Rocamadour Variant itinerary

thomryng said:

This is a follow-up (variant? ) to Leigh Lorayne's query about the Célé Valley variant. I'm considering this route, and I'd appreciate any advice or feedback.

This is the route and stages that appear in all three guidebooks I have access to at the moment (Cicerone, MMD, Litefoot). Based on that, it would appear that these stages are immutable and fixed - which of course they aren't.

1. Figeac to Lacapelle-Marival - 22.8km moderate
2. Lacapelle-Marival to Gramat - 24km (or 21.6km with shortcut) easy
3. Gramat to Rocamadour - 12.4km easy to moderate
4. Rocamadour to Labastide-Murat - 25.5km moderate to strenuous
5. Labastide-Murat to Vers - 24.2km easy to moderate
6. Vers to Cahors - 16.3km easy (note that MMD for some reason combines this stage with the previous into one giant 40km stage. I'm not doing that.)

Questions:

Are there alternative stages that you'd recommend, perhaps based on the route or on some particularly wonderful town or gîte?

Any suggestions on places of accommodation that you liked?

Any general advice on the route?

As always, thank you for any advice or suggestions you might wish to share.

Click to expand...

G’Day @thomryng ... I am also planning to walk this variante in a few months ... I walk shorter distances due to dodgy knees and this year not knowing how they will hold up. I walked half of it [front half] last year and loved it so going back again this year to do it all again ... and more. n.b. none of the MMD guidebooks specify or prescribe stages.

These are my stages:
Day 1 : Figeac to Cardaillac [le Relais des Conques]
Day 2 : Cardaillac to Thémines [l’Étape de la Halle] via Lacapelle-Marival
Day 3: Thémines to Gramat [aux Volets Blancs but first preference was «les Petits Cailloux» ... owner is taking a petite pause the day I will be there so I missed out ]
Day 4 : Gramat to Rocamadour [new GdE la Maison des 4 chemins]
Day 5 : Rocamadour to Couzou [GdE les 7 Pèlerins ... in order to have a full day at Rocamadour]
Day 6 : Couzou to Labastide-Murat [la Garissade]
Day 7 ; Labastide-Murat to Béars / Vers [ les Rives d’Olt = the best!]
Day 8 : Béars to Cahors [GdE / CH la Deuxième Souffle]

These stages may not suit you, understandably, but hoping that they will work for me this year with my damaged knees. I used my own track notes to determine the stages with help from MMD which does not specify any stages but instead gives distances and [average] degree of difficulty between villages / settlements. I am very happy with the accommodations chosen and already had very enjoyable interactions with my prospective hosts. I have previously stayed at «le Relais des Conques», GdE «l’Étape de la Halle» and «les Rives d’Olt» ... all of them wonderful. I am mixing it up a bit this year to include the two new-ish gîtes d’étape [GdE] at Rocamadour and Couzou as I like to support the new places when I can Hope this assists you in some small way

I have twice stayed and feasted at the the Golden Trout in Vers. This is not a budget, gite type of lodging. People come from all around to dine there. The food is very good and the servings copious. From there it's less than 20 kilometers to Cahors.

Bonjour @thomryng

*In Labastide-Murat the Gîte d'étape L'Auberge du Roy de Naples is closed in 2023 for building maintenance. The Tourist Office for Causse de Labastide-Murat has published a list with other possibilities.

*2 kms after Vers a mobile home has been set aside for pèlerins at the camping ground, La Chêneraie, Vers.

Pathway to La Chêneraie, Vers: from behind Hotel Logis (Rue de la Barre) follow the old lane over the railway track down to the river then around to Eglise Notre-Dame-de-Vêlles. Cross over the Velles road . The trail to La Chêneraie turns left, in front of a house.




Bon chemin!
Lovingkindness

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Ps @Dave has found a shorter way to walk from Vers to Cahors. He writes about it here:

• '...Once in Vers, descend to the lovely park at the intersection of the Lot and Vers Rivers. Bask in the glory
• Cross the pedestrian bridge and continue south along the west side of the Lot. Keep left around the Église Notre-Dame de Velles. Eventually, that dirt road will loop right and join the D653 highway. Turn left
• When you intersect train tracks soon after, turn left onto the tracks. Continue straight onto a retired train bridge over the Lot
• Continue straight after the bridge, ignoring a steep trail descending off the right side. Just keep going straight along the footpath. In time, you'll merge with the GR36, and from there it's smooth sailing

The downsides of this walk are the brambles on the train bridge...'


The camping ground 'La Chêneraie', 2 kms after Vers, is not far from the retired bridge which Dave mentions. The bridge is visible on the Geoporteil map above. I haven't walked Dave's shortcut. I was heading elsewhere.

Cheers!

There are certainly far fewer services on that route than on the rest of the Via Podiensis. I asked my host in Vers why it seemed so deserted - like whole small towns that were pretty much closed, no cafes, no people to be seen. He said that there were a number of factors. It's very hard to get building or reparation permits in the Quercy Park - the government is de-developing it to restore wildlife habitat. - COVID had a significant impact on the rural areas in France, and the loss of the family farm have all resulted in fewer services on that route. Gramat was great - Les Petits Cailloux is recommended for a gite. Rocamadour - Le Cantou. Vers - Le Monde Allant Vers. The other two places it felt like you had to take what you could get. Labistide-Murat had an open pub, but the only food available was vending machine pizza, which was actually kind of a neat experience, and not bad.