News from Mountain and Maps
News, views and life in France.
Autumn walk in Languedoc-Roussillon
The last walking trip of the year was at the beginning of November. The autumn colours were in full splendour and the weather, though patchy, was kind to our walks and we were still in T-shirts on some days. The week took in the Gorge d’Heric and Gorge Colombiers which both have great views over…
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2012 cycling, walking and snowshoeing dates coming soon
It’s been a busy spring and summer season with great trips in Italy and France. We still have a walking trip to do in early November and some cycling interest too. We’re busy working on the programme for next year which will be on the site soon. Really, truly. Next year we’re introducing…
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Herault Lakes
In between leading walking trips in the Pyrénées, we took a few days out to further explore the Haut Languedoc Natural Parc for new cycling and walking routes for 2012. There are some fantastic cols for cycling with long ascents and gradients up to 7%. For anyone looking for some challenging rides…
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Tour de France - Herault
Sunday, 17 July, saw this year’s Tour de France come through our favourite cycling area of France – Herault in Languedoc-Roussillon. The stage started at Limoux and finished at Montpellier in a slightly overcast day which had cooled the baking temperatures somewhat. We cycled to the Pont de Real…
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Tour de France 2011
We’re thrilled this year’s Tour de France will be coming past our home base in France. On July 17 the Limoux to Montpellier TdF stage will pass through Cessenon and Murviel, both very near our village. This stage is almost 193km and should be fast, but could also be in energy-sapping heat.…
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Walking and cycling in the south of France
Just had guests from Australia enjoying a fantastic week of walking and cycling in Herault, our base in the Languedoc, France. We’re having terrific May weather, hotter than usual but wonderfully sunny and still. Given the heat, it was great to have some shade walking up the beautiful Gorge d’Heric,…
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Cycling in France – the Canal du Midi
We spent some of the Easter break cycling along parts of the Canal du Midi - easy and enjoyable days out on the bike. The canal was started in 1667 by Pierre-Paul Riquet, who set out to construct a canal linking Toulouse with Sète, on the Mediterranean coast. Now, the 240km towpath along its banks is…
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Cycling in France
With the snowshoeing season finished, it’s great to be back on the bikes and cycling in the Languedoc. April has sent us some amazing weather; sunny days with very little wind, just perfect for cycling in France. We’ve been exploring new routes to add to our programme for next year. Due to…
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Classic Snowshoeing View in the Pyrénées
Great view from French Pyrénées towards the border with Spain, from Mont Majou (2082m) across to Aneto, the highest peak in the Pyrénées at 3403m (for context, Ben Nevis the UKs highest mountain, is 1344m). Stunning views of classic cloud inversions, such as this one seen last week, are why we love…
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Snowshoeing in the Pyrénées
Just back from a great week taking a snowshoeing trip in the Central Pyrénées, based in Luchon. A big snowfall on Tuesday night meant we could do some fantastic ridge walks amongst spectacular mountain scenery. A highlight was the Col de Peyresourde ridge along four peaks, with clear blue skies, sunshine…
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