We did consider breaking camp this morning (Tuesday) and moving on to another valley, however, the lure of another hike in this
beautiful location was just too much too resist. Having climbed the
easternside of the valley from Guillames to Sauze yesterday, we decided to climb the
western slopes this morning and head to the hamlet of Bouchanieres at 1430m
altitude, some 650m above our motorhome. Bouchanieres is an important
agricultural community apparently famous for its ravioli and hazelnut sauce!
Climbing steeply out of Guillames we got
our first close up look at the ruins of the Mediaeval fort which towers over
the town, situated on a very precarious looking rocky outcrop. Continuing on the hiking trail criss-crossed
the road, meeting up and then diverging again to take the steep route directly
up the ridge heading towards our destination. Although we'd got an early start
and enjoyed the freshness of the mountain air as we set off, it soon started to
get much warmer as the sun rose and the rocky paths reflected the suns heat
back into our faces.
Looking back over our shoulders revealed a
panoramic view over Guillames and into the surrounding mountains, including
Sauze, Valberg and the valley towards the Col de la Cayolle where we'd spent
the past few days exploring. Looking over the valleys and peaks in the
sunshine, we reflected on how much we enjoy getting to know an area closely and
see how the different names and places fit together rather than racing through
to a new place every other night.
Reaching the final approach into
Bouchanieres after a couple of hours of climbing and we were feeling very ready
for our late breakfast. Finding a shady bench to rest our feet we were soon
joined by an unexpected guest, Tino, the Jack Russel who ambled out of the
nearby hostel and rolled on our feet looking for some fuss (and probably some
breakfast as well). He didn't have to wait very long for fuss, but was less
lucky on the breakfast front!
Always aware of the mountain weather, as
midday approached we knew it was time to start descending as the clouds were
already forming on the peaks. After a few false starts finding the right path
out of Bouchanieres we finally got on our way with Tino following us out of
town. We were very happy to find
ourselves following the red and white markers of GR52 for a short way, which we
would have visited on our original planned tour.
Snaking down the hillside, in and out of
forest we felt like we could walk all day, given the chance. However, the
weather had other ideas. After 4 hours on the trail we were back by the river
and following the road back to Guillames when the clouds finally started to
rumble and the rain began. Fortunately it wait just long enough for us to get
back to the motorhome relatively dry and listen to the afternoon storm in
comfort, having timed our walk just right (for a change). Now it is the evening and the storm has
passed and as we get our home ready to move on in the morning we feel very
lucky to have enjoyed such a beautiful, peaceful spot as Guillames.
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