Crossing the Morvan in three days of bivouac

Here is the description of a mid-mountain route where you travel from one side to the other of this beautiful natural park that is the Morvan in a bivouac (that is to say, roaming with a tent). Best done in spring to avoid the summer heatwave... As it is a mid-mountain route, you spend a lot of time traveling on paved roads. However, it is not the traffic that bothers you along the crossing of the Morvan!

From Saulieu to Aligny-en-Morvan

  + 400 m / – 250 m       18km

Departure of the hike in Saulieu, accessible by bus from Dijon. There is a nice campsite north of the town if you arrive at the end of the day. If you like to hurt yourself, you can first go and dream in front of the restaurant menu Bernard Loiseau before tackling these three days of powdered soup. Then take the GR de pays tour du Morvan which leaves south of the town. We will follow this path for the majority of the route.

The path passes through a few pleasant hamlets before following green meadows. A few ponds add a final touch to the bucolism of the whole.

We soon arrive at the small village of Aligny en Morvan. Don't forget to take some water supplies for the evening bivouac! Then climb behind the village of Chassagne to reach a ridge overlooking the surrounding landscape. There you can easily find a small, quiet clearing to pitch your tent. I now use a Decathlon two-person tent which is not too expensive and spacious for two people.

Le lac des Settons

  + 250 m / – 450 m       22 km

The next morning, calmly follow the gentle slope which takes us to Lac des Settons. It’s a very beautiful stretch of water right in the middle of the Morvan park!

Then follow the lakeside path which passes over a few pontoons before reaching a beach very suitable for swimming. Once sufficiently refreshed, take the path towards the hamlet of Huis Gaumont. We then follow a river along a flat valley before going up to the heights.

Turn left after the military cemetery to go back down to the village of Ouroux-en-Morvan, where you can recharge with water before the evening bivouac. I have excellent memories of this village because we were offered a royal meal by one of the inhabitants! Indeed, he had organized a family party and he had an incredible quantity of Lebanese dishes left on his hands. Needless to say, we were perfectly happy to help him get rid of it!

After the village, you can finally go down into a small valley where clearings are very suitable for bivouac.

From Ouroux to Corbigny, end of the crossing of the Morvan

  + 250 m / – 500 m       24km

On the last day, the path passes through many small hamlets breathing tranquility. We can take the opportunity to chat with the locals who don't see many people passing through this somewhat forgotten region of France.

After the hamlets, a long passage through the undergrowth takes us down to the foot of the massif: the crossing of the Morvan is already almost over! We reach the place called “la Chaume” along a path lined with trees. The last part is really uninteresting since you have to follow the departmental road to Corbigny: it would be in your best interest to hitchhike if you are lucky enough to come across a car. Finally, we can have a well-deserved beer at the station bar before boarding the train which takes us back to Dijon, our heads full of bucolic trails and large meadows.

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