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Vercors: Active by Nature 66 | The Good Life France
AMY McPHERSON finds beauty and adventure in unspoiled territory Before I went, I had no idea where Vercors was, but I did know it was famous for its outdoor activities. A two hour car journey from Lyon Airport brought me to a small range of pre-Alps mountains that straddles the departments of Isère and Drome in southeastern France. As we turned off the dusty highway into the valley, I was greeted by a heavenly view. The hills were a crisp lime green and the sky a brilliant blue. Vercors makes a great first impression. I came here seeking an adventure. Vercors, a utopia for outdoors enthusiast, was ready to indulge me. Hiking in Hauts Plateaux Nature Reserve One of the great things about hiking is that all you need is a good solid pair of shoes. It is so easy to simply walk into nature and feel miles away from civilisation. Being a mountainous region, Vercors has plenty of hiking options on offer. In the Hauts Plateaux Nature Reserve, the largest land-based metropolitan reserve in France, there are no roads or houses, apart from refuge huts providing shelter for hikers. The 17,000 hectares of wild land with its forests of oaks, beeches, firs, spruce, pines is home to much wildlife including marmots, black grouse, Alpine ibex, vultures and golden eagles. Paths that crisscross the reserve are rocky with limestone which has been sculpted by water and weather, covered with pine needles and tree roots, lined with mountain flora. The moist undergrowth of the forest is full of ferns, fungi and fabulous fauna. I spotted Lady’s Slipper orchids, Edelweiss, Gentians, as well as the rare scabiosa columbaria ‘Vercors’ in various shades of purple. Other than the crunch of my footsteps, the only other sounds were the whistle of the wind and the rustle of leaves. So quiet, not even the birds stirred. The air was fresh, the surrounding nature energising, and the sound of silence meditating. Gentle cycling along ViaVercors No respectable ‘outdoor destination’ would be without the offer of some great cycling. The Good Life France | 67
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