Loire Bourgogne Randonnées Travel agency - local and sustainable tourism

H I K I N G W I T H A D O N K E Y

TWO-DAY UNACCOMPANIED HIKE WITH A DONKEY

F a m i l y ' s d o n k e y WELCOME IN THE LOIRE h i k e f o l l o w i n g VALLEY t h e c o u r s e o f The Loire, mythical river, will take you away to t h e L o i r e r i v e r discover its treasures during two days accompanied by a donkey. This two-day donkey trek will offer you all the pleasures of a family vacation where you share 2 days of hike simple but authentic moments. The donkey will be 1 night the link that will unite you, far from screens and stress, a nature moment to disconnect from your Beginner level daily life and reconnect to simple but essential things, to get together, to live an adventure that Bed and breakfast will be one of your best memory. accomodation THE PROGRAM After training with a professional trekking donkey, where you will Day 1 learn to take care of this animal so gentle and patient (brushing, From Melay to Artaix: cleaning the feet, putting the Meet at 9 am, in the town of Melay, at the Donkey Farm materiel) and where all the for two hours of lessons "how to care about my donkey explanations to conduct your and how to drive it easily?" (if you come from far Donkey in the most simply way, will be given to you, you can leave enough, we advise you to arrive the day before, the " serene with your new walking training "will then take place around 5pm). companion. The first day, you will follow the towpath of the canal The donkey will carry your luggage lateral to the Loire which was followed at other times by and the youngest children when other donkeys less lucky than ours because they pulled they are tired. A real ally for the barges loaded with merchandise while our donkeys parents, because it is always there to motivate children who will will only carry your luggage! surprise parenrts with their You follow it the first day for about 7 km, to Artaix, a walking ability. small village on the left side of the Loire, perched on a These two days will allow you to hill where you can guess the location of an old oppidum. discover the Loire Valley: an easy It is in a place further from the village that you will stop hike because with very little where the land and the water are intimately linked. elevation. You will then have all the time to appreciate the many birds that live by the river : the many storks, the various species of herons that feast on fish and at the right times, maybe you can observe the African bee-eaters, the geese and swans in full migration. And in the evening, the family, tired but relaxed, will enjoy a nice Day 2 stopover with the locals, welcomed as friends, at a table where you From Artaix to Melay : will be offered meals made with On the second day, you will find a small path following good local Burgundy products with the meanders of the Loire where you can observe the a hint of exoticism, the owner storks, herons, egrets ... you can then fully appreciate being from Reunion island! the sweets and splendors of this old lady, but also A ride with a donkey, is the best "slow tourism" : a regular rhythm discover the diversity of flora and fauna. The hike is of 3 km per hour, time to enjoy the located in an area classified as Natura 2000. Natura 2000 landscape, a nap in the shade of groups together natural sites, all over Europe, identified an oak tree, a meeting with a for the rarity or the fragility of wild, animal or plant talkative farmer, time stands still species and their habitats. and everything will become so peaceful. W A L K I N G L E V E L

Beginner JOUR 1 : 15 ou 11 km soit environ 4 h 30 de marche / D+ : 127 m et D- : 82 m JOUR 2 : 12 km soit environ 3 h30 de marche / D+ : 58 m et D- : 103 m Attention, ce programme est donné à titre indicatif, il peut être modifié en fonction des conditions climatiques, du niveau du groupe et/ou de la disponibilité des hébergements.Les temps de marche sont donné à titre indicatif, sans les temps de pause et dépend de votre niveau de marche.NB : D+ : dénivelé montée, D- : dénivelé descente. ACCOMODATION We offer bed and breakfast accommodation LEVEL ZOOM On site, you will eat at the host table. T h e F r e n c h F e d e r a t i o n o f Day 1 picnics will be prepared by LB Rando and Day 2 picnics by h i k i n g h a s d e s i g n e d a bed and breakfast accommodation. p r a c t i c a l t o o l t o e s t i m a t e t h e d i f f i c u l t y o f t h e h i k e s , a s i m p l e o n e t h a t w e h a v e u s e d t o g i v e y o u a n i d e a o f t h e LUGGAGE l e v e l r e q u i r e d f o r t h i s h i k e . T h e r a t i n g o f t h e F F R a n d o n n é e i s a t r u e PREPARATION r e f l e c t i o n o f t h e d i f f i c u l t y o f a h i k e e x p r e s s e d a c c o r d i n g t o 3 Don't charge too much ! c r i t e r i a : E F F O R T , T E C H N I C I T Y The donkey carries 30 to 35 kilos maximum weight of a n d R I S K luggage and children included: take only useful things! G e n e r a l l e v e l o f t h e h i k e : Two bags in which you will have to distribute your E N O U G H E A S Y luggage in a balanced way (a scale to weigh the luggage E F F O R T : L E V E L 2 / 5 will be provided for the duration of the hike) will be E A S Y E N O U G H given to you the day before or the morning of the hike. H i k i n g r e q u i r e s a c e r t a i n p h y s i c a l c o m m i t m e n t w h i c h What you need : r e m a i n s m e a s u r e d . T h i s l e v e l c o r r e s p o n d s t o m o d e r a t e Your clothes (do not forget a practical and light rain h i k e s . suit and caps) T E C H N I C I T Y : L e v e l 2 / 5 Good hiking shoes and possibly a second pair to rest E A S Y E N O U G H the feet at night BUT LIGHT (type sandal) R o u t e o r p o r t i o n o f r o u t e w i t h Shower gel and shampoo not included in the B&B o b s t a c l e s l e s s t h a n o r e q u a l A gourd of at least 1.5 liters per person which will be t o t h e h e i g h t o f t h e a n k l e . T h e filled each morning before your departure. f o o t i s a p p l i e d b y l o o k i n g f o r A small emergency pharmacy (antiseptic, bandages, " f l a t " o r " c o m f o r t a b l e " a r e a s o f t h e s u p p o r t , w h i c h a r e aspirin, mosquito and anti ticks, sun cream) f a i r l y e a s i l y i d e n t i f i a b l e . A bicycle helmet for children riding on the donkey (MANDATORY, not provided) R I S K : L e v e l 2 / 5 One or more small backpacks that allow you to unload R A T H E R W E A K the donkey when the children are tired or carry the F a i r l y l o w l e v e l o f a c c i d e n t r i s k . E x p o s u r e t o d a n g e r extra luggage r e m a i n s l i m i t e d . I n j u r i e s a r e that the donkey can not carry. p o s s i b l e b u t m i n o r ( e x a m p l e s : Garbage bags for puting your clothes: garbage bags f a i r l y m a r k e d r e l i e f p a t h w i t h are very light, waterproof, solid and space-saving: it's p o s s i b l e s l o p e , d i s l o c a t i o n even better a n d p o s s i b l e s p r a i n s i n t h e than a backpack or a gym bag. Suitcases to avoid e v e n t o f a f a l l , e t c . ) . absolutely.

What you don't need :

you do not need towels, sheets or sleeping bags You do not need picnic material, everything will be provided with pic nic of the first day games for children (there is everything you need for accommodation) additional food (including for the donkey), meals, breakfasts and pic nic are very plentiful, do not worry PRICES LUGGAGE 160 € per adult in double room on full board TRANSPORT 75 € per child from 12 years old on full board 60 € per child under 12 years old on full board T h e l u g g a g e i s t r a n s p o r t e d 25 € per child under 4 years old on full board b y d o n k e y s . W e r e c o m m e n d Child sleeping in a baby cot and under 4 years old: free a d o n k e y f o r 3 t o 4 p e o p l e These rates are for 2 adults minimum in the same room. w i t h a M A X I M U M o f 3 5 k g , For families of more than 5 people, for people wanting w e i g h t o f l u g g a g e A N D separate rooms, for single people or single parents with one or more children, a supplement will be indicated y o u n g c h i l d r e n t h a t c a n during the estimate. r i d e t h e d o n k e y In all cases, these prices are given as an indication, according to your requests, a quote will be established before booking. OPTIONS

A n a d d i t i o n a l n i g h t w i t h These prices include : h a l f b o a r d t h e d a y b e f o r e One Donkey, hiking material and food for the donkey The complete organization of your hike t h e h i k e Accomodation during the hike in full board in guest A n a d d i t i o n a l n i g h t w i t h comfort B&B, wigwam from picnic day 1 to picnic day h a l f b o a r d o n t h e l a s t 2 The start briefing: advices for driving a donkey, d a y o f h i k i n g itinerary A n a d d i t i o n a l d o n k e y The IGN map traces of each hiking day, as well as a t r a n s f e r M a r c i g n y / M e l a y detailed road map. The GPX tracks of each day of hiking downloadable o r P o u i l l y s o u s C h a r l i e u / before your arrival M e l a y w i t h a t a x i

C a n c e l l a t i o n a n d

These prices don't include : i n t e r r u p t i o n i n s u r a n c e Drinks and personal expenses Accommodation the day before and the last day of hiking From € 60 per adult in double room with full board From € 45 per child from 12 years old on full board From € 30 per child under 12 years old with full board From € 20 per child under 4 years old with full board Child sleeping in a cot and under 4 years old: free

O P T I O N S Transport to the starting point of the hike and return The repatriation of the donkey and hikers to the starting point in case of abandonment on your part Insurance, including cancellation and interruption insurance BOOKING ACCESS Please complete the online form by following this link : You are going to the village of Melay in Saône et Loire: department 71 BOOKING FORM Saône et Loire is served by the A6, A39 and A40 motorways and by the national road Center Europe Atlantic. We will get back to you as soon as possible by email with a tailor-made quote for your stay in Southern Burgundy. By road, Melay is 9 hours south of London, 7 hours south of Brussels and Bruges, 3 hours west of You have a question ? Geneva, 4 hours south of Paris, 2 Write to us directly on the contact page of our website hours south west of Dijon, 1 hour 30 minutes south west of Chalon sur saône , 1h30 north-west of Lyon, 1h west of Mâcon, and 20 mins north of Roanne. On Google Map, enter the destination CONTACT "bougres d'ânes".

Loire Bourgogne Randonnées By train, enter as arrival La ferme de Putinat destination: 71 340 MELAY If you come from the North of or Europe, you can stop at Tel : +33 (0)3 85 84 16 70 - TGV [email protected] station where you will take a bus which will drop you off an hour www.lb-rando.com later at the Marcigny stop where a taxi that we can book take you to your destination. If you come from the south of France or Europe, you must reach Roanne station where we will pick you up where a bus will drop you off at the Pouilly sous Charlieu stop where a taxi that we can book take you to your destination.

SNCF (train) : 00 33 (0)8 92 35 35 35 Brionnais has some wonderful Bus from train station to Marcigny or Pouilly sous Charlieu : surprises in store for you! +33 (0)4 77 68 30 00

2020 price list