Date/Time
Date(s) - Mon Jan 06 2025
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Notes:
The Robert Louis Stevenson Trail
In 1878, Robert Louis Stevenson, the Scottish poet and writer, journeyed through the Velay, Gévaudan and Cévennes regions in southern France accompanied by a donkey. He recounted his experiences in a book, Travels in the Cévennes with a Donkey, published in 1879. It was, and is, highly readable and was his first commercial success.
It sparked an interest some hundred years later, as people began to trace his route guided by the book. In 1994 the Fédération Française de la Randonnée Pédestre formalized the Chemin de Robert Louis Stevenson as GR 70. GR 70 starts from Le Monastier and ends in Saint-Jean-du-Gard, following the route Stevenson took as best as can be determined from the book. David Colpitts followed the Chemin de Roberts Louis Stevenson in 2018, which is the subject of his presentation .
About David Colpitts:
David Colpitts retired from a senior position with the Government of the NWT in 1998. He spent the following year on contract in Iqaluit working on the transition to the new Government of Nunavut, helping to set up the cabinet office, training staff, and developing the political transition plan. He and Wendy then moved from Yellowknife to Canmore, spending summers in Canada, and until this year, wintering in Arizona and travelling during shoulder season. His beloved cedar strip canoe is now retired, but David continues to hike and backpack. One of his favoured activities is walking Europe’s long distance hiking trails.
David has written three books, which are available here today. They have nothing to do with his talk, but are sure to bring a smile to your face.
David is no stranger to Canmore audiences, having given presentations on:
- walking the Camino de Santiago from St Jean Pied de Porte to Santiago and on to Finisterre,
- walking the pilgrimage route to the shrine of St Olaf from Oslo to Trondheim in Norway,
- tracing the gold rush trail of 1898 from Skagway, hiking over the Chilkoot pass and canoeing down to Dawson City,
- canoeing the voyageur route from Rocky Mountain House to Fort William on the shores of Lake Superior, a nine-week trip in honour of the fur trader and explorer David Thompson.
In 2018 he took a three week break from walking the pilgrimage route from Canterbury, England to Rome, Italy to walk the Roberts Louis Stevenson trail, which is his topic today.
