A Rural Escape in the Heart of Occitanie
I set off on a two-day loop in Aveyron, starting from Rodez. This department in Occitanie is deeply rural, with a remarkably varied geography. I’ll be staying in an area between the Lot Valley and the camino de Compostela. The route options are endless. I’ll do the full tour of Aveyron another time…
From Rodez to the Aubrac Plateau
I begin by leaving Rodez heading toward Bozouls and its canyon, formed by the Dordou river during millions of years… a breathtaking panorama. Then it’s on to Espalion, a stop on the Camino de Santiago, between the Lot Valley and the Truyère. Next comes a long 22km climb toward the Aubrac plateau. Wooded sections and meadows alternate along the way. The cows are spectators to my progress up this ascent. Finally, I arrive at the Col d’Aubrac, used by the Tour de France in 2017 edition on stage 15. The descent to Nasbinals goes smoothly, and I spend the night at the Refuge de Nada.
Day 2: A Longer Route with Rolling Hills
Day 2 promises to be longer with less positive elevation gain. Still, there’s over 1000m of climbing. The descent toward Estaing is winding and fun. You have to stay vigilant because you quickly reach 75km/h on these narrow roads with rough pavement in places. Very technical at times. Arriving in Estaing is a delight — a castle dominates the all-stone village, another landmark for Compostela pilgrims. Now I need to head back up toward Rodez, and it’s a roller coaster ride, sometimes in shade, sometimes in sun, but the latter is very pleasant compared to recent weeks that were extremely hot, even scorching. You can see the vegetation has suffered — everything is dry. The last villages I pass through are Muret-le-Castel, Soury, and Onet-le-Château. The two-day loop ends with a smile and the desire to come back and discover this magnificent department.
GPX for Cycling from Rodez in 2 days
Download Day 1 : Rodez train station to Nasbinal via Espalion, 70 km and 1600m D+
Download Day 2 : Nasbinal to Rodez via Estaing, 85 km and 1100 D+