Millevaches
In the late 1960s, motorcycling was still a promise of emancipation, a way to break free from established norms.
In December 1969, in Corrèze, at the heart of the Massif Central, on the granite plateau of Millevaches, a modest event was about to become a living legend of the motorcycling world.
What was then considered a simple winter gathering would leave a lasting mark on an entire community: riders who braved wind, snow, and cold for the love of riding.
1969: A mythical first edition
The idea was born in the mind of a true touring-motorcycle enthusiast: Michel Perdrix, president of the pirate MC 95 from the Paris region.
Michel Perdrix, president of Moto-Club 95, was lost on the night of 28-29 August, 1971 due to a motorcycle accident; it is to him that you owe the Rallye des Millevaches created in 1969.
Inspired by renowned European winter rallies such as Germany’s Elefantentreffen and the UK’s Dragon Rally, he invited fellow riders to meet in early December on the harsh, elevated and exposed Millevaches plateau — a place anything but welcoming in winter — for a distinctly French winter rally.
Millevaches 1969 - Four on Michel Perdrix’s combo sidecar; heavy loads preferred for extra grip in the snow.
The weather during this first gathering exceeded all expectations. Heavy snowfall, icy roads, and freezing temperatures — sometimes dropping as low as −18 °C — turned the climb to the summit of Mont Audouze into a true odyssey.
Millevaches 1969 - The Dragons MC delegation in the snowy hell. Cigarette in his mouth and red helmet, Kiki Blanchot, founder and leader of the club, with his men.
Fortunately, the cameras of the INA (National Audiovisual Institute), the repository of all French radio and television archives, captured footage of this unforgettable day — snow-covered roads, icy winds, and riders braving the elements — preserving the full drama and spirit of the event for posterity.
Out of roughly 250 motorcycles attempting the journey, only 106 machines managed to reach the ridge road and officially register.
Thus began the Millevaches legend.
The Golden Age and the interruption of the 1970s
In the years that followed, the gathering quickly gained notoriety and momentum. Word of mouth spread rapidly in a France where motorcycle culture was still scarcely structured by media. Every December, thousands of riders converged on the plateau, often on machines ill-suited for winter riding and equipped with rudimentary gear.
Millevaches 1971 - A caravan of riders took over the plateau.
Until 1974, the event attracted an ever-growing number of enthusiasts — sometimes nearly 3,000 riders according to various sources — all coming to brave the Corrèze winter in the name of a shared passion.
Millevaches 1971 - Perdrix, manning the checkpoint and logging new arrivals from England. Tragically, he passed away seven months later. Beside him, the badge-clad figure of Le Druide Debonneville stood watch.
Yet despite its growing popularity, the Millevaches rally faced increasing organizational challenges. In 1974, a few incidents on the fringes of the gathering, particularly in the nearby town of Meymac, were enough to weaken an organization already strained by the event’s rapid expansion.
Millevaches 1972 - The moped has always been part of the landscape at this winter rally — here, a rider sticks the rally decal onto his trusty little steed.
This prompted MC 95 to reorganize the event internally. The rally became a private, invitation-only gathering until the end of the 1970s. Over time, the event gradually lost momentum, faded away, and eventually came to a complete stop. The myth, however, did not disappear — it simply fell into dormancy.
Millevaches 1974 - Master arsonists at work.
For more than thirty years, Millevaches lived on only through stories, faded photographs, and memories shared around campfires or in garages. The gathering became an almost legendary reference: often mentioned, rarely experienced. It embodied a time and a spirit many believed to be gone forever.
The return after three decades of absence
After more than three decades of silence, Millevaches was reborn in 2009 on its original land, driven by the Moto-Club Meymacois.
Advertisement for the revival of the rally, organized by MC Meymac on December 12–13, 2009 — forty years after the club’s first gathering in 1969.
The local club set out to revive this historic winter rally at its birthplace, with the ambition of rediscovering the spirit of camaraderie, sharing, and challenge that had built its legend.
The gamble was bold: reviving a myth without distorting it, at a time when motorcycling had become far more modern and institutionalized.
The only thing missing to perfect this photo from the 2011 Millevaches rally? A little snow, right?
The success was immediate. For the 40th anniversary of the first edition, several thousand riders answered the call, bringing back bivouacs, evenings around wood fires, and late-night conversations where veterans and newcomers mingled freely.
Millevaches 2011 - A classic Norton on the plateau, its original tank badge replaced by a sticker from the Dragon MC of Clermont-Ferrand — the club I belong to — yet its rider remains a mystery.
Since then, the event has drawn thousands of enthusiasts every year from across France — and sometimes beyond — all coming to face the cold, exchange stories and advice, and cultivate the spirit of the road.
The Event Today
More recently, in 2025, the rally celebrated its 56th anniversary since its creation, marking the 16th edition of its revival organized by the Moto-Club Meymacois on the Millevaches plateau.
Millevaches 2014 – Two seasoned old-timers in conversation: (left) Philippe Frouin, aka ‘Belette,’ and (right) ‘Jojo’, member of the unforgettable Secte Motarde des Huns, de Bordeaux.
Today, the Millevaches winter rally is the largest winter motorcycle gathering in France. Every December, thousands of participants take to the road — sometimes from abroad — to reach the plateau. Motorcycles have changed, equipment has evolved, but the essence remains.
Millevaches 2014 – More brave road rogues, devourers of kilometers: Guy Rostand (left), aka ‘Dresch,’ and the late Jean Derouet (right), aka ‘Le Beau Jeannot.’
The event continues to attract several thousand registered riders, all ready to face icy roads, camp in a grand natural setting, and celebrate motorcycling brotherhood in a spirit that remains deeply authentic.
Millevaches remains an event without artifice, faithful to one unbreakable rule: only two- and three-wheeled vehicles are allowed. People come to ride, to camp, to share — and to accept that winter sets the rules.
Millevaches 2024 – At last, a gathering blessed with falling snow…
Since 1969, Millevaches has never promised comfort. It has always offered something else: the rare feeling of belonging to a story that continues, one year, one road, one winter at a time.
- Jean-Francois Helias