[Gocamino] Trip report Arles to Dourgne - Long

[Ralph Alcorn]

Summary - Starts flat, long days and not too interesting, but after
Montpellier, some true mountain trails, great views, and quite a bit more
rugged than the Le Puy route. Most days no facilities between start of day
and end of day, so need to carry lunch supplies. Our plan followed the
normal stages, and km per day were typically in the 22 to 27 km range. After
three days of dragging in tired each night, and having to start early the
next day without seeing the village, we modified our plan and stuck in some
short days of 13 km or so. That meant we didn't reach Toulouse, but had a
more enjoyable trip. Usually reserved the next night's accommodation, and
regretted it the few times we didn't. We saw few pilgrims, but pilgrim level
accomodations have few beds, so best to call ahead. This trip was in Sept.
and weather was good. Only wore raingear a few hours. It was quite windy in
some spots and I wore my wind jacket daily, and wind pants for about 3 days.
We used trail runners with no problems. Having French at a sufficient level
to carry on basic conversations with French pilgrims would greatly improve
the experience.



Details -

Guidebooks - We started out with three, the 2007 CFSJ guide for Arles -
Puente la Reina i. Arles to Toulouse by Marigold Fox, the Le Chemin d'Arles
vers Saint-Jacques-de-Compostelle by Balen & Siréjol, and the miam-miam-dodo
du chemin d'Arles  (the last two in French). We also carried some of the
updates to the CFSJ 2004 guide, since they didn't seem to be incorporated in
the 2007 guide. Part way thru, we bought Sur le chemin de
Saint-Jacques-de-Compostelle La via Tolosana, la voie du soleil by Lepere &
Dehnel (in French). This is a 2008 version though nothing in it contains the
date, and there is a 2003 version with the same ISBN.

We also carried the IGN 1/100000 topo maps 64, 65, 66. I highlighted the
route and cut it out so we just had strip maps with topo info. We can barely
read French, but used the strip maps from the Balen & Siréjol guide daily,
the text rarely. I got the Lepere guide because it had maps in the back that
I thought were more detailed than what we had, and it had some city maps.
When I looked at it closely, I realized that the maps in back were the same
as the IGN maps we already had; though in some cases their trace of the
gr653 route was more accurate than on the IGN maps. Their city maps were
office of tourism city center maps of Arles, Montpellier, Castres and
Toulouse with the gr653 route added. I would not carry the Lepere guide
again unless I read French much better. I would just print the city maps
from the internet.

Hint - I've got a little waterproof envelope about 6x9 inches that I got
from REI. Each day I tore out the relevant CFSJ guide page(s) and put them
in so they could be read on one side. I tore out the Balen & Siréjol strip
map pages daily, and put them on the other side. That way I had a light
document in my hand, and the full guides packed away.

Waymarks - until after Montpellier, marginal - frequently painted over or
absent, and in some cases there were reroutings where we had to decide
whether to follow the CFSJ directions or the waymarks.  Sometimes the
waymarks didn't correspond to any of the guides, and the guides didn't
correspond to each other. After Montpellier they were there, but no paint
was wasted on extra waymarks before absolutely needed, and it helped to have
two pairs of eyes looking for waymarks. The first three days, we got lost
every day for a short while, and in going into Vauvert, were totally lost,
and just kept asking people for the direction to Vauvert, and kept following
small roads and flagging cars for information until we got there. Some of
that is just getting adjusted to the style of a particular guidebook's
directions. On one sentence in the CFSJ guide for getting out of Arles, the
beginning of the sentence gives multiple details on street by street basis
for getting to the edge of town and without taking a breath ends with "to
the D37 at Saliers". We use our Balen and Siréjol strip map to guide us, and
eventually find that the D37 is some 12km and many intersections later.

Accomodations - we made reservations ahead every night - sometimes two
nights ahead for weekends, except once for Montpellier. We thought a big
city would always have someplace, so didn't call till Vendergues. City
center was totally booked & after about 10 calls to tourist office & hotels,
found a place on the outskirts of town that we had to taxi to. As it turned
out, it was within walking distance of the tram, so the next morning we were
able to take tram and bus to Grabels. We didn't call Castres till night
before, and couldn't find a place. Our gite host then called for us the next
morning, and amazingly enough, found a place for us at a hotel we had called
and got a "complet" response. Since our French is poor, we first called miam
miam dodo places with an English spoken flag, but muddled thru in French if
no English sites. We couldn't handle places that just had an answering
machine in French. We did not book at pilgrim minimum cost Accomodations if
others were available, thinking those should be reserved for those going all
the way to Santiago. Several times we booked in a gite just to meet other
pilgrims and found we were the only ones there. Another time the muni gite
was full and they put us into an overflow gite, and we met maybe six other
pilgrims. We saw few to no people walking during the day. There was a group
of five French women who always seemed to find some unlisted place to stay,
but our French wasn't up to that. Robert of the "Solitary Walker" blog told
us he usually walked into a place without reservations, and found a place,
but he was staying at the lowest cost church based or municipal based
facilities. Incidentally, it turned out that Robert and I were both
following Rebekah's Moratinos blog moratinoslife.blogspot.com  .

Phone - for the first time we carried a cell phone. I ordered an unlocked
quad band gsm phone online, and bought an Orange sim card and Orange
recharge card from a France Telecom store in Paris. That gave me about 50
euros of time. I had to add about 15 Euros later. It was very useful for
this trip. One problem - the charger. I fully charged the battery at home.
After about a week in France, I tried to recharge it, and the charger
failed. I had assumed the charger would handle 240/110 volts ok, just as my
camera battery charger did. Not so. We finished the walking part of our trip
on the original charge to the battery. For the last night, we had to ask our
host to phone ahead for us. When we got back to Paris for the return home, I
asked the hotel if they had a spare charger. They brought out a box, and one
matched my phone, so I am ok for next year.

The Route -

Arles to Montpellier - flat, hot, muggy, little mosquitos. We carried 2.5
liters of water each, and the one time we ran out was near the end of the
Gallargues to Vendargues stretch. After that we always carried an extra 2
liters, but never used it.
Saint-Gilles to Vauvert - this is one of the few lunch break towns. We got
lost on the CFSJ guide page 14 1st para. Never found the turn sharp R along
a wooded valley-bottom.

Gallargues - if you stay at the excellent Lou Cigalou CH in Aigues-Vives,
you need to call them. Don't call where the gr653 leaves the D363, but walk
up the D363 about 1/2 k to the railroad tracks where there is a little
unattended Gare with parking areas. Call from there and say you are at the
Gare. The CFSJ guide and the miam miam dodo frequently use the road numbers,
but there usually isn't a sign on the road giving the numbers, and the
locals don't know the road numbers.

Leaving Gallargues - waymarks missing or misleading, but walk on the road on
the left south? Edge of the A9 towards the bridge, and under the bridge you
will find the waymarks again, leading to Villetelle.
Leaving Villetelle, the waymarks don't correspond to any guidebook, don't
take you past the roman bridge, but instead head straight for the
intersection of the A9 and D110, and from there follow the A9 on one side or
the other to Vendergues.

Montpellier to Grabels. The CFSJ 2004 updates suggested taking the 21 bus
from Vendargues to Montpellier center, and then the tram 1 line to the
euromedicine station, then the 24 bus to the end of the line in Grabels -
direction Le Pradas. Don't go to the end of the line. About 5 minutes
before, the road splits with sports stadium or something like that signed to
the left, and the bus goes to the right. You want to get off there and walk
up the road towards the stadium. You will cross a bridge over a river in a
few hundred yards, and you turn left, back towards Montpellier. You will
walk thru a parking lot and a riverside park with the river on your left.
You will cross a little bridge that jogs to the right with a little stream
under it. Cross and continue till you see a bridge crossing the river on
your left. At that point, you will see waymarks indicating that you turn
right and go up over the hill. At that point, you are back on the trail.

The 4k road walk along the river Hérault is incredible. Walk on the river
side, and keep looking into the gorge, water spurting from the sides,
wonderful.

Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert is a beautiful little village, and the climb out of
town the next day is your first taste of a true mountain trail. We stayed at
Hotel Rest. Guilhaume d'Orange at foot of village.

Joncels - CH Villa Issiates excellent Accomodations and food - pilgrims
welcome.

Le Bousquet - CH La Borio - nice - about 1/2 k beyond town away from trail.
Owners English - American - give ride back to trail.

Saint Gervais - we stayed in a low cost private gite - Mr. Michel Bros. We
were the only ones there, and they shared their meal with us. His mother had
made the wine.

Anglès - Gite La Guariguette - historic hotel now decorated with artistic
flair - we were only ones there. Had our own huge well lighted room.
Neighbor let us in. Owner prepared simple meal for us.

Boissezon - fine new public gite - we had our own room with double bed and
shower. Cafe owner was host and found us a place to stay in Castres.

Revel - taxied here from Dourgne and walked around town till noon. Waited
for 12:20 bus to Toulouse. Others came and waited as well. Bus came, people
crowded to door, we waited for crowd to subside, but when got to door, bus
full. For the next bus, an hour later, we weren't so polite, but got on.

I did the initial planning on a google spreadsheet with km per day, etc, and
made a copy with the actual walked trip when we got home.
Google Document link for original plan:
http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=pPFto0EzOaDsxzFnUiiYXWw&hl=en
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20%22to%20the%20D37%20at%20Saliers%22.%20We%20use%20our%20Balen%20and%20Sir%C3%A9jol%20strip%20map%20to%20guide%20us,%20and%20eventually%20find%20that%20the%20D37%20is%20some%2012km%20and%20many%20intersections%20later.%20%20Accomodations%20-%20we%20made%20reservations%20ahead%20every%20night%20-%20sometimes%20two%20nights%20ahead%20for%20weekends,%20except%20once%20for%20Montpellier.%20We%20thought%20a%20big%20city%20would%20always%20have%20someplace,%20so%20didn%27t%20call%20till%20Vendergues.%20City%20center%20was%20totally%20booked%20&%20after%20about%2010%20calls%20to%20tourist%20office%20&%20hotels,%20found%20a%20place%20on%20the%20outskirts%20of%20town%20that%20we%20had%20to%20taxi%20to.%20As%20it%20turned%20out,%20it%20was%20within%20walking%20distance%20of%20the%20tram,%20so%20the%20next%20morning%20we%20were%20able%20to%20take%20tram%20and%20bus%20to%20Grabels.%20We%20didn%27t%20call%20Castres%20till%20night%20before,%20and%20couldn%27t%20find%20a%20place.%20Our%20gite%20host%20then%20called%20for%20us%20the%20next%20morning,%20and%20amazingly%20enough,%20found%20a%20place%20for%20us%20at%20a%20hotel%20we%20had%20called%20and%20got%20a%20%22complet%22%20response.%20Since%20our%20French%20is%20poor,%20we%20first%20called%20miam%20miam%20dodo%20places%20with%20an%20English%20spoken%20flag,%20but%20muddled%20thru%20in%20French%20if%20no%20English%20sites.%20We%20couldn%27t%20handle%20places%20that%20just%20had%20an%20answering%20machine%20in%20French.%20We%20did%20not%20book%20at%20pilgrim%20minimum%20cost%20Accomodations%20if%20others%20were%20available,%20thinking%20those%20should%20be%20reserved%20for%20those%20going%20all%20the%20way%20to%20Santiago.%20Several%20times%20we%20booked%20in%20a%20gite%20just%20to%20meet%20other%20pilgrims%20and%20found%20we%20were%20the%20only%20ones%20there.%20Another%20time%20the%20muni%20gite%20was%20full%20and%20they%20put%20us%20into%20an%20overflow%20gite,%20and%20we%20met%20maybe%20six%20other%20pilgrims.%20We%20saw%20few%20to%20no%20people%20walking%20during%20the%20day.%20There%20was%20a%20group%20of%20five%20French%20women%20who%20always%20seemed%20to%20find%20some%20unlisted%20place%20to%20stay,%20but%20our%20French%20wasn%27t%20up%20to%20that.%20Robert%20of%20the%20%22Solitary%20Walker%22%20blog%20told%20us%20he%20usually%20walked%20into%20a%20place%20without%20reservations,%20and%20found%20a%20place,%20but%20he%20was%20staying%20at%20the%20lowest%20cost%20church%20based%20or%20municipal%20based%20facilities.%20Incidentally,%20it%20turned%20out%20that%20Robert%20and%20I%20were%20both%20following%20Rebekah%27s%20Moratinos%20blog%20moratinoslife.blogspot.com%20.%20%20Phone%20-%20for%20the%20first%20time%20we%20carried%20a%20cell%20phone.%20I%20ordered%20an%20unlocked%20quad%20band%20gsm%20phone%20online,%20and%20bought%20an%20Orange%20sim%20card%20and%20Orange%20recharge%20card%20from%20a%20France%20Telecom%20store%20in%20Paris.%20That%20gave%20me%20about%2050%20euros%20of%20time.%20I%20had%20to%20add%20about%2015%20Euros%20later.%20It%20was%20very%20useful%20for%20this%20trip.%20One%20problem%20-%20the%20charger.%20I%20fully%20charged%20the%20battery%20at%20home.%20After%20about%20a%20week%20in%20France,%20I%20tried%20to%20recharge%20it,%20and%20the%20charger%20failed.%20I%20had%20assumed%20the%20charger%20would%20handle%20240/110%20volts%20ok,%20just%20as%20my%20camera%20battery%20charger%20did.%20Not%20so.%20We%20finished%20the%20walking%20part%20of%20our%20trip%20on%20the%20original%20charge%20to%20the%20battery.%20For%20the%20last%20night,%20we%20had%20to%20ask%20our%20host%20to%20phone%20ahead%20for%20us.%20When%20we%20got%20back%20to%20Paris%20for%20the%20return%20home,%20I%20asked%20the%20hotel%20if%20they%20had%20a%20spare%20charger.%20They%20brought%20out%20a%20box,%20and%20one%20matched%20my%20phone,%20so%20I%20am%20ok%20for%20next%20year.%20%20The%20Route%20-%20%20%20Arles%20to%20Montpellier%20-%20flat,%20hot,%20muggy,%20little%20mosquitos.%20We%20carried%202.5%20liters%20of%20water%20each,%20and%20the%20one%20time%20we%20ran%20out%20was%20near%20the%20end%20of%20the%20Gallargues%20to%20Vendargues%20stretch.%20After%20that%20we%20always%20carried%20an%20extra%202%20liters,%20but%20never%20used%20it.%20Saint-Gilles%20to%20Vauvert%20-%20this%20is%20one%20of%20the%20few%20lunch%20break%20towns.%20We%20got%20lost%20on%20the%20CFSJ%20guide%20page%2014%201st%20para.%20Never%20found%20the%20turn%20sharp%20R%20along%20a%20wooded%20valley-bottom.%20%20Gallargues%20-%20if%20you%20stay%20at%20the%20excellent%20Lou%20Cigalou%20CH%20in%20Aigues-Vives,%20you%20need%20to%20call%20them.%20Don%27t%20call%20where%20the%20gr653%20leaves%20the%20D363,%20but%20walk%20up%20the%20D363%20about%201/2%20k%20to%20the%20railroad%20tracks%20where%20there%20is%20a%20little%20unattended%20Gare%20with%20parking%20areas.%20Call%20from%20there%20and%20say%20you%20are%20at%20the%20Gare.%20The%20CFSJ%20guide%20and%20the%20miam%20miam%20dodo%20frequently%20use%20the%20road%20numbers,%20but%20there%20usually%20isn%27t%20a%20sign%20on%20the%20road%20giving%20the%20numbers,%20and%20the%20locals%20don%27t%20know%20the%20road%20numbers.%20%20Leaving%20Gallargues%20-%20waymarks%20missing%20or%20misleading,%20but%20walk%20on%20the%20road%20on%20the%20left%20south?%20Edge%20of%20the%20A9%20towards%20the%20bridge,%20and%20under%20the%20bridge%20you%20will%20find%20the%20waymarks%20again,%20leading%20to%20Villetelle.%20%20Leaving%20Villetelle,%20the%20waymarks%20don%27t%20correspond%20to%20any%20guidebook,%20don%27t%20take%20you%20past%20the%20roman%20bridge,%20but%20instead%20head%20straight%20for%20the%20intersection%20of%20the%20A9%20and%20D110,%20and%20from%20there%20follow%20the%20A9%20on%20one%20side%20or%20the%20other%20to%20Vendergues.%20%20Montpellier%20to%20Grabels.%20The%20CFSJ%202004%20updates%20suggested%20taking%20the%2021%20bus%20from%20Vendargues%20to%20Montpellier%20center,%20and%20then%20the%20tram%201%20line%20to%20the%20euromedicine%20station,%20then%20the%2024%20bus%20to%20the%20end%20of%20the%20line%20in%20Grabels%20-%20direction%20Le%20Pradas.%20Don%27t%20go%20to%20the%20end%20of%20the%20line.%20About%205%20minutes%20before,%20the%20road%20splits%20with%20sports%20stadium%20or%20something%20like%20that%20signed%20to%20the%20left,%20and%20the%20bus%20goes%20to%20the%20right.%20You%20want%20to%20get%20off%20there%20and%20walk%20up%20the%20road%20towards%20the%20stadium.%20You%20will%20cross%20a%20bridge%20over%20a%20river%20in%20a%20few%20hundred%20yards,%20and%20you%20turn%20left,%20back%20towards%20Montpellier.%20You%20will%20walk%20thru%20a%20parking%20lot%20and%20a%20riverside%20park%20with%20the%20river%20on%20your%20left.%20You%20will%20cross%20a%20little%20bridge%20that%20jogs%20to%20the%20right%20with%20a%20little%20stream%20under%20it.%20Cross%20and%20continue%20till%20you%20see%20a%20bridge%20crossing%20the%20river%20on%20your%20left.%20At%20that%20point,%20you%20will%20see%20waymarks%20indicating%20that%20you%20turn%20right%20and%20go%20up%20over%20the%20hill.%20At%20that%20point,%20you%20are%20back%20on%20the%20trail.%20%20The%204k%20road%20walk%20along%20the%20river%20H%C3%A9rault%20is%20incredible.%20Walk%20on%20the%20river%20side,%20and%20keep%20looking%20into%20the%20gorge,%20water%20spurting%20from%20the%20sides,%20wonderful.%20%20Saint-Guilhem-le-D%C3%A9sert%20is%20a%20beautiful%20little%20village,%20and%20the%20climb%20out%20of%20town%20the%20next%20day%20is%20your%20first%20taste%20of%20a%20true%20mountain%20trail.%20We%20stayed%20at%20Hotel%20Rest.%20Guilhaume%20d%27Orange%20at%20foot%20of%20village.%20%20Joncels%20-%20CH%20Villa%20Issiates%20excellent%20Accomodations%20and%20food%20-%20pilgrims%20welcome.%20%20Le%20Bousquet%20-%20CH%20La%20Borio%20-%20nice%20-%20about%201/2%20k%20beyond%20town%20away%20from%20trail.%20Owners%20English%20-%20American%20-%20give%20ride%20back%20to%20trail.%20%20Saint%20Gervais%20-%20we%20stayed%20in%20a%20low%20cost%20private%20gite%20-%20Mr.%20Michel%20Bros.%20We%20were%20the%20only%20ones%20there,%20and%20they%20shared%20their%20meal%20with%20us.%20His%20mother%20had%20made%20the%20wine.%20%20Angl%C3%A8s%20-%20Gite%20La%20Guariguette%20-%20historic%20hotel%20now%20decorated%20with%20artistic%20flair%20-%20we%20were%20only%20ones%20there.%20Had%20our%20own%20huge%20well%20lighted%20room.%20Neighbor%20let%20us%20in.%20Owner%20prepared%20simple%20meal%20for%20us.%20%20Boissezon%20-%20fine%20new%20public%20gite%20-%20we%20had%20our%20own%20room%20with%20double%20bed%20and%20shower.%20Cafe%20owner%20was%20host%20and%20found%20us%20a%20place%20to%20stay%20in%20Castres.%20%20Revel%20-%20taxied%20here%20from%20Dourgne%20and%20walked%20around%20town%20till%20noon.%20Waited%20for%2012:20%20bus%20to%20Toulouse.%20Others%20came%20and%20waited%20as%20well.%20Bus%20came,%20people%20crowded%20to%20door,%20we%20waited%20for%20crowd%20to%20subside,%20but%20when%20got%20to%20door,%20bus%20full.%20For%20the%20next%20bus,%20an%20hour%20later,%20we%20weren%27t%20so%20polite,%20but%20got%20on.%20%20I%20did%20the%20initial%20planning%20on%20a%20google%20spreadsheet%20with%20km%20per%20day,%20etc,%20and%20made%20a%20copy%20with%20the%20actual%20walked%20trip%20when%20we%20got%20home.%20Google%20Document%20link%20for%20original%20plan:%20http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=pPFto0EzOaDsxzFnUiiYXWw&hl=en%20%20Google%20Document%20link%20for%20trip%20as%20walked:%20http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=pPFto0EzOaDsZbLR-dHQgVw&hl=en%20%20>
Google Document link for trip as walked:
http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=pPFto0EzOaDsZbLR-dHQgVw&hl=en

-- 
Ralph Alcorn
http://www.backpack45.com/camino2.html