BONJOUR WALKS
2014
Walk the Robert Louis Stevenson Trail in
the Cevennes and raise money for VSO
What is the RLS Trail ?
In September 1878 the writer Robert Louis Stevenson trekked through
140 miles of the unspoilt Cevennes with his donkey Modestine. The
present Trail retraces as much as possible the route they took.
Following in their footsteps, it makes an enjoyable hike for today’s
walkers.
Who we are and what we do
We are Colin and Bridget Cooper. Bridget was a VSO volunteer in the
1960s and has been a staff-member several times. Together in 1997 we
opened the VSO programme in Ethiopia.
Our service includes all the necessary support for walkers, but we
charge no fee at all for this. Instead, we ask each walker to make a
donation to VSO. We book your accommodation for you; we provide
daily back-up support in case of mishaps; we see you off every morning
and are there to meet you at the end of each day; we contact you during
the day as and when you wish; we transport your baggage from one
night’s stop to the next; and are there to help with such things as
shopping needs and health emergencies. If you are coming by car, we
arrange for it to be safely garaged for the week, and return you to it at
the end of the walk.
We regret that, for logistical reasons, we cannot accept people who
propose to walk by themselves. This means that you should come with a
partner with whom you would walk.
Our part of the Stevenson Trail
The Trail covers about 140 miles, almost impossible to walk in one week,
and the portion we take crosses the Cevennes highlands, providing six
days of good walking. Mt Lozère is the highest point reached, at 1699
metres. You will need to be able to cover up to 13 miles a day, and
although the walking can be demanding, it is more in the nature of long
steady climbs than precipitous paths. It is very unspoilt countryside, and
you may walk for hours without seeing anyone but other walkers. We
start at Goudet (15 miles south of Le Puy en Velay, Haute Loire) and
finish in Florac (56 miles north of Montpellier).
2014 Dates
31 May to 7 June
(fully booked)
14 to 21 June
(fully booked)
30 August to 6 September
Accommodation, Costs and Travel
The hotels we use are all 2-star, privately owned, and offer demi-pension
rates, i.e. dinner, bed & breakfast. The cost for 7 nights is approximately
Euros 380 per person (2 people sharing a room), or Euros 490 (single
occupancy).
You would pay your hotel bills, and buy your picnic lunches as you go.
You would also need to arrange and pay for your travel to and from
France, plus travel insurance.
Some walkers have found it convenient to travel from Southampton to
Clermont-Ferrand by Flybe, which if booked early enough is probably the
cheapest route. We can meet you and return you to Clermont airport.
Contact Us
Colin & Bridget Cooper, Ladignat, 43100 St Just près Brioude, France
Phone:
(0033) 471767373
or
(0033) 965110495
E-mail:
cbcooper@wanadoo.fr
(A booking form is on the following page)
Colin and Bridget Cooper, VSO, and Bonjour Walks will be exempt from all liability in respect of
loss of personal effects, illness or accident to persons, howsoever caused, whilst on the walk.
BONJOUR WALKS
Ladignat, 43100 St Just près Brioude, France
(+33) 471767373
cbcooper@wanadoo.fr
“Bonjour Walks” is an Association (or club), for which no subscription is payable. This form
doubles as your application to join for the duration of the walk.
BOOKING FORM - 2014
: ………………………………………………………………………
Full name
Names of others in your party
Address
: ………………………………………………….
: ………………………………………………………………………..
Phone No.
: ……………………..
E-mail
: …………………………………….
Please tell us if you have special dietary needs
Dates are
: 30 August to 6 September
…………………………………..
(walks are limited to 6 people)
Walks start on Sunday and end on Friday, so please arrange your arrival for Saturday 30/8,
and your return for Saturday 6/9.
We will be coming by
: (please delete the ones that do not apply)
Air
:
we will meet you at and return you to the airport at Clermont-Ferrand
(for the early afternoon flights)
Car
:
to Hotel de la Loire at Goudet; we will send you directions
Train :
we can meet you at and return you to Clermont-Ferrand station only if
your arrival and departure are between mid-day and 2pm; otherwise
you will need to make your own way to the hotel at Goudet
Accommodation on the walk will be in small hotels and one B&B
(You should pay your accommodation as you go, so please do not send payment)
I enclose a deposit cheque of £50, dated the first day of the walk, payable to VSO.
I understand this cheque will be returned to me on arrival, but if I do not take up my booking,
it will be forwarded to VSO.
Signed : …………………………… Date : …………………………………..
_______________________________________________________
Bonjour Walks is registered in France as an “Association Loi 1901”