PADDLER 26
PADDLER 26
Believe it or not , a miracle happened . At sunrise , as I approached the river to wash my face , I felt a great sense of relief at the sight of the water , which had risen by 60 cm , making the last day of the ascent possible . During the night , the dam located several km upstream had opened its gates to release the excess water .
THE MASSIF CENTRAL : MOUNTAINS
One of the main challenges of our trip was hiking some 150 km across the Massif Central to change watersheds . On May 24th , we reached Langogne after a gruelling but spectacular 75 km hike . During our four-day hike , we marvelled at the majestic landscapes and enchanting setting presented by this mountain range . We passed from summit to summit with satisfaction . Hundreds of years ago , men and women took these paths , sometimes just to deliver a message to a neighbouring village . A few pretty stone-built houses still stand and have been converted into gîtes for hikers .
Then came the sentence that paralysed me for a few seconds . Joris said , “ Martin , I can ’ t keep going with this hike ; my calves are killing me ”. For a brief moment , I was plunged into a parallel world , and everything began to move in slow motion . I could hardly process what I had just heard .
Although my dream of crossing France had just come crashing down , my decision was made : I would accompany my teammate by bus to Langeac , the village where our canoe and equipment were waiting . I ’ m not an experienced hiker , and I hate going solo in the great outdoors - it bores me . I reminded myself that I came to France to have fun , to recharge my batteries , not to feed my ego .