The Grand Traverse of the Massif Central takes you from the impenetrable accents of the Auvergne to the Occitane patois of the Mediterranean coast. Making your way through the “Puy” country, the hills of the Cantal, the Causses, the mountains of the Cevennes and down to the sea; a total of 718 Km with around 10,300m each of ascent and descent. The route is aimed at the mountain biker and is divided into 17 stages but there are appropriate alternatives for road bikers. The route is also suitable for walkers and would take around 27 to 32 days.

I enjoy the planning of a trip nearly as much as the trip itself and I like this book because it gives me just what I need. It is compact and light but is stuffed with useful information. Each section of the traverse has its own chapter and starts with all the statistical information on that stage. This is followed with a small map, a description of the stage and useful information on accommodation and shops to be found and details of any places of interest. There are full descriptions of the route for mountain bikes, road bikes and walkers and all are enhanced with some terrific photos. At the end of the book there are a number of appendices with all sorts of additional information on accommodation, contacts and other walks in the area. In fact all you need to plan the walk is Alan Castle’s excellent book, some maps and a mobile phone.

Richard Winter