Mont Gerbier de Jonc to Le Lac d’Issarlès
Because I decided to skip Saint-Martial after reaching the Loire source, my first day was actually yesterday. A short one — I rode just far enough to reach Lac d’Issarlès, which let me skip an extra night in a tent further along and shaved around 40 kilometres off the next day’s ride: a genuine win-win.
Once at the lake, I had plenty of time to catch some sun and take a couple of dips. The water was, let’s say, refreshing — which is why I didn’t take more. Truly refreshing, though, was the shower: the hot water wasn’t working, and the cold came out at something close to refrigerator temperature. The campsite was cheap, and there was electricity. On balance.
First day in numbers:
29 km — distance cycled
138 m — depth of Lac d’Issarlès, making it one of the deepest lakes in France