Mazan-l'Abbaye
Corniche of the Cévennes on the horizon
Riding.lesser-known roads in the Ardèche mountains to the west of the famous gorge and north of the Cévennes. Riding with a group of the French club AMA and guided by a local rider, this was a loop taking in many rider challenges as well as scenic distractions. Valleys and ridges, hairpins and straights; red pines and colourful chestnuts, villages and forests etc. Quite a sporting challenge too on my CBR600RR to ride with the mostly litre bikes in the group.
A memorable lunch of Ardèche specialities with all the riding groups. But a fine day ended on a downer: the rider I had been mostly following in the group had an accident after I had split to ride solo back to the gÎte. Multiple fractures, serious but not lifestyle-threatening.
Next morning, back along the fantastic Ardèche gorges rim road, not much motor traffic but a herd of wild goats was spread across the road at one of the tourist look-out points.
Route closed? Group waits while one bike proceeds.
Saint-Laurent-les-Bains
Mazan-l'Abbaye
Lunch stop
Terrine de veau avec crème de cèpes, Galette de pommes de terre. Flan de potirons.
Mont Gerbier-de-Jonc (1551 m.), road at 1415 m. Also the sources of the River Loire.
Watershed between the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, Massif du Mézenc
Ardèche gorges rim road