Canal du Midi from Castelnaudary to Port Cassafieres ( Languedoc-Roussillon and Midi-Pyrenees, France)

 During a family get-together a few years ago, a group of us spoke about a canal trip and what fun it would be but only finally got things together this year. We chose the Canal du Midi because of the location in France, climate in September and good food in the region. The Canal du Midi is perhaps the most famous of the French canals and one of the first to be built (between 1662 and 1681, see https://www.french-waterways.com/waterways/south/canal-midi/ ). Helen and I have no experience of boats and not much of canals so the trip was a challenge in many ways. We were accompanied and helped by my brother, Brian, and sister Sharon with their partners, Sue and Daryl. Unfortunately my eldest sister Jeanette and her husband Lou had to withdraw at the last minute.
We had great fun enjoying the food, the countryside, wildlife, wine (and beer) and the 62 locks not to mention the low and narrow bridges over the 157 km section. As we were travelling east to the Mediterranean, our boat had to descend all the way (approximately 170 m in total), which is supposed to be easier than ascending. 

 Our boat was rented from "Le Boat", the largest tourist company operating on the canal with depots at Castelnaudary, Trebes, Homps and Port Cassafieres. We opted for comfort with a Vision4 boat that measures 15 m in length and about 4.7 m in width and sleeps 9 people. It had boosters on both sides of the rear and front that helped to manoeuvre in confined spaces such as locks but they proved too weak when confronted with a side wind on the canal itself!!

The trip to the start at Castelnaudary was straight forward from Bristol airport to Toulouse (where we stayed overnight) and then onto the start by train. There is a direct line from Toulouse to Beziers (near Port Cassafieres) that goes through Castelnaudary and Carcassonne. The others came by various route as there are flight connections to Carcassonne and Beziers from the UK. It proved a short walk from the station to the "Le Boat" depot in the canal basin at Castenaudary. Here we prepared ourselves for the trip, got in supplies from a local "Nettos" and went through a somewhat brief induction involving driving in a circle around the basin and parking the boat, the later with help from the instructor. After that we had a relaxing meal in "Le Cassoulet Gourmand" at the side of the basin and I tried my first (and I have to say, my last) Cassoulet dish for which the region is known.

Our view across "Le Grande Bassin" from our boat in Castelnaudary. The steeple of St. Michel Collegiate church is at the top of the hill with the Cugarel windmill further north overlooking the plains.

In the morning I cycled out on my folding, uncomfortable and low-geared cycle supplied by "Le Boat" to find the boulangerie in the town and at the same time find the stone windmill mentioned in the guide. 

The sun rising over the plains and "Montagne Noir", Black Mountains,  in the far distance taken from a viewpoint near the windmill. These mountains formed a dark background to the north for most of the journey and reminded me that the canal waters started life some distance from the canal as it flowed east to the Mediterranean and west to the Atlantic.

After that and breakfast, it was all hands to the helm and ropes to tackle our first series of locks that took us out of the basin to the canal proper. This went amazingly well considering we were learning on the job so as to speak. With gloves for handling the ropes and good communications between the crew, we must have looked experienced although we couldn't see the lock-keeper as he was hidden away in a tower with his hands covering his eyes! They advise you to wear life jackets when in the locks but I think I only saw a couple of people doing this on the entire trip.

Our first view of the canal from the boat as we started the descent of the first series of locks out of the basin.
Notice the lines of plane trees that border the locks and canal, the first of many.

Progress was very good on the first day and involved 15 locks in total to reach the road intersection to Villepinte. We stopped at the Vivier locks (3 in total) for a tomato tosdadas made by our chef, Daryl. Villepinte isn't exactly on the canal but a short walk or cycle ride (less than a kilometer) and has a boulangerie, restaurant and another kilometer down the main street to the east is a petrol station with an attached supermarket. We had a supermeal in the restaurant "Les deux Acacias" which amazingly does have two acacia trees, one either side of the entrance door.

This was taken from the bridge near where we moored for the night. The plane tree avenue leads to the village of Villepinte.

The next morning we cruised for about an hour through three more locks to reach Bram where we stopped to walk to the market near the centre. This was about a kilometer along a combined cycle-way and footpath and so avoided the traffic. The large market had lots of choice for supplies and so we returned well-laddened ready for our lunch at the quayside.

Our lunch spot on the quay at Bram. Our boat number 13, is the one on the lower right of the photo. You can get refreshments and food here and there is a waterpoint nearby on the track to Bram.

We went further downstream in the afternoon to find a sunny spot to moor for the rest of the day. We were spoilt for choice as this was a quiet section. Some of the plane trees in the vicinity had died from a fungal disease, "Canker Rot" and some workers were clearing the banks ready for replanting, mainly with oak. The trees were originally planted about 1830 to shade the canal and reduce evaporation, as a wind shield for the barges and also to reinforce the banks with their roots. They also added a lot to the beauty of the canal that has helped make it a present day tourist attraction and World Heritage Site.

Moored in the dappled shade under plane trees on the section before the village of Villesquelande

Brian and I did a cycle trip to nearby Villesquelande and returned along farm tracks through the vineyards with vines loaded with small black grapes, to regain the canal track.  It was great to be in a more remote section of the canal, and with the mild temperatures to sit-out and listen to the sounds of the dark night. The younger members of the crew could hear the deafening sounds of the Coypu moving in the water and through the shrubbery in the adjacent woodland. Those of us more challenged by sound took longer to adjust to the subtlety of all of this but did eventually tune-in. These semi-aquatic animals (Myocastor coypus) are native to south america and are smaller than beavers (without the flat tail) but much larger than muskrats. Using a torch we spotted several in the water and also on the bankside and could plainly hear them in the woods opposite the boat. During the day we also saw several kingfishers and different birds of prey that we couldn't identify.

The time for wildlife; night on the canal.

The following day was to the "big city" of the trip, Carcassonne, but first we waylaid at the quay at Villesquelande to get drinking water and supplies for breakfast. This time Daryl chose to cycle with me to the local grocery. This I think proved entertaining for all of us as Daryl's cycle seat decided to upturn to an uncomfortable position. Not believing this, I also tried the bike to be similarly thwarted  and decided to cycle standing! Anyway, we got supplies and everyone was happy.
Moving on we stopped for coffee on route at a cafe catering mainly for cyclist. The canal path is a popular long-distance cycle route as we saw many cyclists each day. I imagine it is a pleasant enough ride with few hills, plenty of local facilities and very little route finding problems.

The oldest Elm tree in France in the village square in Villesquelande. The lower heart is now cemented for protection against the elements and it has several supports but has managed to avoid the fate of  many of the local Elm trees.

I made a slight blunder on entering Carcassonne as a large tourist boat came through a bridge I had to give way and did so by moving from the middle to the side of the canal and subsequently found that full throttle didn't thrust us forward as we got embroiled in the silt. The quick actions of the crew saved the day as they used the pole against the bank (without falling in!) so it was with some relief that after a few minutes we made head-way to the centre of the bridge ready to dock in the port. Here we paid 20 euros for 24 h to get electricity and water with a plan to tour Carcassonne on the "petit tren" to see the medieval city the next morning. We had a pleasant meal at "Le Bistro" before retiring for what seemed a quiet night in the city. The morning was dreary and cool but dry so we left as planned after a brioche breakfast and became sightseers for the morning culminating in lunch at the "Le Jardin l'Escargot" in the heart of the castle. This area of the city is impressive with the double-walls and ramparts but as you might expect is very much a key tourist destination, one of the most important in France.

Medieval Carcassonne between the walls of the citadel.

You could easily spend a couple of days exploring, particularly if you're interested in medieval history and the history of the Cathars and the Inquisition. However, our time was limited as we needed to leave Carcassonne and head towards Trebes. Leaving the port under one of the lowest bridges was challenging with only a couple of inches to spare either side and everyone literally on the deck!!...aim, slow down, point and shoot seems to come to mind (and hope for no wind gusts).

Leaving Carcassonne....heads down, it will be easy!

We stopped for the night in the country before reaching Trebes and went in on Saturday morning to call in at the "Le Boat" quay, refill with water and have lunch. The "Le Boat" staff here were very helpful and solved most of our problems with the boat and thankfully allowed me to swap the mini- cycle for a proper off-road bike with big wheels and gears and so made my day! Thank you.

Colourful Trebes, one of the prettiest towns to stop for a meal and get supplies. The "Le Boat" base is on the left in the distance. There is a boulangerie near the bridge that opened around 3 o'clock.

Immediately after leaving Trebes we met a queue of boats waiting to get through three locks. There was a problem with the lock gates as some wood had jammed in near the hinges so had to be cleared and checked. As the last boats through are generally at 6.40 pm for closing at 7. pm, we ended up in front of the queue at the end of the day and ready for a start at 9 the next morning.
The next day, Sunday, was a "big lock day" with 13 in total to get to Redorte (about 5 hours) passing through the Alguille lock with its many sculptures in front of the lock keepers house.

Some of our welcoming audience at the Alguille lock.

We did well with the locks with Daryl taking care of the stern and Brian and Helen at the bow  and Sharon conveying crucial calls and keeping a friendly eye on the lock keeper! Sue kept her head down amazed at the close calls I think. The wind had increased and made steering more challenging when jiggling into the locks, especially with three boats per lock.
The mooring in Redorte was full so we continued a hundred metres downstream to moor besides the cycle track. I spent a couple of hours cycling east around part of Jouarres Lake and then into Homps to see what the "Le Boat" quay was like. The town looked dominated by the quay with little space left for mooring. The cycle ride gave me a feel for the canal track which was a mixture of hard surface, hard clay and some stretches that were very stony. I think a hybrid cycle would find this section doable but challenging in places.

A view north across Jourres lake. There were sandy beaches, a few fishermen packing up for the day and a couple of wind surfers in action.

We dined at "La Table de Riquet" which is well situated at the side of the canal and would make a great lunch stop in the sunshine.
We left fairly early in the morning in the rain with the expectation of a wet day in front of us. After the lock, we were soon in Homps, moored and refilling with water. We had conflicting advise from "Le Boat" staff about whether we needed to refill with diesel at Homps. At the induction one person told us to refill at Homps so we enquired at the reception here and they told us it wasn't necessary and we'd have plenty for the journey.

Some of the locks sold provisions for crews passing through. This is the lock after La Redort called " Ecluse de Jouarres". As we were the only boat around, we had the lock to ourselves, a pleasant change.

The rain continued until we got to Argens-Minervois where we moored-up for lunch at one of our best lunch stops, "La Guinguette"; here are a couple of photos:

The entrance to the restaurant / bar, a welcome break from the mornings rain.

A view from the colourful restaurant out to the canal and our way east.

and the town itself taken as the weather cleared as we left to go on to Le Samail. After the lock in Argens-Minevois, we had something like 54 km of canal without a lock in site, a dream ride along the 31.50 m contour to the multiple locks near Beziers.

Looking north of the canal to the centre of Argens-Minervois.

Le Samail was quite busy with boats lining the canal but we found a mooring past the second bridge and convenient for the centre. There were lots of RV's and camper vans parked for the night next to the quay. Daryl and I dashed off to the book store that is a trade-mark of the town; the English language section was limited but I could appreciate the massive range of French books. After that we searched around for a grocery store and found the barge that we ordered food for the next morning. As we needed more supplies I cycled to the local supermarket which is only a few kilometres away on the edge of town.

The canal at Le Samail looking upstream with the grocery barge on the right of the photo.

After a leisurely breakfast, we headed further with a plan to get through the only tunnel of the section, the Malpas tunnel, the first canal tunnel ever built in the world. We took about two and a half hours to reach Caperstang and the lowest bridge of the canal (which was a tight squeeze) and then wandered around the old town and settled for lunch at the "Le Provence Restaurant Pizzeria".

The bridge at Caperstang (one of the lowest on the canal) together with the scrape marks of many boats and barges.

We then filled the tank with water (the taps and electric are operated by a card purchased from the quay masters office) and then cruised for an hour to reach the tunnel. We were a little nervous about negotiating the tunnel but in the event it proved straight forward and much shorter than we imagined (it's 161 m in length, 6.45 m wide and there is plenty of head room). When we approached, someone on the bank shouted that a large barge was coming through so we dawdled around trying to keep the boat fixed against the wind, what fun! Although you can't see through the tunnel as you approach on the right, once you get near the entrance you can see through and don't need lights.

Waiting in the wind at the tunnel entrance; will it fit in the tunnel?

Light at the end of the tunnel!!

 From here it was only another 15 minutes cruising to Colombiers, one of the larger towns on the canal. Our plan was to spend the night docked here and then make an early start to catch the one hour slot for the Fonserannes locks at 8.30 to 9.00 am. These locks are famous on the canal with 7 locks giving a fall of about 15 m in the canal into Beziers. There is also a disused water slope adjacent to the locks that was built in the  early 80's to replace the locks but after many failures was abandoned in 2001. The locks were operated differently from the other locks as there are only two time slots each way during the day. If we missed the morning slot then we'd have to wait for the afternoon one but in the event we soon joined the queue and were in the locks descending. We had two people on top of the locks with two on the ropes on the boat and it all went very smoothly. I did manage to stall the engine at the steep turn from the last lock into the canal but the boat seemed to know the way out without my interference!

View from the first lock at the top of the descent.

We stopped briefly at the Beziers quay for coffee and fresh water and then went onto Villeneuve les Beziers for the night. We moored before the lock and made this our base for our stay. The quay after the lock was busy and not really suitable for a long stay. There was a boulangerie  near the lock and other services in the town. I had one of the best meals of the trip at "Les Enfants Terribles" in the central square, a short walk from the boat. I also enjoyed a cycle trip to the coast over farm tracks through vineyards and along cycle-ways but only to find a nudist beach, so no photos of the Mediterranean until later.

This area of France is famous for wine production and we passed miles of vineyards beside the canal. This was a closer encounter by cycle.

The next day was our last day on the canal as we approached Port Cassafieres and the end of our trip and we had planned to stop the night near Portagnes to cover the short distance the following morning. However, on reaching Portagnes we realised we had a serious problem with the waste tank and on contacting "Le Boat" staff they came to look and then advised us to go into Port where they could fix the pump in 30 minutes. This wasn't a problem as we had a leisurely lunch in Portagnes and then a short cruise into Port whilst the boat was fixed. 

Last of the day's sunshine as the fishermen await their catches.

Here they had a bar and restaurant and after Brian and I cycled to the Mediterranean near Portragnes beach, we had a relaxing last evening before getting a taxi and making our own way back to the UK. Helen and I had an extra day to explore Beziers before getting the train back to Toulouse and flight to Bristol.

Can  you guess what visited us on route on the boat?

The last photo goes to Pierre-Paul Riquet whose statue is in the central plaza in Beziers. He was the drive behind building the canal between 1661 and 1681. He was of course assisted by many engineers and not to mention the thousands of workers (including many women) who literally dug the canal out of the earth, Sadly, although it was a childhood dream to connect the Atlantic with the Mediterranean, he died 10 months before the official opening of the canal. The French are of course very proud of one of their greatest engineers and to testify to this we came across many streets and boulevards named after the engineer in the villages and towns as we meandered down the canal.

The bronze statue of Pierre-Paul Riquet (erected in 1838 in the Allees Paul Riquet) the leading engineer in the construction of the Canal du Midi; a fitting tribute.

Campsite log

These are some of my impressions of the campsites we have stayed at in the UK. I have given the date when we stayed as the sites may have changed meantime. They don't include the Caravan Club sites as most of these don't permit tents even when they have plenty of space to do so and I haven't included Caravan and Camping Club sites as although we were members for several years we generally found them to be too strict on rules (some of which made no sense to us) and not to mention, space allocation.

The sites are listed in order of the dates we visited.

Giants Head Caravan and Camping Park, Dorset (April and July 2017).

I first found this campsite whilst walking the "Wessex Ridgeway" as the path goes right through the campground so difficult to miss it! It is one of the few campgrounds in this part of inland Dorset and makes a great spot to explore the surrounding area. It is reasonably priced (£10 for tent and one person, £15.00 for two people) and has showers, toilets, water and some sites have electric. At the moment a new shower block is being built so facilities should improve in the future. It is situated on top of the downs at about 250 m height above Cerne Abbas and Minterne Parva and some sites have views over to the east and Ball Hill where the Ridgeway passes. It is well placed for walkers, cyclists and has plenty of open space for family groups to meet. The site is next to a minor road that does seem to get busy and so is noisy at times.

We walked into Cerne Abbas from the campsite on a circular walk by crossing the road over paths through oilseed rape fields to gain a track that went southwest descending below the "Cerne Abbas Giant" earthwork. We didn't see the "Cerne Giant" as it is high on the hill above the track but it is a very pleasant walk through meadows with orchids (Pyramidal Orchids and Common Spotted), many flowers as well as butterflies (we saw many Meadow Brown and Marbled White). The path goes to the Kettle Bridge from where we followed the Cerne river into the village to find the "Abbots Tea Room".  The village was very pleasant in the summer sun and has a long history though it's association with the Benedictine Abbey dating from 987 AD. The abbey was destroyed after the reformation and only the Guest House and Abbots Porch remain (both in need of internal restoration). There are several information boards in the Porch and next to the abbey through the burial grounds is St Augustine's Well where you can tie a ribbon and make a wish (but the water is no longer potable!). On the way to the abbey near the entrance we watched a grass snake moving through the pond. There is also a pretty tranquil garden, "Squibb Garden" along Abbey Street, that has been restored.

The village is well endowed with pubs; I chose the "The Royal Oak" on my first visit in April and in July we went to the "The New Inn" both with outdoor areas and good food.

We returned to the campsite by continuing east along Alton Lane past the Cricket pitch to find a lane going northwest besides the cricket grounds and then along the side of Giant Hill to eventually join the minor road that goes past the campground (about 5 minutes walking on this busy road). Each way it takes about 40 minutes without stops.

We also went to Minterne Himalayan Gardens at Minterne Magna; again it is possible to walk from the campground to the gardens or it is a short drive (10 minutes) north of Cerne Abbas. On route we stopped at the Giant Hill viewpoint car park and I got my first sight of the Giant! The hillside gardens were very beautiful with large Oak, Lime, Beech and conifers set among Azaleas, Hydrangeas  and Rhododendrons to name but a few!. The riverside walk was quite spectacular with a natural feeling that you'd come across a secluded Himalayan valley together with it's own hillside hut. Obviously the best time to visit for the Rhododendron flowers would be May.

The Cerne Giant on the hillside above Cerne Abbas.

A large Dawn Redwood tree in the gardens

Leadstone Camping, Dawlish Warren, Devon (July 2017).

We had a holiday in Dawlish in about 1983 staying in a holiday house near the centre of the village.  Since then, we haven't been back and I only passed through the area when walking the South West Coastal Path that goes through both Dawlish and Dawlish Warren.

The campsite we stayed at this time was much bigger than the "Giants Head" campsite with several camping fields separated by small hedges and the site surrounded by tall hedgerows and mature trees. The facilities were excellent and kept in good order and clean. There were many people who were on part of their annual holidays from northern England and a few walkers (presumably on the South West  Coastal path) and cyclist (on Sustrans route 2 that goes along the coast at this point). The campsite entrance is about 10 to 15 minutes walk downhill to Dawlish Warren and about 40 minutes walk  to Dawlish itself. We walked over the hill to Dawlish following the cycle trail with high hedges sheltering us from the cool morning wind and taking short-cuts on minor paths were appropriate. This brought us into the centre of Dawlish with shops, parks and small red-stone beach with plenty of cafes, restaurants and shops. The route back along the seawall was in brilliant sunshine without the wind and of course is much quicker as it follows the main railway line. The seawall and railway line were much damaged in the big storms in February 2004 which cut-off the service linking Cornwall and Devon. It took until April to rebuild the seawall and railway at a cost of something like £35 million.

The railway line, seawall and coastal path between Dawlish and Dawlish Warren looking north along the coast with Exmouth in the distance.

As we only had a day at the campsite, we also wanted to see the Nature Reserve at Dawlish Warren. The village itself is mainly geared for holiday makers with children and has plenty of gift stores, clothing suppliers and amusement parks that you might associate with the Torbay area. If you get past this, the track goes to the reserve and an information centre. Unfortunately, some of the beach beyond Groyne 10 was closed as they were repairing the sea defences and this also meant that part of the reserve towards Warren Point (and looking over the Exe estuary) was closed off as well and the bird hide looking onto the estuary. The reserve is a sand spit that cuts across the estuary but ironically access is limited because the northern part of the spit is a golf course. I found the information centre a little dated with little information on the flora present at different times of the year but the information on bird and sea life was better. It is interesting to note that there were 30 houses on the spit in 1940.

During our walk we did see many "Evening Primrose" flowers but few birds probably because of the time of day and also the best times are during the winter months with migrant waders and wildfowl. Interestingly there are still plenty of rabbits around! It was a disappointing visit, not only because of the closure but also because of the presence of dogs that left their characteristic smells but the bad erosion caused by the multitude of footpaths. I think it is time to ban dogs and golfers from the entire reserve or manage access more carefully.

This is about as far as you can get to Warren Point at the moment. The Exe estuary is to the left and the long Warren beach to the right with Exmouth in the far distance. The beach at this point is closed off from the public.

Ordesa Canyon, Pyrenees

We have just returned from a weeks holiday in Ordesa and Monte Perdido National Park in the Spanish Pyrenees staying in chalets (or bungalows) in the Ordesa campground just north of the village of Torla. We stayed in the cabin "Mondarruego" which faces the cliff of the Ordesa canyon of the same name and made a great breakfast view.
I have been to Torla before whilst walking on the GR11 and to the park with Bex, also on a hike. This time we went as a family including Bex, Tony, Emily, Sam and Esmee and not forgetting ourselves. Helen hadn't been to this part of the Pyrenees so it was all new to her and Emily hadn't been to the Spanish Pyrenees and wanted to join me in some walks in the mountains. Of course Sam and Esmee (3 years and 7 months respectively) didn't do a lot of walking but enjoyed the ice cold rivers, exploring the woodlands and the play areas or swimming pool at the campsite not to mention the fantastic weather with temperatures of up to 32 C and dry.

We travelled by air to Toulouse and picked up a rental to drive to the Bielsa tunnel and onto to Ainsa (in Sobrarbe) following the Rio Cinca before taking the Ara valley and driving north to regain the high mountains passing through Fiscal, Broto and Torla. Emily had a longer journey by train through London and Paris to Toulouse to meet us at the airport.

During our visit, this part of Spain was experiencing a heat wave with temperatures over 40 C in Zaragosa. As we were at a higher altitude, our temperatures were lower but the air was dry and so the heat was pleasant but it did mean we had to carry plenty of water on the hikes. Also Esmee felt the heat at times so had a cold bath to refresh and cool down. Sam enjoyed paddling in the ice cold rivers that ran off the high mountains that surround Ordesa Canyon.

The Pradera car park in the canyon (at about 1300 m altitude) was still open to private vehicles (it is served by buses in the main tourist season and the number of visitors per day is limited), so it was a short and zig-zag drive to the parking area (here you can get refreshments and food) and then a walk into the canyon along a new path (usable by wheel chairs) on the south side of the Rio Arazas to reach two bridges over the river with access to the flood plain and river pools. The valley walk was very pleasant through beech woods and in places alongside waterfalls as the river cascaded down the valley from the main waterfall, the Cola de Caballo, at the canyon head, Rincon de Soaso, at 1756 m height.

Rincon de Soasa at the head of Ordesa Canyon with Monte Perdido and Pico de Anisclo in view. The Faja Pelay path descends on the right hand side of the canyon wall.

Even though snow wasn't so evident at higher altitudes as in previous years, the streams still cascaded from the walls to the canyon floor. This was most evident as the trees gave way to open meadows and a grazing herd of cattle. The track to the waterfall can be seen on the top right of the picture.

Emily and I had a picnic at the waterfall and enjoyed cooling our feet before descending and meeting up with the others as they played in the river and explored the local flora very much in abundance at this time of year.

St Bruno Lily, Paradisea Liliastrum, growing besides the track.

We also went a couple of times to San Nicolas de Bujaruelo (again on the GR11) where there is a refuge, the remains of an historic chapel and a medieval bridge over the Rio Ara, Puente de Bujaruelo. The gravel track up the Valle de Bujaruelo is much improved since my last visit and was well-graded although narrow in places but OK for cars.. This starts at the Puente Viejo off the road that climbs into the canyon and basically follows the valley to the end where the refuge is and the Valle de Ara  follows south of the border ridge eventually reaching the foot of Vignemale (the highest summit in the French Pyrenees). It is also a stopping place for the pilgrims on the "Way of St James" with the old refuge dating back to the 12 th century when the original bridge was probably built. The pilgrims way is now signed and is a comfortable days walk over the border ridge to Gavarnie in France.

Whilst the rest of the family enjoyed paddling and diving in the cold river water at a deep pool near the bridge, Ems and I set-off to explore the Ara valley. We started by crossing the river and bearing left to follow a path near the bank. This soon joined a track through the forest that gradually gained altitude and allowed glimpses of the river and a large cascade. On the right we passed a waterfall descending to form a stream over the track and soon rounding a bend, came to the Refugio del Vado d'Ordiso with a concrete bridge crossing the river in the valley below. From here, looking across the valley, we could see the footpath that leads into the Valle de Ordisa and eventually crosses a ridge and reaches Panticosa.

View over the Ara valley near Refugio del Vado d'Ordiso and looking west into the Valle de Ordiso. I think it is  Pico Mallarnego (2684 m) in the distance.

From the refuge, we picked up a single path that threaded its way through rocky meadows strewn with wildflowers and all the time in sight and sound of the main river. Most of the side streamlets were dry.

One of the larger flowers we spotted on route - a Pyrenees lily (Lilium pyrenaicum).

After a while we found a lunch spot in partial shade to enjoy the view of the mountains surrounded by a patch of Burnt orchids (Orchis ustulata). It turned out we had chosen a great position as soon we heard the alarm call and spotted a couple of Marmots and soon after, a Pyrenees deer, Rebeco, meandered across a stream below us and then dashed out of view to appear again a few minutes later.

View from our lunch spot looking down to the valley bottom. From here we heard and spotted two marmots and also a Rebeco (Chamois in French; this is just visible in the middle of the frame and about a 1/3 rd of the way down). 

It would have been great to continue up the valley and spend more time exploring but time called and we had to retrace our steps back to the refuge and refreshments.

Faja Pelay

One of the walks in the canyon I had wanted to try on a previous visit but didn't have time was the ledge walk on the south side of the canyon. I had read a little about it and still wasn't sure how steep or exposed it was but on one of the days, Ems and I decided to give it a go. It is said to be one of the most picturesque walks in Europe with great views of the entire canyon and Perdido massive (the highest limestone massive in Europe) which rises above the head of the canyon.

Ramonda des Pyrenees (Ramoda myconi) spotted on a shady ledge on our ascent to the  terrace.

The 22 km walk is circular starting at the carpark, climbing the canyon side to a ledge (probably better called a terrace) and following the terrace to the Ricon de Soaso and returning along the canyon floor path. It starts at about 1300 m elevation and the initial climb is to 1945 m and then undulates a little to eventually make a gradual descent to 1756 m at the waterfall.

The path is signposted just after the first bridge from the carpark taking the south side of the river. It then ascends on a leafy track on well placed zig-zags and eventually takes on a more rock-strewn guise going through a beautiful beech woodland. A few places mean taking handholds but the path is wide although exposed in places but nothing particularly dangerous and out of the ordinary in these mountains. After crossing one gorge, we heard a loud whooshing sound and looked up to see a packed sleeping back tumbling down the canyon side at some speed and continuing down out of view.

In all we took about two hours to ascend to the terrace and a lookout point, with only a few stops to rest and take in the view. There is a small refuge at the mirador and a solid platform that allows panoramic views of the north wall and cascades of the canyon and along the floor as far as the eye can see. The terrace itself is not exposed but meanders along the wall, sometimes losing height and then gaining it, sometimes through open meadows balanced on the terrace or winding its way through pine woodland. On one stretch we spotted a Rebeco in front of us crossing our path and descending into woodland on a steep slope, how amazing. Also there was a proliferation of flowers including the red Rhododendron ferrugineum or alpine rose and many others too many to mention or even photograph, a botanist heaven I should imagine.

Faja Pelay. Can you spot the Rebeco?

A little further on I was a little surprised to spot in the distance the Breche de Roland (above the north wall of the canyon) with its underlying snow band still intact; this is a remarkable gate in the rock wall and one of the cross border routes into France.

Looking across to the north wall and beyond. Can you spot the Breche de Roland, the gate in the border ridge in the skyline  in the middle of the photo? The cascade is the Cotatuero the focal point for another Faja walk in the canyon.

A little further on we lost sight of the Breche but got great views of the mountains above the canyon including the highest peak in the massive. At this stage the waterfall and the Refuge Goriz (2195 m)  were out of view and only revealed themselves as we moved further north along the path. 

View to the head of the canyon with the path to the waterfall evident but not the waterfall itself.  The three main peaks on the massive are (from left to right), Cilindro de Mamores (3325 m), Monte Perdido (3348 m) and Pico de Anisclo (3257 m, also called Soum de Ramond). In front of  Perdido is Punta de las Escalezetas (3021 m) and in front of Anisclo is Murrion de Arrablo (2792 m).

The Cola de Caballo revealed as we descended gradually to the canyon floor.

During the descent we did get a brief glimpse of the Refuge set below the massive and a staging post for exploring the limestone plateau and massive as well as on the route of the GR11 footpath and making a popular overnight stay in the refuge or camping outside.

After a leisurely lunch cooling our feet in the ice-water, we trod carefully over the flower meadows past the start of the path to gain access to the refuge and across the bridge to follow the valley floor back to the start of the walk.

This is a brilliant one day walk with exhaustive views of the canyon and higher mountains not to mention wild life and flowers galore. In good weather, the route is safe and we found it in good condition. The only real exposure is on the initial ascent and if you can avoid flying sleeping bags, all to your advantage!

Also we all explored the local villages, Torla and Broto. Both have small supermarkets and bakers and Torla has a new park information centre with information on the flora and fauna as well as the history of the park. The tourist information office remains in the main square, Plaza Aragon and there are various restaurants and bars. We had Ems birthday lunch at the "Bar el Taillon" in Torla which was great in the sunshine with plenty of space for Sam to work off some lunch!

The drive back to Toulouse was easier as we were able to stop a couple of times on route. We had a pleasant breakfast in Ainsa at the "Restaurante Dos Rios" in Spain (they have a play area for children!) in the short walk to see the Rio Cinca and our last views of Mont Perdido.

Rio Cinco  flowing through Ainsa with Monte Perdido and Soum de Ramond in the far distance.

After that it was a long journey home for us all accept Ems had an even longer one with an overnight stay in Paris. Happily, the temperatures at home matched those in the mountains being in the 30 C mark but more humid.

Hasta luego to the Pyrenees!

Cycle trip to climb Scafell Pike in the Cumbria

I have just been away for a long weekend to join Emily in Carnforth to do a cycle ride from Penrith to Borrowdale, climb Scafell Pike (the highest mountain in England, 978 m) by the Grain Gill route and descend by the Corridor route and then return to Penrith.

The first day was a matter of getting our cycles to Penrith courtesy of the dreaded Virgin Rail and then making a pleasant route on country roads, partly on the C2C (coast to coast cycle-way) to Keswick in the Lake District stopping at Greystoke and Keswick on route for refreshments. The weather wasn't great with rain and a headwind on the first part of the ride, but this gradually subsided as we progressed down to Borrowdale besides Derwent Water (the lake south of Keswick) to find the YHA at Borrowdale. This is in a splendid location set-off the road amongst woods and grazing sheep and only a few kilometres from the start of our climb from Seathwaite. The first night we stayed in the dorms as the campsite was full and enjoyed a beer, evening meal and cooked breakfast in the hostel.

Although the weather prediction had been good, we awoke to rain and cloud probably not unknown in this part of the country. This didn't put us off so we were soon in our wet gear and cycling south to Seathwaite to find the farm at the start of the walk along side Grain Gill to Stockley bridge where we crossed and then turned left to follow the stream to higher ground.

Walking in rain on a steady gradient alongside Grain Gill with the hills covered in cloud.

This slowly got steeper giving us good views of all the torrents gushing down to meet the gill. We eventually came to a "T" junction with the right hand branch going to Sprinkling Tarn and to the left our route, to the south-east making a diversion around Great End, a rock face in front of us that we could hardly make-out in the cloud. After a couple of hundred metres, we took the short-cut south to Esk Hause, a slightly slopping plateau at about 760 m, climbing steeply on a good track that has now become the main route. The position of Esk Hause is quite distinct with a huge cairne and obvious intersection of paths coming from Eskdale and Langdale. In the cloud we headed west to find a pass between Great End and Ill Crag coming to a chaotic rockfall which we navigated by compass and cairns with the occasional stumble. Although the rain had stopped, the wind was making our progress slow. We had come across a group of four who were doing the same route as us and making similar progress. When we neared a point were the route descends south-west near the summit of Broad Crag, I knew there was a sharp descent and then steep climb to the top of Scafell Pike. The descent to Broad Crag col was fairly short and well marked but the ascent, particularly in the mist, looked challenging with no obvious route at first. However, on getting closer we noticed a path to the side of the main ridge, although on loose scree, it allowed good hand holds on the rocks to the side.  We were soon facing the force of the wind as we approached the peak (or pike!) to find shelter and get some time to eat a sandwich.

Not a great view as we descended from the top to find the Corridor route and more pleasant conditions for a break.

Without our muscles moving and in face of the wind, we decided to move on hopefully to find the sunshine or at least dip below the cloud. This wasn't difficult as we needed a north-west followed by northerly direction to find the junction of the Wasdale and Corridor routes. The Wasdale path via Lingmell Beck is a popular route as we met more people ascending. Soon we got our first glimpse through the cloud and it wasn't long before we had fantastic views and could see the junction and start of the Corridor path back to Stockley Bridge.

Our first break in the cloud on our descent with a glimpse of Sprinkling Tarn below.

After this, the walk was brilliant with long distance views in every direction and its wasn't long before we took a break to finish lunch and to identify some of the peaks and valleys. The most obvious was Lingmell Beck down into Wasdale, Lingmell peak, Great Gable and Green Gable and Sprinkling Tarn. The Corridor route goes along the western flank of Ill Crag and Great End and gives great views of both Great and Green Gable and later both Sty Head Tarn and Borrowdale. The path itself is easy to follow and is not particularly exposed or technically difficult.

Start of the descent on the Corridor path crossing a gill falling to Lingmell Beck with Kirk Fell and the edge of Great Gable in view.

Looking north-west to Great Gable and Green Gable

View down to Lingmell Beck and the head of Wasdale.

There is one rock-step that looks difficult as you approach but it is obvious and well marked with plenty of hand and footholds for climbing. It is probably more daunting to descend, especially in cloud but not too difficult to climb up and adds a little more excitement!!

Emily on the start of the rock step.

We had rest break with clear views of the mountains and valleys before a windy ascent to Sty Head pass and great views of the Sty Head Tarn and Sty Head Gill, the route towards Seathwaite. There were a few people around here enjoying the scenery and may be a few making for the path to climb to the col between Great and Green Gable.

Sty Head tarn from the pass.

Our path back to Stockley Bridge was along the side of the tarn and then crossing the stream and following the gill down to a clump of trees with views opening up of Seathwaite and beyond.

View towards Seathwaite taken from the descent to Stockley Bridge and showing the junction of Grain Gill and Sty Head Gill. Our track to Seathwaite is visible on the far side of the valley.

Stockley Bridge, the start and finish of the loop to Scafell Pike.

Grain Gill in the sunshine and looking south, the route taken in the morning.

It was a pleasant walk along the track to find our cycles and return to the youth hostel for a welcome drink and meal. The last night we camped in the field next to the hostel and also made use of the drying room!
On the last day we had a leisurely start and cycled along the shore of Derwent Water to get refreshments in Keswick before heading to Trout Beck for lunch in the tea rooms. It was pleasant cycling in the sun on mainly small roads with little traffic and the bonus of an occasional rear wind.

Alan on the shore of Derwent Water.

After a short wait in the sunshine in Penrith for the train, we were soon back in Carnforth after a great outdoors weekend and feeling a lot fitter too !