GR 70, Hike The RL Stevenson Trail, France, The Cevennes
GR 70 Hiking
Hiking On The GR 70,
In 1878 Robert Louis
Stevenson had no tour
guides for his twelve-day
hike through the then
economically depressed
area of south central
France, south of Lyon.
He walked on roads and
trails that were once part of
the Roman system of
trails that went through
France and into Spain.
This trail is now the Grande
Randonnee, GR70
(Great Trekking) hiking trail
which connects to other
trails that continue south
over the Pyrenees to
Spain.
France Self Guided Hiking Vacation,
South Central France
Roman roads made connections to Arles and Glanum two Roman
towns of the first century connected by back roads between Les
Baux, St Remy. The GR 6 runs near Eygaleires
No Passing
for
commercial
vehicles
No
Passing
zone ends
Rotary with yield to traffic in rotary
|
Speed limits will be clearly marked and the Rotary will be a welcome site with its directions to various
towns. Gassing up is similar to US with credit card and automatic shut-off at modern pumps. Car rental are
available in all large cities and at many TGV Train Stations..
Information for those renting a vehicle in Provence
Shop for your rental car online well ahead of your trip and choose diesel (more economical) or gas, luggage
space,(important) standard or automatic,(important) two door, four door and other options. See renting a
vehicle in Provence
Self Guided Tours of the GR 70.
Hike The Stevenson Trail on a 12 Day
Inn to Inn Walk Through Central France.
Take a guided tour of the GR70 trail
through France. This 12 day guided walk
follows the Robert Louis Stevenson
Trail, the RLS 70, from the Upper Loire
Valley to the Parc Nacional des
Cevennes near Montpellier in southern
France.
For This Hike In South Central France you can make all your arrangements or
Hire Tour Guides that will book the inns and make other arrangements for you.
Guide
Stevenson was without guides, he bought a pack burro to carry his equipment and
he kept a journal of his experience. He later turned the journal into a book in
which he wrote about his hike. with a small burro named Modestine, an account
that would later inspire John Steinbeck who wrote about his travels with a dog
named Charlie. Stevenson's book has inspired many others who hike along his
path.
The best time for this hike is between March and November. The high elevation
portions could have snow in winter. The trails and accommodations could be
crowded from mid June to mid September.
The tour guides provide the lodging and information about meal options or you can
make these arrangements on your own. This is a self guided hike, once the hiker
reaches the trail. The trails are well marked, some, having been used since roman
times, are still marked with Roman stones. Shepherds commonly use the trails
accompanied by their Pyrenees mountain dogs when they move their flocks to
seasonal grazing land.
Grande Randonnee, GR70 hiking trail connects to trails that
continue south over the Pyrenees to Spain passing many
ruins from Medieval times.
To the north east in Provence the
old Roman roads and bridges
remain Julian Bridge
The trails continue south over the Pyrenees to Spain
The trail now called the RLS 70 Trail goes south from Haute Loire , the upper Loire Valley to the Parc
Nacional des Cevennes, a trip of 120 miles. Stevenson's book was published in 1879 and titled, Travels
With A Donkey In The Cevennes.
Robert Louis Stevenson, author of Treasure Island, was a Scotsman and has remained a popular figure in
British literary lore . The hike that follows his path is called a literary tour or literary hike. Hikers often carry a
copy of the book with them as they hike and they attempt to identify places that Stevenson mentions.
Other Grande Randonnee Hikes
Roman Aqueduct
near Arles
GR 66 – The Aigoual, GR 67, The Cévennes GR 68 ,Mont Lozère
Trails continue south to the
Pyrenees
Hikers start in the village of Puy en Velay in
the Haute Loire and they hike south through
3000 foot mountains, through villages, and
into the Parc Nacional des Cevennes. The
hike ends in the town of St. Jean du Garde
in the Sevennes after crossing the 5000 foot
mount Lozere.
Stevenson started in Le Monastier 15 miles
south of Le Puy en Velay and hiked about
120 miles during his 12 days. That remains
a god target for the modern hiker, who will
do about 12 to 16 miles a day through the
Auvergne, Cevennes, and the
Languedoc-Roussillon.
Tour guides can arrange for transportation and for parking of a guest's vehicle or independant travelers can
make these arrangements via email to the inns. You can make your arrangements for lodging at inns located in
small villages along the way.
These sites are a good place to start a search for information
The GR 70 trail is called the RL Stevenson Trail to
commemorate the hike through France made by Robert Louis
Stevenson 1878. Stevenson wrote an early travel book about
his twelve-day hike through south Central France, Travels
With A Donkey in the Cevennes.
Guided Hiking Tours on
the GR 70 trail will hike
the Stevenson Trail
through France. The
trail follows the hike
taken by Robert Louis
Stevenson. Stevenson
in 1878 when he hiked
with a donkey named
Modestine for
twelve-days through
south central France.
The GR 70 trail is also called the RLS 70 Trail. Many hikers commemorate Stevenson's hike through
South Central France by making their own hike and following Stevenson's trail, often with a copy of his
book Travels With A Donkey In The Cevennes.
The book was one of the earliest travel books and it set the tone for books by other travel writers. Robert
Louis Stevenson's 1878 hike was a twelve-day trip through South Central France in which Stevenson
sought to recover from unrequited love.