Day 37: First Steps in the Gorges and Causses
This time, that’s it, we officially begin stage four, a 514 kilometre route passing through Ardèche, Tarn, the Cévennes and Languedoc. We head to Viviers, the starting point, and begin walking. Unfortunately, Édouard cannot join us today, as his foot is infected because of a huge blister on his heel. He will return to Lyon to recover, then come back to the start of stage four. I really hope he heals quickly.
Viviers immediately gives us a strong sense of this new stage. It feels like stepping into another era, with narrow stone streets and medieval castles. Alex, who loves history, quickly pulls out his little camera and takes several shots.
We continue and quickly realise just how hot this stage will be. A few days ago, we were wearing coats and shivering in rain and fog in the Swiss Jura, and now we are under a blazing sun with temperatures above 30 degrees. Our bodies will need a few days to adjust.
The landscape has completely changed, and it feels far more arid. The sound of crickets guides every step. Lavender seems to be everywhere, and we regularly pass fields of it.
Along the way, we meet a woman who points out a plum tree to us. What a perfect moment to enjoy fresh fruit. Since fruit and vegetables are heavy and not very calorie dense, they are not something we often carry in our already loaded packs. So any chance to eat fruit is very welcome.
A few kilometres later, we enter the beautiful village of Saint Montan. Instant favourite.
We wander through the narrow streets and every turn reveals new keeps, castles or cathedrals. We come across a small café in the village and order a delicious blueberry cheesecake.
The hike continues in oppressive heat, with the entrance to the Ardèche Gorges as our final objective. The map shows a campsite 36 kilometres from our starting point. We push on through the sun and finally reach our goal in the late afternoon. As soon as I arrive, I throw myself into the water to cool down.
When we reach the gorges, first realisation, the campsite has not existed for several years. Second, bivouacking is strictly forbidden in the gorges. Third thought, I already hurt everywhere, I am not moving from here tonight. So we will have to camp in emergency bivouac mode, hoping our explanations will satisfy the rangers if they come. In any case, it will be dark soon and it would be dangerous to continue.
We wait until nightfall to pitch the tents, around 10.00 p.m. As I finish setting mine up, I hear voices in the distance and see beams of light. Damn. Who comes to a deserted beach at 10.00 p.m. Alex and I hide near a sand bank and wait. The voices seem to stop on another small beach about twenty metres from us and do not quieten down. Right, no choice but to sleep here, stay completely silent and hope we do not get spotted. Stressed, I eventually fall asleep around 1.00 a.m., a lovely four hour night since the alarm is set for dawn. Still, it is part of the experience.
Day 38: Following the Gorges and Having Coffee at a Naturist Campsite
Despite the poor night’s sleep, I am very excited about walking along the Ardèche Gorges. I am quickly impressed by the scenery in front of us. The trail becomes playful and adventurous. We have to go through a cave, which means briefly turning into a caver, and crawl through it to reach the other side. Many sections are also only possible with the help of ladders. Since we start hiking around 5.30 a.m., we do not meet anyone and we enjoy the quiet.
Around 11.00 a.m., we reach a sign telling us we will soon be entering a naturist campsite.
We are running low on food and we want a coffee, so we go into the campsite, which has a café restaurant. It is a strange experience, with campers walking around naked, and I feel a bit like an intruder in my hiking clothes. The campsite is beautiful, with hammocks, sofas and Utopia tents. We spend about an hour there, enjoying a coffee and charging our phones, then we set off again.
In the afternoon, the temperature gets close to 35 degrees. We decide to stop from 1.00 p.m. to 4.00 p.m. to avoid heat exhaustion. After a nap, a snack and a swim, we head off again at the end of the day. Once again, because it is late, we enjoy great peace and quiet on the trail.
Late afternoon, I complete my first river crossings. The first one is easy, the water only comes up to my knees. It is a fun new challenge.
Technically, there is only one more crossing about ten kilometres further on. However, to make the most of the Ardèche Gorges, I suggest that Alex and I go to the Gaud bivouac area, one of the only two authorised bivouac spots in the gorges. I am a bit distracted as I look at the map and, when we get there, I realise the campsite is on the other side of the river. Right then, we have to cross again, and this time the water is much higher than knee level. This time, the water comes up to my upper chest and I have to hold my rucksack up on my shoulders. It is a real challenge. It is hard to keep stable in the current at that depth. I eventually make it across, with a good dose of effort, thanks to my years of slacklining for the balance.
After the final crossing, we watch the sun slowly set over the gorges. It is a beautiful spectacle. Soon after, we hear animal sounds and before long we come across a herd of wild goats. They share the trail with us for many kilometres.
The day ends late, and we find a small bivouac spot for the night.
Day 39: Heatstroke
The next morning, we wake early to make the most of dawn and take a small detour to admire the Pont d’Arc. At such an early hour, we are the only tourists there, which makes the experience feel more personal.
The rest of the day is quite hard for me because I get heatstroke with temperatures close to 36 degrees. I feel nauseous and weak, with a strong headache, despite the litres of water and electrolytes I drink. It is a strange state to be in, but I keep walking because I am in the middle of nowhere with very little signal. To take my mind off it, I listen to a podcast called Les Baladeurs. Each episode tells the story of an adventurer who has lived extraordinary adventures or, on the contrary, misadventures, whether at sea, on land or in the sky.
Thankfully, the heatstroke passes and I can continue walking calmly. The rest of the day goes smoothly and we enjoy a very nice bivouac spot in the evening.
Day 40: The Serre de Barre Summit
As today’s forecast promises bright sunshine in the evening and at dawn, we decide to do a short 15 kilometre day so that we can pitch our tents on the summit of Serre de Barre, which offers a 360 degree view of the surrounding area. In the morning, after a few kilometres, we reach the village of Les Vans. We sit near a church and I redo the bandage on my left ankle. Suddenly, an elderly woman leans towards me and asks what I am doing there. I tell her about my hike, my long crossing of France, and she nods. After a few minutes, she leaves, but comes back shortly afterwards with a 10 euro note. She says it is the least she can do for us. The day is off to a great start. We treat ourselves to iced coffees and pastries with the money.
Since we only have 15 kilometres to walk, we stay in town for a long time, to resupply, write a bit and cool down. Around 3.00 p.m., we set off again towards Brahic, the last place to fill our water bottles before the summit. Alex arrives before me, as usual, and I find him sitting in front of a door, trying to enjoy a bit of shade. I join him and after thirty minutes, the door of the landing we are sitting on opens and an elderly man with a kind face appears. He invites us inside for a refreshment, which we gladly accept. His house is one of the oldest in the village and the man, Gérard, was born there. He later worked for nearly thirty years in Algeria as a priest. For two hours, he shows us every room in his home, including the wine making cellar his parents and grandparents used decades ago. We feel very lucky to have such a visit, which truly transports us into another era.
We set off again around 5.00 p.m. towards the Serre de Barre summit, and from there we are lucky enough to watch a magnificent sunset.
Tomorrow will also be a chance to see the sunrise.