I am just back home after about 80 km walking in South West France from the 7th to the 12th of June .
As a matter of fact it wasn't a continuous stretch but it was divided in three sections as I am going to explain below.
Compared to my previous hikes this last one shows a lower rate km/days. This depends on various reasons:
- In planning the hike I wanted to walk along the Aveyron Gorges by the GR 36 and then follow the Célé valley through the GR 65 and GR 651, starting from Laguépie and finishing up at Cahors. But there isn't any trail linking directly the end of the Aveyron Gorges with the Célé valley so I decided to split my hike in two sections and travel by public transport from Villefranche de Rouergue (upon the Aveyron) to Figeac (upon the Célé) avoiding thus a very long detour through a less spectacular area.
- I started the hike without a previous training and I wasn't quite fit either because some health troubles. Moreover, the weather was pretty hot and the trail rather steep. So, I got to the end of the first day at Monteils quite exhausted and with stiff legs. In addition, during the night it started to rain which, unfortunately, continued heavily during all the following days of my walking. Thus, in the morning, I decided to skip the second leg and, by itch hike and coach I went to Figeac where started the second stretch of the route I had planned.
- When I got to Sauliac upon Célé, my cell phone refused to work and no public phone available there. So I couldn't enquiry for any accommodation. I had mattress and shelter but, since it had been raining for two days, the ground was awfully wet and, furthermore, full of sharp pebbles. Thus camping didn't seem a pleasant solution. The village appeared desert and I began to be a little worried. Luckily, at last, a lady came out of her house and was so kind as to call the local B&Bs for me. The only one available was pretty off the trail but the landlady (English) fetched me up. She was also willing to carry me to the trail in the following morning. As her house was as far from where she had picked me up as from the next village along the trail (Cabrerets) she said she could give me a lift to any one of the two spots. Thus, a bit discouraged by the very bad weather and by the mentioned health troubles I chose the latter solution shortening the hike of about 10 km.
 |
| View of Albi |
- From Cabreret upon the Célé I walked up to Bouziès where the GR 651 merges into the GR 36 (main St. James' Way) and the river Célé flows into the river Lot. I had planned to continue up to Cahors along the Lot valley but the still persisting bad weather with depressing black clouds and annoying continuous rain made me decide to finish there my hike and so I got a car to Cahors from where, after a short visit to the town (not particularly enchanting) I went to Albi, a wonderful town where I spent the two days remaining before my flight.
Assessment
Despite the bad weather and the health troubles it was a splendid hike: gorgeous sceneries, enchanting stone villages, charming people, delicious food, ...
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| Falaises over the Célé valley |
Apropos delicious food and charming people I want just to mention Mme Pierrete who keeps the Auberge Restaurant at Marcilhac upon Célé. She is a very pleasant lady and a magnificent cook. At that same restaurant I had a nice chat with an English couple as well.
Gear
No significant changes to my last hikes. The only one worthwhile to mention is that, being a keen reader, for 170 g. of additional weight, I allowed me the luxury of an eBook reader which is especially agreeable when waiting at airports and stations.
Gear list
|
Number in |
Number |
Weight |
Total weight |
Total weight |
| Item |
Rucksack |
Worn |
per unit |
Worn |
in rucksack |
| Camera |
0 |
1 |
121 |
121 |
0 |
| Camera battery charger |
1 |
0 |
93 |
0 |
93 |
| Camera battery spare |
1 |
0 |
15 |
0 |
15 |
| Canteen (Gourde by Liquitainer) |
1 |
0 |
29 |
0 |
29 |
| Cell phone |
0 |
1 |
77 |
77 |
0 |
| Cell phone battery charger |
1 |
0 |
43 |
0 |
43 |
| Cleenex |
1 |
1 |
27 |
27 |
27 |
| Cutlery |
1 |
0 |
39 |
0 |
39 |
| Documents (maps, accommodation, etc.) |
1 |
0 |
110 |
0 |
110 |
| Fleece light (Montane) |
0 |
0 |
231 |
0 |
0 |
| Fleece light Active (Montane) |
0 |
1 |
257 |
257 |
257 |
| Food (rice cakes, dried fruit, fruit bars) |
1 |
0 |
670 |
0 |
670 |
| Ground Cloth |
1 |
0 |
35 |
0 |
35 |
| Hat |
0 |
1 |
107 |
107 |
0 |
| Holdall (A.M.K. Bivvy Compression Bag) |
1 |
0 |
7 |
0 |
7 |
| Jacket (Montane Prism 2.0) |
1 |
0 |
421 |
0 |
421 |
| Kindle |
1 |
0 |
170 |
0 |
170 |
| Mattress (Therm-a-Rest New Air) |
1 |
0 |
400 |
0 |
400 |
| Mattress Repair Kit |
1 |
0 |
11 |
0 |
11 |
| Medicine |
1 |
0 |
61 |
0 |
61 |
| Notebook |
0 |
1 |
32 |
32 |
0 |
| Pants |
1 |
1 |
32 |
32 |
32 |
| Pen |
0 |
1 |
13 |
13 |
0 |
| Poncho-Shelter (Gatewood Cape by Six Moon Designs) |
1 |
0 |
323 |
0 |
323 |
| Rucksack (Gossamer Gear – Murmur) |
1 |
0 |
202 |
0 |
202 |
| Sewing kit |
1 |
0 |
8 |
0 |
8 |
| Shoes |
0 |
1 |
636 |
636 |
0 |
| Sleeping Bag (HighLite by Western Mountaineering) |
1 |
0 |
471 |
0 |
471 |
| Socks |
1 |
1 |
78 |
78 |
78 |
| T-shirt (DriMove BL1 by GoLite) |
0 |
1 |
134 |
134 |
0 |
| T-shirt (in cotton for sleeping) |
1 |
0 |
115 |
0 |
115 |
| Tent Harness |
1 |
0 |
20 |
0 |
20 |
| Tent Pegs |
6 |
0 |
10 |
0 |
60 |
| Tent Pole |
1 |
0 |
55 |
0 |
55 |
| Thermometer-Compass (by Recta) |
0 |
1 |
10 |
10 |
0 |
| Toilet paper |
1 |
0 |
40 |
0 |
40 |
| Tooth brush |
1 |
0 |
15 |
0 |
15 |
| Torch (Photon Micro-Light II) |
0 |
1 |
9 |
9 |
9 |
| Towel |
1 |
0 |
48 |
0 |
48 |
| Walking trousers |
0 |
1 |
374 |
374 |
0 |
| Wallet |
0 |
1 |
143 |
143 |
0 |
| Water 1 l. |
1 |
0 |
1,000 |
0 |
1,000 |
| Total (in grams) |
|
|
|
1,929 |
4,864 |
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