Green laning with mudplug.

Just come back from a weeks "green laning" in southern France, in Massif central, with Mudplug Mudplug's 4x4 Greenlaning tours and can say without a doubt that nothing in Wales will touch it!
Some of the lanes we went down hadn't been used for over a year (there's 100's of them!) and once or twice "OH ****!" was said as we turned a corner and saw what was in front of us. Fortunately we managed everything, possibly due to the dry weather, I'm sure if it had been wet things would have been much different, but also maybe less challenging lanes could be used as there were that many to choose from.
Anyone who wants to try it, I can recommend it.

You stay in a Hostellerie, which is basically a pub/resterant with rooms, and a swimming pool. The food is excellent and plenty of it, although everything is done in French time, ie. whenever everyones ready. (Those who've been to France before will know what I mean!) and the bar is open as long as you're propping it up!
Most of the natives and farmers actually like 4x4's!!! (driven properly of course!) as they keep the lanes open for them.
It is quite expensive, but then again, it's not compared to what you'll spend on other types of holidays.
It cost me about £1350 for 2 of us for the "toure" that's all meals, rooms and green laning (6 nights) plus ferry, plus fuel & tolls.
Unless the rest of the family are all petrol-heads, I don't think it's a family holiday, although there was a family with 2 young children with us, as you are green laning, with not much sight seeing.

sounds interesting fella, was aboot ta shout SPAM til I read on!

Yes it was. I decided to go for it, as I no longer have one of those financial advisers (wife) telling me where I had/had not to spend 'our' money, so any holiday was now to suite me, and no-one else. Also there's no-one doing any 4x4 stuff longer than weekends in the UK, not even in Scotland etc.
I looked at Mudplugs northern France ones, but France is flat in the north, so apart from maybe a bit of mud, I couldn't think that there'd be much of a challenge there, again a reason why I decided to go so far south.

This lane obviously hadn't been used for some considerable time, as there was a "footpath" worn up and around the root of the tree that had fallen across the lane, to get past it. 15 minutes with the chainsaw and we were through it.
This was the biggest we cleared, but we had to clear a number of others also.

This sounds like a great holiday. I am lucky enough to have a wife who loves laning and 5 kids who think that 4 x 4's are sent from heaven. Could well be a contender for next year's holiday... cheers for posting. Any more photos?

Only one question. If I were going to do this I would probably go for a less organised holiday. I take it that its just as easy to camp with a mate or two and drive the lanes you want to?

Ryder said:

This sounds like a great holiday. I am lucky enough to have a wife who loves laning and 5 kids who think that 4 x 4's are sent from heaven. Could well be a contender for next year's holiday... cheers for posting. Any more photos?

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Once I can rein in junior to the do technical stuff (i'm no good with these things!) I'll post a link to a video (once done!)

As for camping, I would say yes, there's nice campsites near the river, with swimming & canoeing etc. the lanes are open to all.

We are looking to do a road trip through France this coming summer. We intend to get the boat to Bilbao, cross the Pyrenees and drive up to Calais through the Massif Central. Does anybody have any details of tracks over the Pyrenees or through Massif? They would have to be gentle ones as the other vehicles on the trip are a Merc ML and a Nissan Patrol. Any info would be appreciated.