Days 101 to 104: A First Trek for My Parents!

Day 101: The Big Departure

7.00 am, the alarm goes off. We have a quick breakfast, then take the bus toward Saint Paul de Fenouillet, where we will start Stage 5. We make a first stop at the grocery store, where I take care of resupplying. Since my parents have never done long distance hiking, I am going to introduce them to trail food, also known as good old ramen. Alright, I am exaggerating, I do like to eat well while hiking. Armed with our sausages, chunks of Comté cheese, and chocolate bars, essential foods, we settle into a small café for a long coffee for my dad and a cappuccino for my mum and me, then we organize our backpacks.

Let’s just say that one of my parents followed my advice about how much gear to bring, and the other did not. I will let you guess which is which with the next photo.

My dad’s backpack reminds me of mine during my first multi day hike in New Zealand. Back then, it must have weighed a good 20 kilograms. It is a very common mistake on first hikes to bring too much equipment. You improve as you go. As the saying goes, practice makes perfect. If his pack becomes too uncomfortable over the next few days, we can send part of his gear by post.

My mum told me she thought she could walk about 10 kilometres a day, for four days. Our goal is therefore to reach Vinça with her. Then my dad will continue for an additional week with me to Hospitalet près l’Andorre, which will total 160 kilometres for him. Not bad for a first trek.

Once our backpacks are packed, we set off on our adventure. The start of Stage 5, with its very desert like landscapes, strongly reminds me of Stage 4, but with one extra element: wind. Today, strong gusts reaching 80 kilometres per hour test our sense of balance and give us, let’s say, rather original hairstyles.

My mum sets the pace, and we quickly realize that we will easily exceed the 10 kilometres she initially thought she could manage. With such a beautiful day, time flies by.

I realize how happy I am to be able to share my passion with my parents. I have been hiking on different trails around the world for many years, and seven years after my first trek, I am finally able to share an experience like this with them. I hope to pass on my joy of walking over several days.

In the end, we double the planned distance, and my mum walks 20 kilometres, her longest distance ever with a large backpack. We set up our tents at Camping de la Source, and since there is a grocery store right next door, we treat ourselves to a good meal accompanied by a bottle of wine.

Day 102: Mum, the Champion

The next morning, we wake up fairly late, since we are supposed to have a shorter day at my mum’s request. I therefore sleep in until 8.30 am. After breakfast and coffee, we begin our second day of family adventure under a beautiful sun.

We pass through a few villages, take some fun photos, then walk along a very sandy country road. On the HexaTrek app, a “perfect bivouac” icon is marked there. We have a good laugh because their ideal spot consists of sleeping beside a road, with the tent exposed to 80 kilometre per hour winds, all on sandy gravel. Thanks, but we will pass this time.

We therefore continue on our way, planning to have lunch in an old castle ruin. When we arrive, we discover that barbed wire has been installed to prevent people from exploring the site. Well, disappointing, but that’s life.

It is early afternoon and we have already gone beyond 10 kilometres. Ever since my friend sent me a restaurant tip for delicious burgers in Vinça, let’s just say we all have extra motivation to push for a second 20 kilometre day.

At the end of the day, we see the mythical Pic du Canigou rising in the distance, which will be a goal with my dad in the coming days. Vinça marks the official entrance into the Pyrenees, and I am extremely excited to discover these mountains I have heard so much about.

Around 5.00 pm, we arrive in town. My mum has completed a total of 40 kilometres in two days. She would have liked to continue with us, but unfortunately a knee problem prevents her from handling major elevation gain. In fact, it became very painful during the last kilometres of descent, so we hitchhike the final kilometre to avoid making it worse. Two people pick us up and take us straight to the burger restaurant.

At the restaurant, we each order a good burger and fries, along with a beer. Just as we think we can finally relax and enjoy our greasy food, we realize that the campsite where we want to spend the night will close in twenty minutes. After 7.00 pm, it is impossible to enter. We are therefore forced to take our meal to go and sprint to reach the campsite before the critical time.

Phew, at 6.55 pm we arrive just in time and head to reception, where the friendly manager shows us around. Once the tour is over, we can finally relax. We sit at a table and finally enjoy our burgers. Ah, so good.

Days 103 and 104: Stepping Off the Trail to Explore the Surroundings

Since we originally planned to walk about 10 kilometres a day for four consecutive days, and in the end covered that distance in half the time, we now have two rest days in Vinça. We take the opportunity to explore the area, eat good food, and rest.

On the first day, we go on an excursion a few hours from Vinça to explore the Orgues of Ille sur Têt, a geological site full of sand and clay cliffs. The place makes us feel like we have stepped into another country, it is so different from the rest of France.

In the evening, when we return, we treat ourselves to a delicious duck breast at the campsite restaurant. The atmosphere is extremely friendly, and we spend a very pleasant evening there.

That evening, I write to Robin and Valentine, who are supposed to arrive in Vinça the next day. We agree to meet for lunch together, it has been about a month since we last crossed paths.

With my parents, we decide to have lunch with them, then take a bus to Villefranche, a small medieval town that is apparently magnificent, with its ramparts.

We plan to meet at the same burger restaurant we went to two days earlier, but when we arrive, it is exceptionally closed. There is only one restaurant open, so we meet there instead. I introduce my parents to Robin and Valentine and we sit down to eat. Our bus is due in 30 minutes, so we devour our lasagna under the not so happy gaze of the owners. They must regret offering an all you can eat buffet to hikers. The bus is due in a few minutes, we absolutely must not miss it. An Olympic speed walking event begins toward the bus stop.

Unfortunately, we go to the wrong place and watch the bus pass right in front of us. I suggest hitchhiking, but my mum is not very keen on the idea. There are no other buses today to Villefranche, so the other option would be to stay at the campsite.

My mum is eventually convinced, and the very first car that passes picks us up. The driver even goes out of her way to drop us directly at the entrance of the town. It is therefore a great first hitchhiking experience for my parents in France.

We spend a wonderful day in this small town, which turns out to be more beautiful than Carcassonne in our opinion, thanks to the smaller number of visitors and the magnificent fortifications to explore.

At the end of the day, we take the bus back toward Vinça, but no luck, we get off at the wrong stop again. I am not superstitious, but it is Friday the 13th. Time to hitchhike again. This time, we are picked up by a woman around 80 years old who has, let’s say, some hearing issues. Every time I speak to her, she turns toward me to hear better, but momentarily stops looking at the road. After a brief scare, we finally arrive at the campsite, where my mum tells me that this is enough hitchhiking for one trip. I must admit that the car we were in performed quite a number of questionable maneuvers.

We end the evening with a good burger. Tomorrow, it will unfortunately be time to say goodbye to my mum. Then my dad and I will head into the Pyrenees.