Mont Aigoual, consisting of schist and granite, is the most southern upland area of the Massif Central and is a bulwark between the gentler climate to the south and the harsher temperatures of the north. For this reason it is often covered in cloud as the humid air of the Mediterranean meets the colder air of the Atlantic. The name Aigoual comes from the word ‘aigualis’, meaning water, which is very appropriate, as this is one of the wettest regions in France. It is also on the ‘water dividing line’– its streams flowing north to the Atlantic and south to the Mediterranean. This area is known for its extreme climatic changes and can be covered in snow for many of the winter months, which makes it a popular place for downhill and cross-country skiing.
The whole region is now a protected national park, created in 1970 and consisting of 230,000 hectares of rolling upland covered in moorland and forest. Unlike other French national parks, however, it has a permanent population of around 600 people, mostly sheep farmers, in its central zone. Every year in June there is a Fête de la Transhumance (sheep-droving festival) when the shepherds bring up their enormous flocks of sheep to graze on the upland pasture – the sheep are decorated with balls of wool and look very colourful. There are three main drailles (sheep paths) in the Cevennes, all going northwards – the Aubrac from Le Vigan or village of Valleraugue; the Margeride from St-Hippolyte-du-Fort; and the Gevaudan from St-Jean-du-Gard and Alès.
A hundred years ago Mont Aigoual was completely treeless and suffered from acute erosion; it was only thanks to the heroic efforts of one particular man, M. George Fabre (1844–1911), Director of Forestry, that the slopes are now covered with 15,000 hectares of forest. Not far from the summit is an arboretum and research station (called l’Hort-de-Dieu) created by the botanist Charles Flahaut from Montpellier (1852–1935), who, with the collaboration of M. Favre, planted a wide variety of species, some now over 100 years old and of impressive stature.
Starting in 1875 George Fabre cajoled various owners to sell their land and, despite opposition from the shepherds who often burnt the young saplings, he slowly started the tremendous task of replanting, using out-of-work local labourers. He finally handed 12,000 hectares to the state in 1914. The work continued with the building of roads over the mountain, but was interrupted during the First World War and through lack of funds. It was finally completed in 1939.
Although there are no walks in the book around the immediate summit, Walks 12–15 are in the Mont Aigoual vicinity. L’Abîme de Bramabiau is a vast underground cave, which is worth a visit (see Walk 15 for further information).
Northern Cevennes (Walks 17–31 and Tour of Mont Lozere)
The reason why Robert Louis Stevenson was attracted to the Cevennes is that the northern area, especially around Mont Lozère, resembles the highlands of Scotland – wild heather-clad slopes, rocky outcrops, flocks of sheep, herds of cattle (though quite different from the Scottish variety), stunted coniferous trees and rushing mountain streams. The region is cold and often covered with snow in winter, though hotter in summer than its northern counterpart – all that is missing is the squelch of bog!
Sandwiched between the upland regions of Mont Aigoual to the south and Mont Lozère to the north is the isolated small town of Florac. At the confluence of three valleys on the northern edge of the Cevennes National Park and the entrance to the famous Gorges du Tarn, it is dominated by the rocky crags of the Rocher du Rochefort, the edge of the Causse Méjean to the west; north is the Mont Lozère, with the larger town of Mende beyond. To the southeast is the scenic Cevennes ridge (Corniche des Cevennes). The D106 winds through the Mimente valley (Walk 30) linking Florac with the large town of Alès to the southeast, but it takes at least an hour to get there!
The pink rocky walls of this valley especially impressed Robert Louis Stevenson – he said that‘steep rocky red mountains overhung the stream’, but he couldn’t find a spot to tie up his donkey because the valley was so narrow. Apart from the road it has not changed!
Chapel St Cyprien (Walk 8)
Formerly under the sovereignty of the Bishop of Mende, Florac was constantly revolting under the yoke of its oppressors and then, in the 16th century, it became one of the centres of the conversion to Calvinism (see‘A Short History of the Cevennes’). Now it serves as the administrative centre of a large rural region and also lives off tourism.
With a rushing mountain stream flowing through the town under picturesque bridges, the narrow, flower-decked streets of Florac draw the holiday crowds, especially for the lively weekly market, but its main claim to fame is that the château, which dominates the town, is the administrative headquarters of the Cevennes National Park.
Corniche des Cevennes (Walks 28 and 29)
Linking Florac to St-Jean-du-Gard in the southeast is the dramatic Corniche des Cevennes, which is a long upland shoulder between the Vallée Francaise and the Vallée Borne, punctured by narrow twisting gorges and ravines (serres). At first a mere track used by the shepherds taking their sheep to upland pastures (a draille) it then became a mule track for traders going from the Mediterranean plain of Languedoc to the Gevaudan area in the north. It is now a scenic route much appreciated by tourists, as the views on all sides are magnificent. The little town of St-Jean-du-Gard at the eastern end at the confluence of the two valleys has a interesting cultural museum; once a flourishing centre for the silk, leather and wool cottage industries, it is now mainly a tourist centre.
Mont Lozère
Mont Lozère is a huge area of high granite plateaux at the north of the Cevennes region surrounded by rivers: to the north the Lot, to the east l’Altier and to the south the Gardon and the Luech. What little habitation there was has mainly disappeared, though, according to records, there is still a population of 500 people who live from sheep farming, cattle breeding and forestry. Formerly thousands of sheep made their way from the Languedoc plains in the south to these northern uplands along the well-trodden drailles, but now fewer than 3000 make the journey each year.
Until 1795 the knights of Saint John of Jerusalem owned much of the land and installed their headquarters in the isolated village of l’Hôpital. Their territory was marked by stones with a Maltese cross engraved on them, some of which can still be seen today, especially on the ascent of Pic du Finiels (alt. 1699m). The tour of Mont Lozère should not be taken lightly, though there are no technical difficulties and the path is well signposted. It is a remote upland region and there are no villages or friendly cafés to help you on your way should you feel in need of comfort and refreshment. Neither did the author meet many people, though this could be different at the height of the season. Even so every landlord seemed to know who we were and where we had come from, so there must be a bush telegraph in operation! It is advisable to book your accommodation in advance in case the establishments are shut or full.
In an effort to promote the region, the tourist department has created a rather ugly ski station at the foot of the Pic du Finiels, and there are some ski lifts and cross-country ski trails. In high summer there are quite a number of tourists who drive here to make the relatively short walk to the summit of Pic du Finiels (see Walk 20).
A small limestone area to the southwest of Mont Lozère called the Can de Bonbons (a can is a small causse or plain) is marked by huge granite standing stones called menhirs (see Walk 18). It is not known whether they were erected as markers or had some sort of religious significance. What is amazing is that early man could drag these enormous stones and erect them in such an isolated, high area. Many of the stones have now been bedded in concrete to preserve them.
Causse Méjean
To the west is the high, sparsely populated limestone plain of the Causse Méjean (30km by 20km) which lies at an altitude of approximately 1000m, surrounded by the 500m-high cliffs