In Stevenson's Footsteps
25 April 2026 — 5 May 2026
The Stevenson Trail, or GR70, is arguably the most popular hiking route in France. There’s probably a simple reason for this: everyone has their own good reason to hike it. It’s neither too tough nor too steep, fascinating for its history, its landscapes, and obviously carried by the founding account Robert Louis Stevenson wrote in 1879, accompanied by a little donkey. As for me, it’s the prospect of a long solo traverse of these rugged mountains and forests that excites me. The perfect opportunity for an introspective journey, in Stevenson’s footsteps.
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A good adventure cannot reasonably begin without an interminable train journey. It’s an absolute constant, no point trying to avoid it. To get from Bordeaux to Le Puy-en-Velay, the current starting point of the trail, you have to go through Paris, change from Montparnasse to Gare de Lyon, go back down to Saint-Étienne and finally hop on a little train that follows the meanders of the Loire with precision to reach your destination. In total, a solid ten-hour journey.