Hiking, for a change of scenery in your own country

Brut America

"When you live in a big city, you can still find a way to have a change of scenery even without taking your car." Brut nature followed Clément from Helloways, le site des Randos for a walk in nature near Paris.

Transcript

00:00At less than 50 km from a big city, you can find a way to get out of the country, even without taking your car.

00:05I'm going to show you how.

00:16So here we are at the Lyon station, and we're going for the day, for a little hike, which is barely 35 minutes from here.

00:30We've just arrived at the station, and in 200 meters, we're in the forest.

00:43We're going on a 25 km hike, which will take place on small, shaded paths like this one,

00:49which sometimes even spread out, often aerial, with beautiful viewpoints on the gorges.

01:01There, for once, you have a great view.

01:16Here we are in front of a magnificent illustration of the improbable landscapes that can be found near Paris,

01:21but concretely, you can find exactly the same thing around Lyon, Toulouse, Bordeaux, the island of Marseille,

01:27sometimes simply on a bus. It's quite incredible.

01:49When you walk in the middle of nature here, like in the Fontainebleau forest,

01:53all the senses are awakened.

01:55You move forward, you walk, so sometimes after a day, your feet hurt,

01:59but you also have the wind, you have the smell of bread, you have the viewpoints that are magnificent.

02:04So it's really all these aspects that I like a lot.

02:07It's the side where, when you're here walking, you forget your daily life,

02:11especially when you live in the city and you're in a routine, but too much work.

02:15So here we are at the viewpoint of the Gorges-la-Promont,

02:18and we're going to sit down quietly on this little rock for a picnic.

02:35When you go hiking during the day, you have to take food with you,

02:40to eat lunch, but also for the whole day, so you don't lose energy.

02:43Especially take a lot of water too,

02:46a minimum of two liters of water per day, per person.

02:49So it can be a water bag, a bottle, tea or coffee.

02:52Especially think about anticipating the weather.

02:55If it's sunny, take sun protection, sunscreen, etc.

02:58Or if it's not sunny, take a windbreak, a nap.

03:01And then also, what's important is to have good shoes.

03:03No need to take big hiking shoes, but big shoes.

03:06And then a bag, not necessarily a big bag,

03:09but it can be a bag of 20 liters, maximum 30 liters.

03:37Unlike a lot of sports activities,

03:40hiking is a slow activity.

03:43So it allows you to listen to what's going on around you,

03:47to feel, and often to be able to benefit from a small meeting with an animal.

03:54I don't think there's a better way to reconnect with nature.

03:58Of course, nature is fragile,

04:01so you always have to try to stay on the trails,

04:04so as not to destroy the habitat of an animal,

04:07or so as not to accelerate the erosion, which is already going very fast.

04:10Hiking is not only about discovering the fauna or flora,

04:13it's also about discovering cultural heritage.

04:19So here we are at the top of the Énécourt Tower,

04:21which was built in the 19th century.

04:23It's mainly an observation tower for the forest,

04:25to observe that there was no forest fire.

04:27And today it's mainly used to have a nice 360-degree view of the forest.

04:35The Énécourt Tower

04:40Hiking is an activity that can be done alone,

04:43but it can also be a pretext to discover other sports activities.

04:47Here, for example, at Fontainebleau, the block climbing,

04:49but it can also be paddling, kayaking, or surfing.

04:53Or it can also be a craft activity,

04:55such as discovering a potter, a potter, or why not, an embroiderer.

04:59And it's also, for me, a social activity.

05:01It's an activity that you can do with your friends, with your family,

05:04but also that you can do on your own,

05:06if you really want to go into introspection

05:08and to reflect on yourself, on your problems, etc.

05:24With the climate crisis, we are currently in a transition,

05:27whether it is wanted or forced.

05:29And people are looking for solutions

05:32to consume differently their leisure activities, their travel activities.

05:36Today, we are in this universe of immediacy, growth, performance.

05:41I think people also want to move on to something else.

05:44Hiking is a contemplative activity,

05:46it's an activity where you slow down.

05:48And it's an activity, I think,

05:50in which more and more people are getting to know each other.

05:59Transcription by ESO. Translation by —

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