Join Emma, a UIMLA-certified mountain leader, for this 13-day trip that follows a trail created by classic author Robert Louis Stevenson! You will enjoy the same breathtaking views of Cevennes National Park as Stevenson, all while enjoying the local hospitality and cuisine of the French countryside.
Not specified
13 Days
Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct
Fit
Intermediate
Follow the trail blazed by the writer of Treasure Island and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde: this trek follows the route taken by Robert Louis Stevenson in 1878 as he trekked through Cevennes National Park!
While he is best known for his fictional works, Stevenson wrote the travel narrative Travels with a Donkey in the Cevennes to commemorate the solo trek he undertook in the French countryside after the married American women he was courting broke off their affair. We will use his route as the basis for this 13 day/12 night trek, as we cover 156 miles (251 km) exploring the beauty of Cevennes National Park while enjoying the quaint charm of traditional French villages. While historic, this route is under-the-radar, so it is a perfect opportunity for you to complete a unique long distance trek on a less crowded route.
We will start in the UNESCO World Heritage village of Le-Puy-en-Velay and finish in the town of St. Jean du Gard. Each day, we will trek for 4-8 hours. In general, the trail is relatively flat. While there are some steeper climbs and sections that are more technical, with loose terrain underfoot, for the most part the paths are old tracks and mule trails that are relatively easy to walk on. Participants should have a decent level of fitness and the endurance to complete long back-to-back days of walking for two weeks.
We will make nightly stops at local auberges or similar accommodations, allowing us to experience the hospitality, not to mention the gastronomy, of the local countryside. Please see day-by-day itinerary below for more information on accommodations. I will coordinate your luggage so that it is transferred to our lodge each day, so that you only need to bring a day pack during the walk.
Book this trip now for a unique opportunity to follow in the footsteps of a legendary writer! This adventure will give you a unique glimpse of rural France, as we explore the Cevennes National Park and the charming villages of the surrounding area.
I invite you to check out my other long distance trekking trips: 10-day Monte Rosa trekking tour, 9-day West Highland Way Trek through Scotland, or even Secret Tuscany Trek 7-day guided hike!
We meet at the hotel in this UNESCO world heritage site, where we will review the upcoming program and enjoy dinner.
Accommodation: Hotel – dinner not included
After a short transfer to the trailhead, we set off. Easy trails take us across a river gorge and into the village of Goudet, where we will enjoy a picnic and explore the Château de Beaufort, built in the 1200s. We ascend a volcanic plateau to have great views of the village below us, and continue until we reach the village of Le Bouchet Saint Nicolas, where we rest for the night and enjoy a home-cooked meal.
Distance: 15 km
Elevation gain/loss: +460m / -175m
Accommodation: Auberge w/ dinner included
We trek towards the village of Arquejol, where we will marvel at an astonishing railway viaduct. We then cross a steep ravine until we reach Landos, where we have the option to take a detour to enjoy the views from the Rocher de la Fagette. We continue on to the quaint village of Pradelle. If there’s availability, we stay in the village; if there’s no availability, we continue to a nearby town, Langone.
Distance: 21 km (Pradelle), 25 km (Langone)
Elevation gain/loss:+315m / -575m
Accommodation: Hotel w/ dinner included
Back in the 19th century, Robert Louis Stevenson got lost on the section of the trail we are about to complete today. We pass through the rustic Gévaudan countryside, trekking through woodlands, crossing streams, and admiring ancient bridges. We continue until we reach Cheylard L’Eveque, a hamlet where we will stay in a rustic auberge.
Distance: 16km or 22km depending on route
Elevation gain/loss:+320 / -150m
Accommodation: Auberge w/ dinner included
We enjoy a particularly scenic stretch of trail today. We trek through rolling hills and woodland trails. Eventually, the Cévennes Mountains will become visible through the trees, though still at a distance. We then head into the Allier Valley, and continue along until we reach the hamlet of Bastide Puylaurent, where we stay in a simple yet charming hotel.
Distance: 17km
Elevation gain/loss: +240m / -380m
Accommodation: Hotel w/ dinner included
The trail takes us into remote countryside today. We trek until we reach La Mourade (1308m), where we will take a moment to admire the view. We then hike through Forêt domaniale de la Gardille, eventually reaching the hamlet of Chasserades.
Distance: 12km
Elevation gain/loss: +330m / -160m
Accommodation: Hotel w/ dinner included
After we reach the village of Mirandol, we make the first big ascent of the trek up the wooded Goulet Massif. We stop at La Bleymard (1413m), a village which marks the entrance to Cevennes National Park.
Distance: 16km
Elevation gain/loss: +0m / -310m
Accommodation: Hotel w/ dinner included
We continue walking toward the Cevennes mountains, following the standing stones, locally called Montjoies, that mark the way. Near the end of the day’s section, we begin our ascent to the village of Finiels, which is located within the National Park. If the group is too large for the local B&B, we continue a little ways to a larger town.
Distance: 14km
Elevation gain/loss: +630m / -824m
Accommodation: B&B or Auberge w/ dinner included
We transfer to Le Pont de Montvert for our longest day of the trek. The path grows more hilly as we walk toward the Cevennes Mountains, pausing at the top of each ascent to enjoy the panoramic vista. We will spend the night in either Florac or Cocures.
Distance: 23km or 27km depending on which town we stay in
Elevation gain/loss: +545m / -875m
Accommodation: B&B w/ dinner included
The path becomes more technical today. We proceed with caution along a balcony ridge until we reach the village of Saint Julien D’Arpaon. From there, we follow a railway track along a gorge. We spend the night in Cassagnas or Cauvel depending on availability.
Distance: 21 km (Cassagnas) or 23 km (Cauvel)
Elevation gain/loss: +200m / -50m
Accommodation: B&B or Auberge w/ dinner included
We spend a little time walking through the woods of Camisards forest before we ascend La Plan de Fontmort. This is an intersection with other major hiking routes heading toward the Col de la Pierre Plantee (891m). We descend to the bottom of the valley and walk until we reach the village of St Etienne Vallée Française.
Distance: 22km
Elevation gain/loss: +320m / -710m
Accommodation: B&B w/ dinner included
We begin the day by climbing the Col de Saint Pierre (597m) and Signal de Saint Pierre (695), where we will be rewarded by a panoramic vista that allows us to view all the terrain we’ve just walked. We descend and follow the trail in the picturesque valley floor. Finally, we cross the bridge into the town of St Jean du Gard, our endpoint. We will relax at our auberge’s pool before enjoying dinner together in a local restaurant.
Distance: 12km
Elevation gain/loss: +350m / -410m
Accommodation: Auberge – dinner not included
After breakfast, our trip officially ends.
Accommodation We will stop at hotels, B&Bs, and auberges along our route. |
Meeting point We will meet at our accommodation in Le Puy-en-Velay |
I'm a qualified International Mountain Leader (IML) and I have been leading expeditions for the last 15 years. I have led the Tour du Mont Blanc over 40 times, the Everest Base Camp trek 27 times, Kilimanjaro 10 times, and I have also led trips in Nepal, Peru, Cuba, India, Bhutan, Cambodia, Thailand, the Alps, the Pyrenees, Russia, Uzbekistan and Madagascar, amongst others.
I'm a passionate skier, in 2009 I made the first ski descent of Manaslu, the 8th highest mountain in the world (8156m).
Fluent in French, Russian and Spanish, I also work as an interpreter and love to chat.
Jill Seabrook
5.00
July, 2022
AMAZING! This was a last minute decision and my first multi day trekking tour and it far exceeded my expectations. The communication and preparation was comprehensive and accurate. Our guide (Lindsay) was phenomenal. The route was the perfect mix of challenge and comfort. I will definitely be booking my next hiking trek thru Emma.
Frank Van Nieulande
5.00
January, 2022
Emma is a very humble guide in a good way. Always in a good mood full of laughter who puts safety first and in for a good story about her previous adventures. We enjoyed her company a lot! Thanks Emma we had a wonderful time. Greetings Frank
Piyush Yawalkar
4.00
September, 2019
The traveller did not leave a comment.
Paul Connolly
5.00
March, 2019
Emma was very easy to communicate with (once we we able e in the same time zone, of course!). Our guide Phil was fabulous. Thanks to all.
Jule Mansfield
5.00
January, 2019
We booked 3 full days of private showshoeing in Chamonix. Emma Jack was very responsive to our inquiry during booking and our emails leading up to our trip. We were paired with a local guide, Sebastian, who was very knowledgeable about the Chamonix area and picked the perfect spots for us to snowshoe each day based on the weather and snowfall accumulation. I highly recommend booking your trip with Emma Jack and would use her again if we return.
Heather
5.00
September, 2018
Your service was wonderful - it was easy to use and put me in touch with my hiking guide Suze through Cloud 9 Adventure! I couldn't have asked for a better guide or day of hiking in Chamonix.
Vijay and Rosheen
4.00
March, 2018
Excellent start for us in snow shoeing with Phil our guide who kept things nice and easy - an enjoyable activity to redo.
Siti Aminah Othman
5.00
December, 2017
We had fun on that day!! The sun was shining all the way the there’s a lot of snow ? my kids enjoy the trip. All of the arrangement up to the guide is very professional handled & we enjoy the company..and will definitely booked with explore share again..keep up the good work guys!! ?
Virginie Poulin
5.00
August, 2015
Emma is a very nice and attentive guide. She is super healthy and energetic, always smiling. She has a great enthusiasm in general. Very knowledgeable about nature, she shares and teaches with care. Also, she always pays attention to each and any person, and especially adapts pace so that the hike remains a pleasant adventure and memory for all. Plus, she is very cautious of weather and mountain conditions, and has a lot of resources and ideas to adapt to the situation and hikers. In short, very nice and professional! You feel in good hands.
Mariann
5.00
June, 2015
Emma was a very sweet and knowledgeable guide. She was adaptive to the different personalities and skill level of our group. Easygoing, talkative, friendly and pleasant to be around! Couldn't be happier with our guide!
Group of 1 | GBP 2320 Each |
Group of 2 | GBP 2320 Each |
Group of 3 | GBP 2320 Each |
Group of 4 | GBP 2320 Each |
Group of 5 | GBP 2320 Each |
Group of 6 | GBP 2320 Each |
Group of 7 | GBP 2320 Each |
Group of 8 | GBP 2320 Each |
Want a different number of travellers?
- Guiding fee
- Accommodation included
- Transport during the trip
- Luggage transfer
- Breakfast
- Dinner
Price for joining a group of 4-10 people. Price includes: Professional guiding services, all accommodations on a twin-share basis, all breakfast except day 1, 10 dinners (as outlined in day-by-day itinerary), all transports during the trek, luggage transfers. Not included: lunches, 2 dinners, personal drinks and snacks, airport transfers, travel insurance, tips.
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