Autumn stay end General Assembly at Bugeat (Corrèze), from 27 to 29 september 2024

Enrico Alberini, Jean Luc Matte, Christophe Badonnel and the Information Technology team have contributed to this page.

The Autumn 2024 stay will take place from September 27 to 29, 2024 in the Corrèze department. It has been prepared by Armelle and Michel Pfeiffer.

We’ll be staying in the “Espace 1000 Sources” vacation village.

Cyclists

Introduction to the region

If you consider the Nividic lighthouse off the Ile de Sein to be the furthest western point in mainland France, the Marine de Bravone in Corsica the furthest eastern point, the Franco-Belgian border at Bray-Dunes the furthest northern point and the Capu di u Beccu on the Lavezzi islands the furthest southern, you’re just a hair’s breadth away from being right in the middle! Frankly, it had to be done!

So, welcome to Alain Mimoun sports center. And yes, not content with winning the marathon at the Melbourne Olympic Games on December 1, 1956 at the age of 35 in 2 hours 25, Alain Mimoun launched the Bugeat sports training center in 1960, which is regularly used at national level to prepare athletes in a wide range of disciplines: rugby, athletics, boxing……. Bugeat, in the heart of the Millevaches plateau, is a rural village of 763 inhabitants in the Corrèze department. Situated at the epicenter of the three French departements 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 connection between these 2 names?

Well, while there are certainly more than a thousand cows on the plateau, that’s not what explains its name, but rather the fact that it abounds in springs, or “vacca” in 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 relatively small area (as the Vienne borders Civaux’s nuclear power plant, local chauvinists are quick to point out that it takes Millevaches to feed Civaux!! Here you’ll need to practice some French)

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

Its cold, damp climate does not really favour a rapid population growth, with only 18 inhabitants per square km, and even less than 3 inhabitants persq.km in some towns. The population exodus, which has now stabilized, has had its difficult moments, particularly in the 19th century, when, in order to provide for their families, men left their miserable farms in early spring, only to return in late autumn to join Paris, Lyon or Bordeaux to build the new Haussmann districts.

Sparsely populated, this area still enjoys a “very natural” nature, but for how long? It is mainly covered by heathland and deciduous trees form the basis of the original forest cover, with beech dominating. As France’s water tower, it’s worth noting that the rivers begin in peat bogs, protected areas where endemic species such as the carnivorous drosera plant can be found (watch your step!). Over the last century or so, with the abandonment of cultivated land following the departure of the population, we have witnessed a major reforestation of coniferous trees (fast-growing), which has considerably altered the landscape and today leads to large-scale felling (when the trees are mature), which feeds several economic sectors in relatively close proximity: paper, wood panels, pellets and chips, at the same time generating felling of hardwoods, the finest of which will be sent to China to return to us in the form of parquet flooring …..

Occupied since Paleolithic times, numerous tumuli bear witness to human activity (Tarnac, Sornac, Millevaches, Bugeat…). The Roman presence is well established, with the remains of Les Cars (an aristocratic villa), mausoleums and roads linking Lyon to Bordeaux, among others.

The Middle Ages, apart from the establishment of areas managed by religious or military authorities, were not very marked, and we had to wait until the mid-19th century to see a “local initiative” through the development of the wine merchant profession. Indeed, 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 as Belgium, bringing back respectable fortunes after a few years. They acquired wine estates in the Bordeaux region and made the small town of Meymac  famous and “rich”, which came to be known as “Meymacprès Bordeaux”.

Enjoy your stay in Corrèze!

Bike tours

Now let’s talk about cycling!!

Although there aren’t many mountain passes in the area, there are plenty of mountains, and you can expect to climb between 1,500 and 1,700 m every 100 km.

If Brittany has produced a number of cycling champions, Limousin is not to be outdone: Raymond Poulidor, Luc Leblanc, AndréDufraisse…… I assure you, 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 make do with what’s there. During your short stay, you’ll be able to “catch” 5 of them in 2 bike tours, the others being further south in the département.

On Saturday morning, before the General Assembly, in the heart of the Monédières mountain range, 3 road passes await you on a traditionally cycling route, covering 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, allowing you to discover the tranquillity of the Correze roads, admire the great vistas of the Sancy and Cantal massifs and appreciate the peace and quiet of the great outdoors.

Accomodation

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

A privileged site due to its geographical location and accessibility, it is an international center, labeled a preparation center for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Registration

download the booking form

Booking form Bugeat in English

Gritchen insurance terms and conditions

Gritchen Covid 19 cover

The deadline for receipt of booking forms is August 12, 2024.

Other activities or visits

Accompanying persons will be able to visit and discover the remarkable sites around Bugeat on a “one-off” basis, but those who wish to do so will also be able to “geocatch” using a specific application: Terra Aventura, which offers walking routes of just a few kilometers and a 76-kilometer “road trip” on the plateau.

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