Sommant Horse Team organizes in 3 weeks of hikes in the Cévennes. Over time, it has become the most sporty hike in Europe, with distances of 40 to 50 km at a high pace. Lovers of this land of wide open spaces for more than 25 years, the horses and men of A Hue and A Dia live here for part of the year with great pleasure. It is therefore a great pleasure to make you discover the route of this great hike which makes a great loop within the Cévennes National Park. We go from Lozère to Gard, both on the tracks of Stevenson and on the famous Lozère drails so used by shepherds and their sheep during their transhumance and on the entire loop of the 160km Florac mythical equestrian endurance race where our horses feel almost at home.
A very sporty and high-flying "tip top" hike that will always be etched in your memory, fabulous landscapes, very horseriding trails where sustained speeds are possible. From Mont Lozère to Mont Aigoual, the gorges of the Tarn and Jonte, the Causses Méjean and Sauveterre, a real passport to equestrian adventure. On the Can de l'Hospitalet, it is said that a third of France is covered by our eyes eager for the unexpected...
The diversity and desertification of this territory means that the accommodation, which is rare, is very different from one to the other; small hotels, cottages or guest rooms where we can comfortably board, quality meals guaranteed....
Go to the Mont Lozère refuge in the commune of Bleymard (department 48) or, in Florac directly, on Sundays in the afternoon and let's go for an unforgettable and sporting hike. At the end of this hike, like us, you will have trouble going back home and leaving us... It is the guarantee of happiness... Many riders do this hike several times, some even come every year as a ritual, as if it was essential to recharge your batteries in the land of wide open spaces on the horses of Sommant
| Dates 7 days (including 6 days on horseback) | |
| Accommodation : | Hotels, cottages and guest rooms |
| Reception | Reception on Sunday afternoon around 17 18h end of the hike on Saturday at the end of the day, meal and overnight stay from Saturday to Sunday planned if necessary. |
| Accompanist | Equestrian tourism guide |
| Equestrian level required | Comfortable and independent with three gaits and varied terrain, riders in good physical condition |
| Price | € (single room + 280 euros) |
| To come | By train: Nearest SNCF station: Mende By car: Le Bleymard By your own means Carpooling |
Meeting at the Mont Lozère refuge chalet from 6pm (Le Bleymard)
About forty kilometers, the warm-up is vigorous because it is directly the climb to the summit of Finiel and the peaks of Mont Lozère, long gallops on the southern slopes of Lozère on a large forest track before joining Master Vidal's cross and the barançon lake for lunch. In the afternoon, via Les Bondons, it is the long descent to the gorges of the Tarn and the good city of Florac. Overnight stays and meals at the Hotel Le Rochefort.
About fifty kilometres, a beautiful route. After a rather "city" outing from Florac, the old railway takes us to Saint Julien at the foot of the Oumenet, which we will climb as best we can before reaching Barre des Cévennes. Then the Col des Faisses where we will have our meal before heading via the Can de L'Hospitalet, the Marquaires tunnel and the Col de Salidés in the Aigoual massif where the gite d'Aire de Cote is located halfway down the slope. Nights and meals at the Gite d'Aire de Cote (little possibility of a single on site!!!).
About forty kilometers of sports! We start from the entrance with the ascent of Mont Aigoual where the weather is sometimes capricious, before diving on the ski slopes at Prat Peyrot resort and then, on the Valley of Happiness, we will follow Happiness until its loss via the Iron Cross Pass. Meal took us to the abyss of Bramabiau (recommended visit) then it is the department of Gard which welcomes us, a small loop towards the hamlet of Saint Joseph before joining Aiguebonne or Yann and its good table await us with firm feet. Nights and meals at the Gite d'Aiguebonne, guest rooms.
Once you have climbed the hill that leads us to the Pierre Plantée, it is perhaps the longest gallop of your hike that awaits you, more than fifteen kilometres in a row, on a slight descent, on the slopes of the mountains with a splendid view of the Aigoual and the gorges of the Jonte. Lunch in Meyrueis, then we climb on the Causse Méjean by Pauparelle, the chaos of Nimes le vieux and we will cross the pastures of Prevalsky's horses before reaching Nivoliers. Overnight stays and meals at the Auberge and Hôtel du Chanet.
It is the meteorology that directs this stage, which can be quite long or more direct... A quick set-up before a "full ass" gallop on the Chanet airfield and it is the discovery of the whole Méjean plateau desert causse trapped in the gorges that surround it from all sides. The limestone slabs, sun thistles and box trees will be all its particularities that you will have to discover before going down into the gorges of the Tarn, Quezac and Ispagnac. Overnight stays and meals at Pierre Amatoussi's or at the Hotel d'Ispagnac.
There are still about forty kilometres to go, a long climb through the cliff and the coniferous trees to reach the Causse de Sauveterre, almost flying over the gorges of the Tarn, the Col de Montmirat, and the slopes of Mont Lozère, a good meal near the small village of Les Laubies and it is the long final gallop on the path of the unemployed that will allow us to find the ski slopes of the Mont Lozère resort and our blessed refuge. Evening meal and overnight stays at the hotel of the Mont Lozère refuge.
