The walking is never too hard, the emphasis
is on the DISCOVERY of this new area on foot, but also by meeting
local people and trying the excellent, wide range of local food
and wine.
The
VERCORS Plateau:
Best-known as a base for the French Resistance during WW2, this
high limestone plateau is still a wild, remote and beautiful area.
Orchids thrive in these conditions and we should be able to spot
several different varieties including the Red and Black Vanilla,
Spotted, Ladies Slipper and Elder orchids.
The TRIEVES Plateau:
This is an area little-known even to the
French. It's an area hidden away between mountains to the east (Les
Ecrins) and west (Vercors) and climatically mid-way between the
south of France and the northern Alps.
It's an area rich in history. Settled by the Celts and then the
Romans and with it's main market town and our base, Mens, full of
friendly, independently-minded craftspeople and farmers.
Mens is now a major "green" centre for France and we'll
include a visit to "Terre Vivante", a large ecological
centre with wonderful organic gardens, and a restaurant.
your detailed
itinerary |
Day 1 |
Arrive Geneva Airport - 3 hr transfer by motorway
to our hotel in peaceful La Richardière - evening briefing
with local wine and traditional food. |
Day 2 |
Vercors Plateau
From the trailhead in Chichilianne we climb steadily through
shady forest to reach the high, flat, grassy Vercors Plateau
at 1,820m (6,000ft). We cross the plateau for 2 hrs before descending
steeply to our hotel. We should see several varieties of Orchid
(5 hrs walking). |
Day 3 |
Mt Aiguille is the
most remarkable of the many mountains in this region. This
classic circumnavigation starts and finishes in the village
of Richardière. We hike through forest and open ground
and we'll be able to study all the facets of this remarkable
peak. Our highpoint is the Col de l'Aupet (1,653m, 5,400ft)
(7 hrs walking).
We should see several varieties of orchid including the"
Ladies Slipper".
(Mt Aiguille was first climbed on 27 June 1492, then not again
for 350 years!)
|
Day 4 |
Mens After a lazy breakfast
we visit France's premier "green centre" "Terre
Vivante" with it's wonderful gardens and ecological housing
projects. After a picnic lunch we walk just 200m uphill and
then traverse along a broad ridge, through fields of wheat
and barley, to arrive in the bustling market town of Mens
and our new hotel (3 hrs walking).
|
Day 5 |
Mt Jajene
Our minibus leaves us at the trailhead (1,335m, 4,400ft) and
we walk uphill through flower-filled alpine pastures to the
Col de la Chante. From here we follow the grassy ridge of Mt
Jajene (1,784m, 5,850ft) with great views over the Vercors,
the Ecrins and the Southern Alps. We descend to our waiting
minibus (5-6 hrs walking). |
Day 6 |
Le Chatel
This is the finest viewpoint for the whole Trieves plateau and
our objective today. From the trailhead we climb steadily through
mixed forest and then open pasture to the wide, flat, summit
ridge of Le Chatel (1,937m, 6,350ft). Here we can picnic and
admire the views on all sides before descending to our waiting
minibus
(5 hrs walking). |
Day 7 |
Last minute shopping before your transfer to
Geneva Airport for midday. |
|