Mountain Bike Tour in Monts d'Ardèche and Mézenc

Mountain Bike Tour in Monts d'Ardèche and Mézenc

Mountain biking between ancient volcanoes and the Loire River sources.

5 days / 5 nights or 4 days / 4 nights

This trail crosses a part of the Ardeche mountains, passes by the sources of the Loire River and takes you through the Mezenc mountains.
Located in the Massif Central, we like these high lands (1.753m for Mount Mezenc) for a MTB practice during few days. The itinerary is really demanding and is perfect for those who want to feel the difficulty.

Trip highlights: 

- the passage at the foot of Mt Mézenc and Mt Gerbier de Jonc

- The Boutières circus

- The sources of the Loire River

- a beautiful ascent in the mass of Tanargue

- the discovery of the Ardèche plateau

- welcome at the farm (one step in the 5 days and 4 days "soft"formula)

TYPE OF TRIP: 

  

Languedoc Nature has obtained the approval of part 3 of the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism. This distinction was awarded by the French section of Europarc and applies to travel operators engaged in the promotion of sustainable tourism in protected areas.

 

Guided Tour

A fully qualified MTB guide provides his services for party of 4 minimum

Independant Tour

We provide you with the maps and the road book. The accommdation and the catering will be reserved for you.

Travel advisories: 

Good morning, sir,

The stay was very good: circuit, landscapes, weather! Cycling between 1000 and 1300m of altitude when it's hot is a real chance. The landscapes are very beautiful especially the first 3 days. The course of the last 2 days is more in the woods and a little less in the open. We lived the days in the "wild" without meeting many people. The village of Mazan l'Abbaye is a nice stopover as well as the lake of Issarlès.

Thanks to you and see you soon maybe for a new escapade...

Martine

 

 

Good morning, sir,

It was a very nice hike with beautiful scenery (only one day in the rain, Tuesday!).

A very good welcome with always good meals and local products.

Thanks for everything and see you next year on other courses.

We go hiking every year

Sincerely

Alain, John and Claude

 

 

Good morning, sir,

Magnificent course especially on Wednesday.

Tuesday was probably not bad with a view of Mezenc and Gerbier de Jonc, unfortunately rainy weather, we had to shorten the day.

Reception in the accommodation super, Ras.

The company of the Gillard group was also very pleasant.

In short, only the weather ruined our pleasure and Languedoc Nature had nothing to do with it.

Note: The last day was strong in terms of altitude and kilometers, especially with fatigue accumulated from the previous 3 days.

Best regards.

Dominique

 

 

Good evening, sir,

Back in Franche-Comté, we take the time to give you a little feedback on our stay. Everything went well overall, more difficult stages than for the previous stays (especially for my wife) but we fully appreciated the stages and the welcome offered.

The accommodations are of excellent quality and we appreciated each time the welcome that was reserved for us.

The lady of the 2nd gîte offers massages but we arrived a little late. If we had been informed, we would probably have booked a treatment. So it might be interesting to indicate it in your program for interested travellers (It will be done! I promise! Why not have thought about it earlier ...)

Friday's arrival at Le Béage was mostly on asphalt. But the weather conditions were not good and no alternative was possible. On the other hand, great welcome at the gîte.

Thanks again for the variants we often took!

Have a nice summer and see you next year

Claude and Valerie

 

Good morning, sir,

Excellent ride. We enjoyed the hike despite the bad weather. Attention path barbed by 2 barbed wire fences at the height of the wind field of Montgarnier before the Bouteirou. It is better to avoid the hook and turn directly right out of the woods at the iso 1246m.

Inn and B&B of exceptional quality. Excellent reception in all the gites and inns.

Satisfaction index +++ for this raid. We ask for more for next year.

Alain

 

Hello, Frederic,
I do not know if my friends have answered your questions, but I think I can say on behalf of the group that we were unanimously enthusiastic about this trip to the Ardèche and Mézenc. The route was great and we were perfectly suited in terms of km, altitude difference, layout (with the possible variants). My only drawback for the trip is the proportion of road a little important on the first day ... at the same time it allowed a good start.
The welcome was great everywhere, we had a good time and we ate very well ... except at the Monastier. The welcome was average and compared to the other accommodations.
We quickly forgot to keep only the good ...
Thank you for this tour that we will recommend and bravo for the organization, it was impeccable. The forgetting of the taxi on the last stage was quickly solved ... great and thank you.
Colette

 

 

Hello
What a beautiful living room!
We had a lot of fun discovering this beautiful region, by the mountain bike trails, and we really appreciated the quality of the welcome, (which suited us well), especially two places: the farmhouse gîte and the inn.
Thank you for having concocted this beautiful route for us."
Véronique

 

 

No sooner had our journey ended than work took over and time ...
Our stay went very well
We should have only followed your route because our variations were sometimes hazardous...
The wonderful scenery, the peace and quiet, the hospitality of the people...
The gites and guest rooms are perfectly suited to us (except of course the Bastide Puylaurent ) Never again !!!!!! We prepare the route and we will send it to you.
You can already start thinking about the next trip you will propose for 2012.
The majority of the group would like to go further south.... Thank you for a wonderful week. It really feels good at this time of year...
See you soon."
François

 

LEVEL: 

 

The itineraries present a certain difficulty because of their length and their difference in height. Therefore you should be in good physical shape and be used to endure such distance. You should practice Mountain Bike few weeks before your trip, it's better if you pratice regularly all year long. Going to the gym can also help to be fit for this trip.

Mountain biking between Monts d'Ardeche and Haut Loire
PROGRAM: 

 

This itinerary can be organised either over 4 or 5 days.

 

5 days tour

 

Day 1 : 44 km - elevation  : + 1475 m / - 1205 m

Day 2 : 40 km - elevation : + 1150 m / - 1015 m

Day 3 : 48 km - elevation : + 945 m / - 1290 m

Day 4 : 50 km - elevation : + 1440 m / - 1040 m

Day 5 : 40 km - elevation : + 1055 m / - 1310 m

 

5 days " easy "

 

Day 1 : 32 km - elevation : + 765 m

Day 2 : 35 km - elevation : + 910 m

Day 3 : 34 km - elevation : + 665 m

Day 4 : 33 km - elevation : + 1025 m

Day 5 : 34 km - elevation : + 945 m

 

4 days tour

 

Day 1 : 54 km - elevation gain : 1460 m

Day 2 : 58 km - elevation gain : 1080 m

Day 3 : 56 km - elevation gain : 1160 m

Day 4 : 66 km - elevation gain : 1210 m

 

4 days tour "easy"

 

Day 1 : 32 km - elevation : 765 m

Day 2 : 35 km - elevation : 910 m

Day 3 : 44 km - elevation : 1030 m

Day 4 : 30 ou 35 km - elevation : 945 m

 

 

Ardeche Mounts
La prestation comprend

• Accommodation in gite for groups, hotels or in B&B.

• Breakfasts, packed lunches and dinners.

• The road book and the maps in the self guided trip

La prestation ne comprend pas
• Personal expenditure

• Comprehensive insurance (4,5%)

• The service of a guide
• The bike rental (possible if you want)

COME BY TRAIN: 

We all know the impact of our car travels on the environment. Driving to the holidays location can produce a large amount of CO2 because of the long haul distance to get away...
Therefore, if low impact mobility interests you, La Bastide Puylaurent railway station, welcomes you. A bus or our minivan can take you to your accommodation.
Check your journey by train with SNCF or OUIGO and contact us for any further information.