From Cluny to Le-Puy-en-Velay

[bjorgts]

If someone wants to start the pilgrimage in France further north-east than in Le Puy, Cluny could be a good option. About 300 km from Cluny to Le Puy. Quite well marked. I know of two guidebooks. One is from Amis de St Jacques en Rhone-Alpes: http://chemins.amis-st-jacques.org/?page_id=6 . The second is from Chaminé: http://www.chamina.com/pedestre/140...postelle.html?search_query=De+Cluny&results=3 .We walked there some years ago. Here is a video from the pilgrimage.

 

[lovingkindness]

Bonjour bjorts,

I was delighted to watch your video. Thank you for posting it. last summer I had a lovely time following a variant of this route in the opposite direction making music in the forests and churches along the way. I hiked via Rocamadour, Le Puy en-Velay and Cluny to the community at Taize.

Cheers
Lovingkindness

 

[bjorgts]

Nice to hear that someone likes my video, and nice that it was you! I followed your walk from Norway through Europe to Santiago som years ago with interest. Next week I will post a video from Le Puy to Conques on the Le Puy forum. But may be it will be of interest for you that the week after that I will probably post a video where we walk from Figeac to Rocamadour. Time will show though...

 

[Kanga]

Lovely.

 

[alhartman]

Any preference on the two guidebooks? Prefer to get just one. But his route is on my bucket list--maybe for this fall. I just need a guide so I can design my stages to no more than 22-25 km. Always happy for a taxi either early or late in the day.

 

[lovingkindness]

Any preference on the two guidebooks? Prefer to get just one. But his route is on my bucket list--maybe for this fall. I just need a guide so I can design my stages to no more than 22-25 km. Always happy for a taxi either early or late in the day.

Bonjour alhartman, I used the second guide book which is based on the old GR 3. It is the original Chemin de St Jacques. At Montarcher one now has a choice to follow either the old Chemin de St Jacques (GR 3) through the Gorges to Le Puy en Velay or the new, more moderate chemin. Between Montarcher and Le Puy-en-Velay the GR 3 is dramatic. The hiking is demanding with many grand ascents and descents sometimes on stoney paths beneath towering pine and oak. Between Vorey-sur-Arzon and Roche -en-Regnier there is a 894 metre hike uphill. In August the trails were lined with blackberries and wild flowers...

cheers

 

[bjorgts]

If you only take one guide, I would say: The Camina-guide that lovingkindness used. It has maps and description of the route and accommodations. If you need to know where to find post, farmacia, train, medical help ... the one from the Amis is better. But there the maps are sketches and no descriptions. We walked the GR3, and it is up and down, up and down, and I remember the part from Vorey-sur-Arzon to Roche -en-Regnier, but we did not find it "dramatic". The heath was troublesome, but we liked the route very much. We were used to the caminos in Spain at that time, and the absence of asphalt on this route was so nice.

 

[bjorgts]

I forgot to say: The language in both the guides are French, but I think everyone can find out the basic thinks one need to understand.

 

[alhartman]

Thank you. Looks like the Camina Guide to start with.
I can stumble thru reading French--MiamMiamDodo for Vezelay, LePuy and RLStevenson routes. MMDD has a mapping system I do not like, so usually buy local topographic maps.

 

[lovingkindness]

but we did not find it "dramatic"....

...Bjorgts, you are from Norway and nothing is as dramatic as there....