By Ambassador Paul Gayral

Welcome to Millau, at Paul Gayral’s hometown, one of our French ambassadors.

Racer, passionate, professional, Paul manages his guiding company called Enduro Session. Millau is a city of 25,000 inhabitants, it is located in the south of France. It’s considered as the paradise of outdoor sports: paragliding, trail running, climbing, speleology, canoeing…and of course mountain biking.

EWS, national championships, and many other races have been organized on the legendary “Millavois trails”.

Paul presents the hidden side of the long work sessions of the opening of the path in Millau. Not far away there is a ton of singletrack, all maintained by enthusiasts of all ages, with respect and passion for the land.

Here is a small photo report, of a project carried out on the reopening of an old municipal road completely closed. It joins 2 hamlets, Pujol in the DOURBIE gorges, in Le Marres on the Larzac plateau. It is 2.3 kilometers long for 360 meters of elevation gain.

 About fifteen people met every Tuesday. From 12 to 77 years old, each in their own way, they all participated in the opening of this little gem. 520 hours of work were necessary to connect the two villages.

With alternations of fresh dirt, quick paths between the walls, unobstructed view of the Causses… Everything goes. It’s not a dedicated MTB trail but just a restoration of a magnificent ancestral path.

It is the passion that drives all these volunteers. Each one gives the best of themselves. The work is done with respect for the elders. The goal is to revive these paths, respecting its initial design.

During this opening, we came across a ton of trash that was like an old illegal landfill … Moment of desolation. So we cleaned up most of the waste and contacted the institutions to remove the rest.

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The remote 160 also makes it easier to reach the areas that needs to be refreshed.

After the effort, the comfort, it is around a craft beer, that our group ends their days.

Life in the South of France is peaceful, human relationships are healthy, it is for these reasons that this place is incredible. That is why there are so many trails maintained. Hand in hand, everyone brings their know-how, in order to build a common good.

Thank you to all those people who work to maintain this heritage.

Millau is not yet an “overcrowded” place. You will find here nature, calm, large space and an extraordinary playground for mountain biking.

If you want information contact ENDURO SESSION.