Mountain Biking
in
Périgord, France
October 2024
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| This trip was with Hans (10 years old). |
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| As from 55,000(!) BCE, Cro-Magnons and Neanderthals inhabited caves in that limestone cliff. (We're not far from the Lascaux caves.) |
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| About 15% of the time was pushing uphill. He did really well. |
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| Hans went around; I told him I'd make it. |
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| 10 meters in: a bat and cave spiders with egg sacs. |
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| Buckteeth |
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| The best part was 3 hours one misty morning along the Dordogne River. |
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| We saw a few of these agricultural "cabanes", built without mortar during the 18th and 19th c. |
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| An outfitter provided our bikes, organized hotels and transport, and provided the GPS points. But clearly he didn't check two trails. We had to detour way around this one. |
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| And go through 50 m. of serious prickers on another. |
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| He got his first electric shock. Twice. |
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| Lots of old springs. |
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| A medieval castle built over prehistoric caves with art, occupied 17,000 years ago. |
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| The ride on the local train from Bordeaux was beautiful. |
Itinerary: 4 days of mountain biking for 128 km. (80 miles) thru Périgord Noir (Dordogne Dept.) along the rivers Dordogne, Vézère and Beune.
- Train from Paris to Saint-Cyprien village
- Taxi to Thonac village (overnight)
- Saint-Léon-sur-Vézère village
- Vézère river valley
- La Roque Saint-Christophe prehistoric caves
- Tamniès village (overnight)
- Chateau de Commarque & prehistoric caves
- Beynac-et-Cazenac (overnight)
- Dordogne river valley
- La Roque-Gageac village
- Domme bastide (fortified medieval village)
- Sarlat-la-Canéda medieval town (overnight)
- Tamniès village
- La Voulperie village
- Thonac village