Gorges du Verdon
The Cevennes offers some of the best hill walking in France but is all too often overlooked in favour of its most illustrious neighbours, the Alps and the Pyrenees, and even, the Massif Central to the North. Those in Britain who know the area are likely to know it through family camping and kayaking holidays.
It is the geological history of the area that makes it special. Originally, the Cevennes was composed by the laying down of sedimentary rocks. When the Pyrenees were formed the Cevennes was pushed up under pressure effectively creating a great, high, plateau. A little while later the formation of the Alps put so much stress on the plateau that it shattered. Water began to run along the base of the fissures and the great gorges of the Tarn and the Gard were created.
The geography of the region can often disorientate the hill walker. Staring at the base of the Gorges du Verdon I climbed up a vertical, zig zagging path as steep and as sharp as you would find anywhere. As you can see the views were stupendous. In a mountain range you would have felt — at the end of a walk like this — that you were literally sitting on the top of the world. But here a surprise was in stall. At the top of the climb was the plateau and a cafe. The enterprising owner had created his bar at the edge of a cliff with amazing views. It was all a bit strange but very quickly I was able to re-orientate myself and settle down to enjoy a cold beer. The cafe was a welcome site and would probably be more so during the summer for there is virtually no water in the Cevennes other than that which runs along the bottom of the gorges.
This is not a wilderness. Everywhere you look you can see evidence of long time inhabitation. Look to the highest points and there will be tiny farmsteads. To the south of the region you’ll find many fortified villages with crumbling bastides and towers and dwellings built into the side of rock. Like many wild but once inhabited regions there is a sadness about the place. The Cevennes were the place of refuge for many Cathars who escaped to the wilds to freely follow their religion. The Cathars were hunted down during the Albignsian Crusade during a 45 year campaign by the Inquisition which amounted little less than genocide. The King of France Philippe II had hoped to win favour in Rome by funding a new Crusade in the Holly Land but a lack of support (and more importantly cash) turned his attention closer to home.
St Guilhem les Desert
Today, this long and often sad history provides the hill walker with a fascinating environment to stroll through. There are basically two ways of exploring the area. The first is to take a care and base yourself in Florac or Saint Jean du Gard and explore the sea through a series of days walks. There is — of course — a fine Ciceronne guidebook to the area. The second, is to walk backpack through the area following one of the long GR trails which include the famous Stephenson Trail.
St Jean du Gard Fountain Memorial to Stephenson & Modestine
The then unknown Robert Louis Stephenson walked through the Cevennes in the 1870’s publishing his book Travels with a Donkey in the Cevennes with a Donkey, which is generally reckoned to be the first truly modern travel book. Unlike us in Britain the French are sentimental about such things. We were based in the town of Saint Jean du Gard where Stephenson finished his journey and while in the town it is difficult to escape the gaze Stephenson and Modestine (the donkey).
We were only in the area for a few days but it was enough to know that it is time to go back and complete the Stephenson Trail. It looks like it would be a fine route.
More of the Gorge