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Autumn break and general meeting in Bugeat (Corrèze), 27 to 29 September 2024

Enrico Alberini, Jean Luc Matte, Christophe Badonnel and the IT managers contributed to this page presenting the trip.

The autumn 2024 trip will take place from 27 to 29 September 2024 in Corrèze. It has been prepared by Armelle and Michel Pfeiffer.

We'll be staying in the "Espace 1000 Sources" holiday village.

Introduction to the region

If you consider the Nividic lighthouse off the Ile de Sein as the most westerly point in mainland France, the Marine de Bravone in Corsica as the most easterly, the Franco-Belgian border at Bray-Dunes as the most northerly and the Capu di u Beccu on the Lavezzi Islands as the most southerly, you're right on the middle point! Frankly, it had to be done!

Welcome to the Centre Sportif Alain Mimoun. And yes, not content with winning the marathon at the Melbourne Olympic Games on 1^er December 1956 at the age of 35 in 2 hours 25 minutes, in 1960 he launched the Bugeat sports training centre, which is regularly used at national level to prepare sportsmen and women in a wide range of disciplines: rugby, athletics, boxing....... Bugeat, in the heart of the Millevaches plateau, is a rural community of 763 inhabitants in the Corrèze département. It lies at the epicentre of the three departments of the Limousin region, which was once an "autonomous" region before being "annexed" to the larger Nouvelle Aquitaine region.

Plateau de Millevaches, Espace 1000 Sources, what's the connection?

Well, although there are certainly more than a thousand cows on the plateau, that's not the reason for its name, but rather the fact that it's full of "vacca" springs in the local dialect, of Celtic origin "bac", "batz" which gave rise to "bacha" "bachole" "vacca".......

France's water tower, the Vienne, Vézère and Corrèze rivers rise from this granite plateau in a fairly small area (the Vienne borders the Civaux nuclear power plant, so local chauvinists are quick to point out that you need Millevaches to feed Civaux!)

Its highest point is Mont Bessou at an altitude of 977 m (raised to 1000 m by an observation tower at the top!).

Its cold, wet climate is not exactly conducive to rapid population growth, as there are only 18 inhabitants per km², with even a rate of less than 3 inhabitants per km² in some communes. The population exodus, which has now stabilised, has had its difficult moments, particularly in the 19th century, when, in order to provide for their families, men would leave their miserable farms in early spring, only to return in late autumn to Paris, Lyon or Bordeaux to build the new Haussmann districts.

Although sparsely populated, this area still benefits from a very natural environment, but for how long? Mostly covered by moorland, mainly heather, broadleaved trees form the basis of the original forest cover, with beech dominating. France's water tower, it should be noted that the rivers begin in peat bogs, protected areas in which endemic species such as the drosera, a carnivorous plant, can be found (watch your step!).) Over the last century or so, as cultivated land has been abandoned following the departure of the population, there has been a major reforestation of coniferous trees (fast-growing), which has considerably altered the landscape and is now leading to large-scale felling (once the trees have reached maturity), which feeds several economic sectors in relatively close proximity: paper, wood panels, pellets and chips, at the same time leading to the felling of hardwood trees, the best of which will be sent to China to be returned to us in the form of parquet flooring .....

Occupied since the Palaeolithic period, numerous burial mounds bear witness to human activity (Tarnac, Sornac, Millevaches, Bugeat, etc.). The Roman presence is well established, with the remains of Les Cars (an aristocratic villa), mausoleums and roads linking Lyon to Bordeaux, among other places.

The Middle Ages, apart from the establishment of areas managed by religious or military authorities, were not very marked, and it was not until the middle of the 19th century that a "local initiative" was seen in the development of the wine merchant profession. Local farmers acquired wines, including prestigious ones, from the châteaux around Bordeaux and went on to sell them in Normandy, the North and as far afield as Belgium, bringing back respectable fortunes after a few years. They acquired wine estates in the Bordeaux region and made the reputation and 'fortune' of the small town of Meymac, known as Meymac près Bordeaux.

Enjoy your stay in Corrèze!

Circuits

CCTOURS Bugeat 2024 course

Let's talk about cycling!

There may not be many passes in the area, but the mountains are very much present and you still need to allow for 1,500 to 1,700 metres of ascent every 100km.

While Brittany has produced a number of champion cyclists, Limousin is not to be outdone: Raymond Poulidor, Luc Leblanc, André Dufraisse...... Don't worry, we haven't forgotten the others.....

Getting back to the passes, there are 14 in Corrèze alone, 4 in Haute Vienne and 3 in Creuse, and if you look closely, there must be more hidden between all these Puys, right?

For the moment, let's be content with what already exists. During your short stay, you will be able to "catch" 5 of them on 2 routes, the others being further south in the département.

On Saturday morning, before the AGM, in the heart of the Monédières Massif, 3 road passes await you on a route with a cycling tradition, as it takes in part of the Bol d'Or des Monédières circuit, a post-tour criterium launched by Jean Ségurel in the days of the "velo-accordéon", and part of the 12th stage of the 2020 Chauvigny-Sarran Tour, with the famous and no less "severe" Suc au May climb.

The following day, 2 more passes await you on the plateau, giving you the chance to discover the tranquillity of the roads of Correze a little more closely, to admire the great views towards the Sancy and Cantal massifs and to appreciate the peace and quiet of the great outdoors.

Hosting

Located in Bugeat, in the heart of the Millevaches Regional Nature Park, the "Espace 1000 Sources Corrèze" sports centre is a truly top-of-the-range complex that can accommodate up to 200 people in exceptional conditions.

An ideal location thanks to its geographical position and accessibility, it is an international centre, accredited as a preparation centre for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Motorhomes will be allowed to park in the holiday village.

Registrations

Télécharger le bulletin / download the booking form / scarica il modulo

The deadline for receipt of entries is 12/08/2024.

Other activities or visits

For those accompanying you, you can visit and discover the remarkable sites around Bugeat on an "occasional" basis, but those who wish to do so can also use "geocatching" with a special application: Terra Aventura, which offers walking routes of just a few kilometres and a 76-kilometre "road trip" around the plateau.

Two walking routes will be on offer on Saturday morning and Sunday morning, starting from Pérols sur Vézère, supervised by Armelle.