Читать книгу Walking in the Cevennes. 31 walks and the Tour of Mont Lozere онлайн

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In an effort to promote the region, the tourist department has created a rather ugly ski station at the foot of the Pic du Finiels, and there are some ski lifts and cross-country ski trails. In high summer there are quite a number of tourists who drive here to make the relatively short walk to the summit of Pic du Finiels (see Walk 20).

A small limestone area to the southwest of Mont Lozère called the Can de Bonbons (a can is a small causse or plain) is marked by huge granite standing stones called menhirs (see Walk 18). It is not known whether they were erected as markers or had some sort of religious significance. What is amazing is that early man could drag these enormous stones and erect them in such an isolated, high area. Many of the stones have now been bedded in concrete to preserve them.

Causse Méjean

To the west is the high, sparsely populated limestone plain of the Causse Méjean (30km by 20km) which lies at an altitude of approximately 1000m, surrounded by the 500m-high cliffs of the Gorges du Tarn and the Gorges de la Jonte. Freezing in winter and extremely hot in summer, it would not be an easy place to live, and the few isolated hamlets are mainly deserted. Since there are few trees (though in some places conifers have been planted) the wind whistles across the bare fields. The limestone absorbs the spring rain and, though it has hollowed out underground rivers and gorges, little water remains on the surface except in shallow depressions called lavognes, which enable the flocks to drink and the farmers to grow wheat, corn and barley. The sudden extreme changes in temperature have caused the rocks to crack and created clapas, piles of rocks and stones, which are often used to make low stone walls.