-visit it
A good trip and nice to do a bit less driving and more exploring and cycling and hiking this time