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

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A lot will depend on weather conditions, not only at the time of your visit, but in the preceding weeks, as lots of heavy rain can quickly turn relatively firm tracks into quagmires of mud. Beneath a canopy of trees where the sun is unable to penetrate, the rate of drying of rain-soaked tracks and paths will be much slower than in open countryside. Generally, the further south you are, the fewer muddy tracks you are likely to encounter, as the warmer Mediterranean climate gradually replaces the wetter, more temperate climate of the northern Massif Central.

Planning the schedule

The official guide to the GTMC (see ssss1, Further Reading) gives a completion time for the full route of between 10 and 20 days. This wide range allows for the differences between, for example, fit and expert mountain bikers, perhaps with a support back-up vehicle, who wish to make rapid progress along the trail, relative beginners, and/or those who prefer to take their time, visiting various places of interest along the way, and if unsupported, who need time to find accommodation and buy supplies.