The Cévennes are located in the south of France, but still a good distance north of the Mediterranean coast. As the south-eastern foothills of the Massif Central, they are characterised by mountains, river valleys and karstified plateaus. The larger towns are all located on the edge of the Cévennes, for example Mende in the north (12,000 inhabitants), Alès (40,000) in the south-east and Millau (22,000) in the south-west. Large parts of the Cévennes are uninhabited and the region is considered to be the least populated in France. The highest mountain is Mont Lozère (1,699 m). The gorge-like river valleys of the Gorges du Tarn, Gorges de la Jonte and Gorges de l'Ardèche are tourist magnets in summer. Our starting point of Ispagnac has only around 900 inhabitants and is conveniently located, as all the sights of the Cevennes are easily accessible from here.
Three tours begin and end in Ispagnac, near Florac. There you will find everything you need in France at the start of the tour: a decent café and a fresh croissant. The fourth tour starts in the somewhat larger town of Meyrueis and follows the original route of "The Race" by author Tim Krabbé. The routes are all challenging, so the shorter Tour 2 almost feels like a rest day. From each gorge valley, there are a few metres in altitude to conquer before the view on the high plateaus of the Causses can wander into the distance. The climbs to the highest mountains (Lozère and Aigual) are long, but never steep. You should bear in mind on every outing that there are hardly any opportunities to buy food or water - a village fountain often has to suffice to quench your thirst.
