Читать книгу The Grand Traverse of the Massif Central. by mountain bike, road bike or on foot онлайн

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Mountain bikers should pay particular attention to the contents of their first-aid kit, ensuring that they have enough dressings and antiseptic to cope with the cuts and bad grazing that might result from a fall. Some means of strapping a limb until assistance is found is a good idea, and if you are travelling in a group, at least one member of the group should consider going on a first-aid course before the holiday.

Snakes

The European viper, or adder, is not uncommon in the Massif Central, and a bite, although unlikely to be fatal, would be exceedingly unpleasant. It could also have serious consequences in more sparsely populated regions, where help may not be quickly available. Vipers are less of a threat to the biker than to the walker (except of course when the former is pushing his or her bike, which no doubt will happen from time to time on the GTMC).

Fortunately, snakes are fairly secretive animals, likely to detect a walker's presence by vibrations along the ground and take avoiding action, but do keep a good lookout for them, in order to avoid accidentally treading on one. It is a good idea to be familiar with the markings of the European viper (dark green/black in colour with characteristic zigzag stripes on the upper surface), although the chances are that the GTMC will be completed without ever catching sight of even one.