Detour from Figeac to Rocamadour and back to Cahors.

[irishpilgrim]

Hi, We have already walked the Le Puy route from Le Puy to Conques. Returning in May to continue but spotted detour from Figeac to Rocamadour (GR6) and returning from Rocamadour to Cahors (G46). This is detailed in the current Miam Miam dodo guide. Has anyone tried this detour? I cannot find any topo guide for the Gr46 in this area. Any info would be a great help. Thanks. Anna

 

[Canuck]

Hi!,

You're right, there's no guide for the GR46 in that area north of Cahors.

One way to do this is to go GR652 or GR6 from Figeac to Rocamadour, then GR652 Rocamadour to the intersection with GR36, which will then take you to Cahors. You could also continue on the GR652 from Rocamadour all the way to La Romieu via Agen.

Either option, you're in lovely and interesting territories.

Ref: Fédération Française de la Randonnée Pédestre here:
http://www.ffrandonnee.fr/boutique/cata ... uides.aspx

Enjoy!
Jean-Marc

 

[Deleted member 3000]

The IGN map "Cahors Montauban", No. 57, shows the GR-6 from Figeac to Rocamadour and the GR-46 from Rocamadour to Cahors. You can get the map at most tobacco and book stores along the Chemin for 5 to 7 Euros. Look for the blue maps - 1:100,000 - suitable for bicycles and walkers.

Set Google maps for Sat. or Rel. to get aerial photo or relief maps to see the terrain:

http://www.gr-infos.com/gr65c.htm

 

[jabri]

In the third part of four topoguides of the GR65 from Geneva, via Le Puy, to Ronceveaux, the part describing de route from Figeac to Moissac one finds two detours: one from Figeac along the river Célé to Cahors (beautiful route and less crowded) and the detour from Figeac to Rocamadour and further on via Gourdon, Tournon d'Angenais, Agen to Le Romieu, where one is on the GR65 again.
By doing this last detour one misses Cahors, Moissac, Lectoure and all the villages in between. This route will be also less crowded, but you make a lot of km's more!
http://www.ffrandonnee.fr/topos/topoGuidesCatalFiche.aspx?ref=652&t=gr&v=65

Jan Brilleman

 

[Peter Robins]

an alternative Rocamadour-Cahors is the Via Arvernia http://pilgrim.peterrobins.co.uk/routes ... ernia.html

 

[irishpilgrim]

Thank you very much to all the replies. The Via Arvenia seems to be the route that is marked in the Miam miam dodo guide from Rocamadour to Cahors, passing through Labastide Murat and Vers. I know we could continue from Rocamadour on to La Romieu but we don't want to miss Moissac and Auvillar so would prefer to come back to Cahors and continue on the normal route. I am more confident now that I have checked on the website which Peter Robbins mentioned as it indicates that there are balises all along the way. I am not worried about the Figeac to Rocamadour section as we will have a French friend with us for that part who knows the route.
Again thanks a lot. This is a great forum. I look forward to more communications.

 

[Peter Robins]

I think for much if not all of the route Rocamadour/Cahors the Via Arvernia uses the GR anyway, but at any rate there is a guidebook if that's what you want.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Map scans for the route:

http://gr65viarocamadour.blogspot.com/

Click on the photos in the blog to enlarge.

 

[irishpilgrim]

Many thanks to Falcon for the map scans. They are excellent.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Gite at Salviac on the variant route GR652:

http://www.chemins-compostelle.com/Doss ... lerin.html

Sleep with the pigeons!!

 

[irishpilgrim]

Hi, I posted this query several months ago and received some helpful advice regarding maps etc. so I am pleased to let you know that we have just arrived home after a very successful walk starting in Conques, detouring to Rocamadour and back to Cahors, and continuing on the route as far as Condom. We had amazingly hot sunny weather for all of our walking days bar one. Hotter than normal for the area according to the locals and fairly exhausting but we had a wonderful time and loved every minute.
The detour to Rocamadour was for us very worthwhile, but by no means easy. The guide books suggest you could do it in two days from Figeac to Rocamadour and two days from Rocamadour to Cahors. NOT TRUE. Even if the accomodation was available which is really is not, any normally fit person (we are both in our early sixties) would be foolish to attempt it in less than three days up and three days down. The first day from Figeac to Lacapelle Marivel is a tough unrelenting climb particularly for about 6 klm in the middle and seemed much longer than the 19klm in the guide book.
The second day to Gramat was easy and pleasant and the third day from Gramat to Rocamadour is very tricky but beautiful. The tricky part is the final 7 klm along the river bank of the Alzou. A beautiful path for the most part but suddenly it just disappears and you must climb up and over the rocks at the side of the river!!! quite scary. At one point it is necessary to cross the river on a tree trunk "bridge" with a lesser tree trunk at a higher level to hold on to, quite a feat with a full backpack. However the first sight of Rocamadour made it all worthwhile. Yes it is one of the most visited tourist sites in France but even so it is a wonderful destination and we were not disappointed. We stayed for two nights and had a well earned rest. Like many of these "tourist sites" the tourists, for the most part, leave on their buses and the evening/night time experience is beautiful. The second phase of the detour was not too difficult but fairly long days. Much of the trail is in oak woods which was good for shade from the hot sun but also provided plenty of insects to feast on us, which they did! For the entire two days from Rocamadour to Labastide Murat and on to Vers we met no other walkers/pilgrims whatsoever, a very underused route. The village of Vers at the junction of the Vers and Lot rivers is a delight. Shortly after Vers the route joins the Valley of the Cele route and continues along it into Cahors.
As far as we could discover there are no gites or any pilgrim/walker accommodation to speak of along the detour. We stayed in very small cheap hotels where the rooms were adequate , if old fashioned, and the food was splendid; average price demi-pension €65/75 for two people. It definitely pays to travel in pairs under these circumstances. The hotel in Vers was slightly more expensive but worth every penny. The entire detour is very well waymarked with the normal GR red/white signs and at no time were we in doubt of the route.
I hope this info will be of some use to anyone else thinking of taking the time to visit Rocamadour. I have some thoughts to share regarding accommodation on the rest of the route which we have just completed which I will post under a different heading.
Bon Camino to all
Anna

 

[Peter Robins]

I've now added Figeac-Rocamadour to my list of routes and included detailed mapping
http://pilgrim.peterrobins.co.uk/routes ... igroc.html

I'm also assuming that the Via Arvernia follows the GR from Laroquebrou to Rocamadour and on to Cahors, so have added mapping for this section too (don't ask me why the GR starts in an obscure place like Laroquebrou)
http://pilgrim.peterrobins.co.uk/routes ... ernia.html
If anyone has walked this route or has the guidebook, it'd be good if you could let me know whether this assumption is correct or not!

 

[Yvan2008]

I know it's a year later, but someone may find this more recent (May, 2010) information useful. I just got back from walking this variante by myself, from Figeac on May 3, and returning from Rocamadour towards Cahors, but cutting into the Vallée du Célé (at Béars) to Saint-Cirq Lapopie, then to Vaylats and then Cahors on GR 65 (I had walked from Le Puy to Santiago in 2008).
- There is no walking guide of this GR46. The Miam-Miam-Dodo portion covering this portion is now available as a PDF free of charge online (http://www.chemindecompostelle.com/vari ... madour.pdf). It does not have walking notes, but its accommodation listings are accurate and the distances are all correct. I walked that GR36/46 with no difficulty; it is well marked in both directions, but it is very desolate, few walkers, and little accommodation.
- Coming out of Rocamadour, the first available accommodation is 26 kilometres in Labastide-Murat, but a new Chambre d'hote has just opened this spring in Montfaucon (Clos des Roses, 06-28-56-79-47, e-mail: regina11111@yahoo.fr), cutting that distance to 20 kilometres.
- I agree with the original poster's comments on some treacherous terrain coming into Rocamadour along the Alyou river; on one crossing, I slipped off a rock and went in to my knees, and found out that another walker did the same thing on the same rainy day that we walked in. In retrospect, I wish I had had someone with me for that portion rather than walking alone. But it might be wonderful on a sunny, warm day...
- Also, bring walking sticks; a Japanese doctor slipped down an embankment over 3 metres and broke his wrist and wrenched his knee just outside St Cirq Lapopie. Sticks saved my bacon more than once.
- There are some (3) incorrect distances posted on those official FFRP sign posts between Pasturat and St-Cirq-Lapopie; again the Miam-Miam-Dodo distances are accurate.
- Definitely smart to walk in from Figeac in 3 stages, leaving a third stage from Gramat to Rocamadour of only 12 kilometres, bringing you easily into Rocamadour by lunch time, which gives you the entire afternoon to explore the pilgrimage destination; tours are given by volunteers at 2:00 pm, on a donativo basis. Mass at the nuns' Cloistre is at 6:30. And you can then leave the next morning to walk the 20 klicks to Montfaucon.
- The Office of Tourism in Rocamadour (there are two) is very helpful. Made all the calls for me and confirmed there was no guide to GR46 and no closer accommodation than Montfaucon, though a campground opens May 15 in Lacomté, about 8 km before Montfaucon, if you want to camp.
Hope this helps.

 

[irishpilgrim]

Thank you for the update. Good to know there is at least one more accomodation option on this lovely route. Glad I was not imagining the difficulties on the last stretch into Rocamadour, which, by the way, we did in beautiful sunny weather. I certainly can see it would be much more treacherous in wet conditions. Thanks to Peter Robbins for the mapping details. Good to have the detour recorded as an "official "option. Rocamadour is so worth a visit.
Anna

 

[bjorgts]

Thank you! We will walk from Conques to Cahors in some weeks. Since the walking is the aim, we will walk this way: Conques - Figeac - Rocamadour - Vers. Then we will take a bus back to Figeac and walk the Cele-valley to Cahors. Do not want to miss anything. We want to see the Pech-Merle cave and walk Chemin de halage de Ganil along the river near Saint-Cirq Lapopie on our way too. We started this summer-walking in Cluny in 2008. May be we reach Santiago in some years, continuing on Route Norte. In spring we walk in Spain.
The posibility of accommodation in Montfaucon was very useful . I was worried about the 26 km in summer. May be I can bring some more information later on.

 

[Kitsambler]

Cahors was the end of my 2010 walk, coming from Le Puy on the standard GR65 route. I heard from other walkers how interesting Rocamador, Lapopie, and the Cele valley were. Is there a routing that would take me through there before Cahors on the next trip? Where would be the recommended (rail access) starting point?

 

[HeatherWriter]

It's my first day on the Rocamadour route (alone) and I can't recommend this chambre d'ote/gite more highly: Le Relais des Conques in Cardiallac (in miam miam). It's perfect after a half day exploring Figeac, as it's only a 10 km stage. A luxurious room with double bed, balcony and window, fluffy doona (duvet) and an adjacent luxurious bathroom with a big bath (!!) is only 42 €. He even did my washing!!!-ah! If you're not desperate for a night of solitude and sleep after two weeks of constant socialising and sharing dorms, the four bed 'dorm' is 24€ incl breakfast. I'm the only guest here tonight so your dorm could be just you. And you get the bath too!! I haven't got to the meal yet...: Jacky, the warm and generous host (who made a huge effort to speak English with me), is a chef and the meal was out of this world! I think (!) I have optioned for the 25€ meal, but it was soooooo worth it!
Because I'm so tired and have very sore feet, I'm planning on taking 4 days to Rocamadour, but, why not? It's beautiful and tranquil (so far-will keep you posted if I can!)

 

[sunsurf]

I walked Rocamadour to Condom last year and can strongly recommend Le Clos des Roses in Montfaucon - 20 kilometers after Rocamadour. It looks like you use the free download from www.chemindecompostelle.com - it is listed on Plan 10. If you happen to stay there : the demi-pension is a good choice. Give my regards to Regina and Jean-Francois.
Please keep us posted! Bon chemin.
Dolfina (Cape Town)

 

[HeatherWriter]

I've just made it to Rocamador and the walk in is stunning; in fact, I would absolutely recommend coming this way. However, I would not recommend staying in the donativo coming in to grammar unless you are very religious; I stayed there last night and the 'hospitilero' made sarcastic comments about my lack of religion all evening. Millions of tourists in R. So it's a bit of a shock coming in!

 

[HeatherWriter]

I walked Rocamadour to Condom last year and can strongly recommend Le Clos des Roses in Montfaucon - 20 kilometers after Rocamadour. It looks like you use the free download from www.chemindecompostelle.com - it is listed on Plan 10. If you happen to stay there : the demi-pension is a good choice. Give my regards to Regina and Jean-Francois.
Please keep us posted! Bon chemin.
Dolfina (Cape Town)

Is this a good section to do and is it a 3x20 km -ish route? I'm considering hitch hiking back to cahors

 

[sunsurf]

I loved the route. Rocamadour to Montfaucon 20 km ; Montfaucon to Auberge Rustica 24 km ; Auberge Rustica to Cahors 22 km. Coming towards Cahors one can choose to walk along the river or a longer way to get a view of Cahors from the top. I chose the latter one and did not regret it! I did not meet a single pilgrim between Rocamadour and Vers.

 

[LeclosdesrosesMontfaucon]

I regina of the bed and breakfast "Le Clos des Roses " of Montfaucon , after Rocamadour. thank Yvan and Dolfyna for their kind comments . There are 20 kms between Rocamadour and Montfaucon . My adressemail if you whant more information is lcdr46@gmail.com. the road is very beautiful , picturesque Kiss Dolfyna and Yvan