Chemin de Stevenson (Robert Louis Stevenson Trail)

Hello, ATTENTION, there have been some changes to the route, particularly at La Bastide, then at Chasseradès and then at l'Estampe. I preferred to buy the latest TopoGuide, which is up to date.
I wish you a pleasant journey.

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Hello,
I sent you a message on 10 or 11 June pointing out a problem in the description of the first stage of the Stevenson Trail (leaving Le Puy-en-Velay): could you please respond to my comments?
Thank you.
Philippe Vloeberghs

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Thank you very much for the route, which gave me a solid basis for moving forward calmly and adapting it to my needs. I preferred to follow the GR70 a little more strictly in places.

One small problem with this route is that you don't go past the Signal du Bougès between Pont de Montvert and Florac, which is a big mistake because this is personally the most beautiful viewpoint on the GR70, along with Mont Finiel.

I can confirm the comments below: there are plenty of water and food supplies available along this GR, so go light! All too often we come across people weighing 15kg+ who suffer for nothing. Except on 2 stages where there are no water supplies, notably between Saint Jean du Gard and Alès, so set off with at least 2 litres. This is the most difficult stage and also one of the most beautiful, which fewer hikers do because Stevenson's "real" route stops at SJDG. Too bad for them

If you can sleep at the Cambon gîte after SJDG, please do, it's the most beautiful gîte I've ever seen (sheep, llamas, water basins, meals, rooms, views, the owners are young and dynamic with great stories and have restored the place incredibly well). I would have liked to stay there for a whole day.

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A beautiful ride with varied landscapes and, at times, truly breathtaking panoramas.
The two most beautiful stages: the climb to the summit of Finiels, and the final stage from Saint Jean du Gard to Alès, a must-do. This is also the most physically demanding, as the initial ascent of almost 3 hours is well worth it. The rest of the route is fairly easy, both in terms of gradient and technical difficulty.
The signposts are easy to follow on the whole, less so in the southern part where they can be more erratic at times.
Done alone in 12 stages in total autonomy in September 2022 from Le Puy to Alès with a pack weighing no more than 11 kg (including 8 days of home-made dehydrated food and 2 litres of water). 7.5 kg excluding water and food.
Water, bread and food supplies pose no problem (fountains, village stalls, local cheeses and sausages, etc.). Be more careful with water in the southern part of the route (2 litres minimum).
The main difficulty is finding a bivouac site at the end of the day, out of sight. Most of the route passes through private areas bordered by barbed wire and/or electricity wires... To manage to combine timing, a flat area, discretion and proximity to a waterway (ideally), you sometimes have to play with the rules, while of course respecting the golden rule of 'leave no trace' after your bivouac.
Despite this and the relatively high number of visitors, I strongly recommend total autonomy. I only met two other people like me on the whole route. Most hikers stop at gîtes or campsites...
One last remark: out of pity (for them), avoid hiring donkeys, even with children! Unless, like Stevenson, you decide to take your donkey all the way and treat it with care.

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Very interesting to do! The scenery changes between the start and the middle of the route, when you pass the summit of Finiels. Done by 2 people in 13 stages between late September and early October 2022 from Le Puy to Alès. The weather was fine all the time (1 hour of rain one morning!) and there were hikers, but not too many crowds. It's best to book accommodation in advance, as some groups may have already reserved everything! Expect to pay an average of €50/person for half board. Refreshments en route, except at certain stages, so ask at the gîte. The gîtes offer a warm welcome. Clean and welcoming, they're a great place to recharge your batteries after a long day.
My bag weighed 8 kgs, including 1 litre of water.

I recommend going without a donkey, unless you have children: in that case, plan a few days' trekking with the animal.
Some long stages, but not that difficult to do. I'll have to check the distances for each stage, as I've noticed some differences between Visorando and the values recorded in the field (road signs, for example).

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Hello,

For information on the Gard region, see here, in particular the ban on bivouacs and the use of fire (including stoves):

https://www.chemin-stevenson.org/informa...

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Hello,
I'm planning to do the GR70 in total autonomy over ten days or so, following the indications in the FFR topoguide.
I'm wondering whether it's possible to bivouac along the entire route, i.e. at each stage (I'm setting off with a tarp + tarp poncho as a sleeping mat). Is this possible and, above all, authorised?
I'm also aiming for a 14kg max pack with all my gear, including dehydrated food (homemade) and other items, and 2 litres of water.
Second question about drinking water points: are they sufficient on the route or should I consider using a water bottle with a filter?
Last question: as I'm in a tarp and in summer, do I need to bring a mosquito net or is it an unnecessary comfort (and weight)?
Thanks in advance for your answers from hikers and/or moderators who know the GR70!

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Hello, I'd like to do this route at the end of June and beginning of July on my own if anyone's interested ... the stages described sound good after I'm used to walking until I find a spot I like to pitch my tent ...

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Very nice walk, you don't need to carry a load as you pass many villages and towns and therefore many watering holes.

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There are a few rivers and streams, but above all there are plenty of bistros of all kinds.

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Hello,

I'm planning to do part of the Stevenson from south to north in the near future with my one-man tent.
In order to keep the weight to a strict minimum, I always carry a filtering water bottle and use it in streams and various springs, usually in the Alps.
Do you know if there is any natural run-off on this route? Or do you have to carry 4 litres in your rucksack?

Thank you
Sebastien

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Marc LB

we had a Stevenson Trail topic on the group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/randonne...
group in December. Daily publications for a stage

Enter "Chemin de Stevenson" in the group's search engine for all publications

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Good evening
I'm preparing a project to do the whole of the Stevenson Trail from Le Puy en Velay to Alès over 12 days. We are leaving with 4 friends.
I'm planning self-catering accommodation in stopover gîtes. I've read all your comments about water, supplies and so on.
Thank you for all your valuable advice.
A+
Marc

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I did the 9-day hike from Langogne to St Jean du Gard. I didn't follow the description, but the signposting, with GPS location on a cached IGN map. My trail turned out to be perfectly consistent. And thanks to the location, I avoided making major route errors in places that were a bit complicated due to inattention to the markings. I'm very satisfied with the route.
In my opinion, there is a lack of more subjective information on the quality of the accommodation, refreshment points, water supplies etc...

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Good evening Nathalie!
no, no-one had the topo guide which, in my opinion, is of little use other than to make it heavier lol at worst, make a note of the addresses and telephone numbers on one page. or even better, take photos, it won't weigh anything! i'd just printed out a map of here on the site and made a collage. But a gite or table d'hôte won't be able to take a hiker in to eat if he doesn't sleep at home , which is why it's so difficult for independent hikers. There are a few "restau" (once again, everything is measured in this term) where you can eat a meal, and the topo guide should also tell you about them. as for water, i repeat, no worries the points are in the form of a spring that falls into a large stone drinking trough. you have them at st flour de mercoire, l'herm, cheylard, luc, laveyrune etc... As for meals, we had taken vacuum-packed rice for example, but it's quite heavy. A friend had bought dehydrated sachets at decathlon at 5 euros a plate. as there's water everywhere, with hindsight now (yes!! hence the importance of testimonials!) I would have preferred to do that than lug around my vacuum-packed rice. 17 kilos, believe me, that was no laughing matter. At Chasseradès, on the road you have a large accommodation that doubles as a roadside bar and further on a grocery shop that has the good idea of selling individual portions of butter and jam! It doesn't seem like much and yet... to have breakfast with bread, butter and jam... what happiness!! we walked about 20 to 22 kms a day with the kilos announced. some good sections in the heat and some really nice climbs, one of which was really breathtaking on the "la bastide puylaurent-chasserades" section; you'll be telling me all about it! will you be pitching a tent too? I could tell you where to sleep at the bastide in the middle of the village if you're interested.

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