A car-free week
Micro-adventure: a week without a car
Have you ever tried to survive a week without a car? In mountain territory, the roads are winding, the valleys are numerous, the villages are scattered and public transport is rare, which makes the inhabitants very dependent on their cars. But solutions exist to reduce the impact of our journeys on the environment around us.
Cycling
Claire, our Geotrek intern, discovered a passion for cycling when her Fiat Punto broke down along the Gyronde. Since then, she has been cycling along the route des traverses every day to get to work. In addition to reducing its carbon footprint, it is in great shape. But she’s not a relentless one either: when it rains, she hitchhikes or carpools with her colleague Cynthia. She gets to know the people of the valley, and saves money on gas. Today, the Fiat Punto is repaired, but you will still find Claire on her bike, along the route des traverses.
Hitchhiking
Hitchhiking is an institution in the Pays des Écrins. Tourists who stop always exclaim “we’ve never seen so many hitchhikers, it must be working well?!”. Indeed, here, hitchhiking is a way of life. Some inhabitants of the territory live without a car, and mainly hitchhike. The other day, Claire met a hitchhiker who was going from Les Vigneaux to Brittany! Hitchhiking couldn’t be easier with Rezo Pouce: under the slogan of “less cars, more nightingales”, these organised hitchhiking areas make journeys easier and simpler, while preserving the environment and building social ties.
