France - Atlantic Diagonal

Houses painted in poppy red, apple green, violet and plenty of other colours brighten up the Alsace wine-growing region.
Carved into the red sandstone, the trail soon dives into the resinous trees to begin its lengthy crossing of the Vosges from North to South. From one dyke to the next, among the ferns, larches and birches, the trail clears the way over the Milles Étangs plateau. This protected region of Finnish tundra-like landscape has something of an otherworldly charm about it. This Diagonal Trek truly starts with a flourish!

After plummeting down the precipitous Cusancin Valley, the route crosses the Cusancin and follows a track carved into the rock to head on to the alpine pasture.
We soon arrive in Doubs and follow the banks for several miles. The route then strays into the bushy pine forests and flower-strewn meadows.

This is a fantastic stretch. Ancient villages typical of the Jura wine-growing region appear one after the next. Château-Chalon is perched on a cliff top, with a commanding position overlooking its vineyards. The panoramic viewpoint of Ladoye-sur-Seille towers over the distant Baume-les-Messieurs. The route ventures right into the Comté countryside.
The panorama over Lake Chalain set against the deep, abrupt cliffs is just fabulous.
After crossing the Saône, the scenery changes dramatically.
Our route now grips the Mâconnais mountains before heading on to Beaujolais. One of the longest trails of the expedition sends the team deep into the Bois Noirs forest...

Bounding over the Forez mountains, the trail constantly changes as it reaches an altitude of more than 1000 m. It climbs further still as it joins up with the Margeride (with Mont Mouchet at 1400 m). It is in this region that the dreaded Beast of Gévaudan was said to strike.

The path stretches out over the never-ending peaks, surveying another majestic region, Aubrac. Here, Lozère slowly vanishes, making way for Aveyron.
This large department also offers us plenty of incredible landscapes. The Causses limestone plateaux come into view.
The route suddenly runs down into the coolness of the undergrowth. A tiny track dives beneath a canopy of sweet chestnuts.
Ending the stage with a splash, a jaunty path bounds through eleven fords one after the other.

All at once, an incredible network of paths engulfs the Causse du Quercy. In this region steeped in history, the trail darts between age-old farms and châteaux.
The route settles down after the long mountainous stretches of the preceding stages. Orchards now cover the small tranquil valleys...

Our journey takes us past little mountain dairies amid the ringing of goat bells.
Coming back over the plateaux, a few small lanes steer us around maize fields and fruit trees. We need to watch out here as some tricky ruts lie in wait, hidden in the grass.
Long stretches through dense, bushy, sometimes humid forests punctuate this day, split up by a few trips into the vineyards.

The Pyrenees rise up against the horizon and the expedition will soon be tripping the light fantastic in the alpine pastures. Because of all the fences keeping in the cattle, the afternoon route takes us through the amazing landscape of the Basque Country on tiny narrow roads that race through the verdant scenery of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques.
An even narrower path runs along the mountain stream under an incredible alley of banana trees, before shooting up one last dizzying climb (27%) of hairpin bends.
Over the hill is Ainhoa. This ancient picturesque village nestled just a short distance from the Spanish border concludes this astonishing and sensational expedition.