tthe gorges du tarn

I have downloaded the maps for the trek - 50 pages of 1:25 000 digital maps from Memory-Map.  France appears not to favour 1:50 000 scale as other Europeans do.  I don't know why and the choice is therefore between 1:25 000 or 1:100 000.  Fortunately they are digitised so I can print of the narrow strips which I need and discard them as I go.  Large maps would be better as I can then see the surroundings but would be heavy to carry.  Although digitised, the maps are largely old and not kept up-to-date.  Often motorways appear where none is marked on the map.  This can cause quite a detour.  Basically though the paths and roads are the same as on the map and.  GRs are marked on the maps but sometimes inaccurately and they even disappear from the map on occasions.  So a compass and alertness in recognising that the maps are an approximation is required.

Our kit is mostly laid out ready for packing.  My pack is waterproof but I still put things in plastic bags.  Clear bags so that I can see what they contain just in case a heavy storm forces some water in.  It is a mystery why manufacturers do not make waterproof packs given that it is likely to rain at some time.  The only one I found which claimed to be waterproof is is made by Vaude and has proved itself waterproof even through heavy and prolonged rain.  Though once in the Austrian eastern Alps a full day of rain on the mountain tops did cause some water to get through.  So I was glad then that I had wrapped everything in plastic.

I have the train tickets to Montpellier and the air e-ticket back from Nice, the daily schedule, directions to accommodations, addresses and phone numbers, Austrian Alpine Club (British Section) membership card which gives excellent insurance and mountain rescue as well as reduced charges in Alpine Refuges.  Also packed are smart phone, euros, credit card, notebook, first aid, binoculars (very handy for way-finding, bird-watching and just looking about) and trekking poles.  The poles are an ever-present when I walk with a pack.  They balance the weight, take weight off my back, help me go faster when necessary, test the depth of water to be crossed, help me keep my balance in tricky places and control my sliding on icy slopes.  I have had the same Leki poles for 15 years with the exception of one which I dropped and a car bent it and another which bent seemingly from usage.  May be I should be getting new, lighter, ones.

I do have new trousers as I have had mine for 5 years and they got rather torn in a thorn thicket in November and they have also lost their colour and texture through extensive exposure to the elements and frequent washing.  The new ones, after extensive research, are from Arcteryx and are quite light but I expect warm sun at times and I can make them warmer when necessary by wearing silk trousers underneath and waterproofs over them.  I prefer it this way than a warmer pair which gets too hot when the sun comes out.  I can't make them cooler.  But I can insulate a cool pair and by doing so lighten my pack.

I have still to make up my mind about the boots.  I usually wear my trusty Lowa Tibet boots which are quite stiff and high sided.  I have worn this model for 15 years.  I am tempted to try this time a lighter but still strong pair of Meindl Burmas.  They are great on day walks but do I dare taking them for a month?

It is a week before we set off to trek across southern France from Severac le Chateau in Aveyron  to Grasse in Haute Provence.  The distance is about 500Km and will take us 4 weeks travelling at a relaxed pace and walking every day.  This is almost the final stage in our trek from the English Channel, La Manche to the French, to the Mediterranean.  Already we have walked across Europe on two route - first from Dunkirk to Genoa on the Italian Mediterranean coast and second from The Hague to the Slovene Adriatic coast.  This time we started in Calais and over three years, walking for 2 weeks at a time, we made our way through Nord Pas de Calais, Picardy, Normandy and Centre to Limousin where we finished last time in November on a glorious autumn day on the causse.  Severac le Chateau lies on the edge of the Causse Sauveterre on the eastern edge of the Perigord and to the west of the Cevennes.  Nearest sizeable towns are Rodez and Millau.

Our walking route will take us across the Causse Sauveterre and along the Gorge du Tarn to the Causse Mejean.  Then into the Cevenne for a week to emerge on the eastern slopes facing the Rhone Valley which we cross at Tarascon.  From there we go along the ridge of hills made world famous in the paintings of Van Gogh, Les Alpilles to cross into the Luberon mountains where we pass through Moustiers to the Gorge du Verdon and into Haute Provence.

We are gathering our kit while putting finishing touches to our work to ensure that it is OK while we are away.  We are checking that our smart phones have all necessary apps and other functions so that we can keep in touch with work and family matters while away.  Some of our overnight stops have wi=fi and we shall be able to use the phones then.  We'll be careful not to data-roam, given the propensity of the phone companies to exploit this opportunity to over-charge,.

Europe is blessed with huge forests

<h2>Europe is blessed with huge forests.  Britain's were cut down long ago and we

now have few managed woods.  It is a marvel to see carefully managed forests

providing a steady supply of wood for energy, paper and manufacturing.  We have

watched the cycle of farming cycle - the hand-pruning of winter vineyards in in

sub-zero temperatures, fertilising the soil from the farmyards, the first spring

ploughing, acres of industrially grown mono-crops, cattle kept indoors throughout

the year and cattle out of doors the whole year.  We have still to solve the

mystery of the abundance pof pork on menus but not a pig to be seen in the

fields</h2>