Centre Trail, now in its 3rd year of providing fully guided enduro tours of the Eastern Limousin, is delighted to be able to play host to followers of Enduro.nl for 2017.
We are truly blessed for enduro riding with the network of trails at our disposal. The majority are narrow single track and were part of an ancient system for moving animals between the fields. The area is stunningly beautiful, hilly, wooded and with lots of hidden valleys, very easy to understand why the resistance fighters were particularly active here in the second world war. Many of the villages we ride past are almost the same as they would have been in those times.
With such a mass of legal trails it’s difficult to explain to those unfamiliar with the region just how extensive the riding is. In comparison with the densely populated countries of Northern Europe the landscape at times will appear practically deserted. It is entirely possible to ride all day and see no one at all on the trails with the only signs of life being evident in the villages at lunch time.
Typically we ride from mid-morning until lunch when, in keeping with local tradition, everything stops for the “most important meal of the day”!! Afternoons continue until the restraints of time dictate we return to base. Routes can be varied for duration and difficulty depending on the requirements of the group. There is no need for anyone to be intimidated if they are just beginning in the off-road world but those looking for something more challenging won’t be disappointed either.
The result of a vision to offer enduro riding and facilities of the highest quality to the discerning client Centre Trail was created in 2014 by Tom and Julie Fitzsimons and from the very beginning we aimed to ensure the experience would be correct in every sense.
The ONLY way fully guided enduro tours are permitted to be run in France is if the operator/guide has the legal documentation allowing him/her to do so. Without this liability insurance (Responsabilité Civile) is unobtainable and the ability to move freely and legally as part of a guided group is limited to riding on private land and NOT the endless trails that are to be found all over the country. This was the first 
obstacle to overcome and required obtaining the state approved CQP qualification (Certificat de qualification professionnelle Guide de véhicules terrestres motorisés à guidon, option moto verte) which is sanctioned by the FFM, the French equivalent to the KNMV or the FMB. Tom became the first, and to date the ONLY, foreigner to achieve this status in June of 2014.
This attention to detail and determination to do things properly is reflected in the other aspects of a holiday with Centre Trail as a glance at their website www.centre-trail.com will show. The purpose-built Rider Centre features ultra-secure storage for your motorcycles and equipment, a full workshop – which clients are free to use, comfortable heated changing rooms and a high tech drying room for when the weather hasn’t been so kind.
The accommodation, currently being added to, is extremely comfortable with 3 twin bed rooms, all with their own bathrooms. There is additional sleeping for a further 2 riders. Guests are invited to live as part of our family for the duration of their stay. This informal welcoming atmosphere is enhanced by the all-inclusive pricing policy which leaves the client needing to provide just for getting to us and their bike fuel. Even the beer fridge is not monitored, just help yourself when you fancy a cold one !!
During your stay you will enjoy life as the French do, you will eat in their restaurants at midday and no, muddy boots will most definitely NOT be a problem. On the contrary they will be glad to see you and will most likely want to discuss how your ride is going too !! We will introduce you to the hidden charms of a land where, if you half close your eyes, you could imagine nothing much having changed since the 1800s. A magical place indeed.