What's the best map for an overview of the Le Puy Route?

[GreatDane]

My husband is looking into the Le Puy en Velay to Roncesvalles route for 2014. He's ordered the 2013 Miam Miam Dodo, the The Way of St James Vol 1 (France): Le Puy to the Pyrenees Cicerone Guide and is now looking for a great overview map of the chemin.

For example we have the Ordinance Survey maps (UK) that cover the Pennine Way, Yorkshire Dales in their OS Explorer Map series. I think for the Camino de Santiago our map of Northern Spain is a Michelin (not green). He was told to look for a Michelin GR65 map and is having trouble locating such. We know that GR65 covers the Le Puy to the Pyrenees route but can't specifically find a/the map by the correct title or ISBN number to place an order anywhere!!! Not sure if it is a Michelin Green map. Would be lovely if the map has gites marked and the chemin marked.

thanks much!

 

[newfydog]

The FFRP guides have real topo maps of the entire route. I like maps and thus used them, not miam miam.

I can send you a google earth track, from which you can see hotels, restaurants, street view of the road crossings, terrain and lots of pictures. Seriously adictive pre- chemin overview.

 

[GreatDane]

What are the FFRP guides? I'm sure he'd love to see the topo maps!!! I've always been a map fan and for a couple of years was an avigational cartographer (and that is not a typo)

EDITED!! Never mind - I found them and ordered the one he needs. Thanks for the FFRP suggestion!!

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Michelin has a booklet that covers the stages of the GR-65. It shows maps, elevation change, and gîtes lodging. It is available in all tobacco shops and bookstores on the route. I agree that the FFRP guides are the best, but the MMD book is the best for comprehensive lodging information.

 

[Seymoursmum]

Michelin also have the maps on an app for iPhone, I have been looking at these and they look like they are going to be pretty usefull.

 

[scruffy1]

The Le Puy route is very well marked, just follow the red and white markers and you may not need a map at all. I too love maps and always have too many with me, the Michelin Chemins de Compostelle #161 is good enough, available at numerous locations all along the Chemin and like the others Miam Miam is good for finding lodging especially if your French is not so good. Maps are a consideration since the French confraternity is sometimes obsessed with getting pilgrims off the tarmac and onto paths usually a good thing but often senseless and even more dangerous than walking the road. Keep a sharp eye on whichever map or guide you choose but keep a sharper eye on the terrain and make your own way if you so choose. Cere Valley is a big yes, you do want to walk that detour.

 

[Seymoursmum]

Scruffy1 thanks. Will it be clear where I'm being sent on a 'scenic'detour?

 

[Kitsambler]

No, it will not be clear when you are being sent on a scenic route. The French are notorious for walking around three sides of the square when one side would have sufficed. This style of routing is driven by the preponderant French recreational walking style: walk a GR for two weeks while on holiday with a group of friends.

And I will also point out that every French GR route is marked with exactly the same red-and-white balises. So, when another route crosses the GR65, as the GR 6 does, the marks are not differentiated.

Additionally, one will encounter regional and local walking routes, marked with the same shapes but in different colors (blue/white, red/yellow) which may be confusing and distracting, at a time when you are having quite enough difficulty following the main route.

Lastly, there were a number of points on the GR65 where, owing to the occasionally long interval between marks, one is unsure whether one is on the right track. I haven't seen a mark for a while. Am I still going the right way? Did I miss a turn somewhere? So, a map can be helpful. Just remember that paper, especially coated paper used for color printing, is the heaviest substance known to man.

 

[Theo]

Hi,

... and also this link on the Peter Robins website for the IGN map :

http://maps.peterrobins.co.uk/f/overview/puy.html

Théo

 

[newfydog]

No, it will not be clear when you are being sent on a scenic route. The French are notorious for walking around three sides of the square when one side would have sufficed. This style of routing is driven by the preponderant French recreational walking style: walk a GR for two weeks while on holiday with a group of friends..

Good point! You need to ask yourself here and there, what would the original pilgrims have done? Would they climb up to that radio tower for the view or continued walking along this perfectly fine river? There are some places where the marked route goes out of the way simply because a pre-existing hiking trail was there. If you like the trail, stick to it, but be open to modifying the route a bit to suite your taste.

 

[longwalker]

I haven't seen a good map yet. I used the MMDD for the most part, I felt it lacked a lot of detail. I carried the Cicerone guide, it had too much detail, I only used it when I got lost using the MMDD. The Michelin guide I saw wasn't much either, good for roads but not much for walk'n. Too bad John Brierley didn't start at Le Puy. Somebody please draw me a decent map. Not too much detail, but enough that I don't get too lost, enough notes on elevation to know if I should be going up or down and some indicators as to watering holes. Pray for me, in France, I follow the yellow arrows.

 

[scruffy1]

Longwalker-the only yellow arrows in France are to be found in Cahors leading across the bridge to Serge's albergue, a delightful man, a nice albergue, and a memorable dinner. Do reconsider that Michelin guide I mentioned before, that is #161 available at every bookstore, souvineer shop kiosk and news stand from Le Put to SJPP. It has your topography it has maps which extend well beyond the Chemin and is small enough to be used in conjuction with MMD. The way is well marked, red and white stipe and should you meet another path both will be signposted clearly which is which and where they may lead.

 

[Bartolome]

If anybody can find the right map for St. James Way from Le Puy-en Velay to St. Jean Pied-de-Port, please let me know. I have looked at so many sources but NONE is specific and I plan to go there in 2014 too. The guide from Cicerone hs so many details that tdoesn't help at all. I'm looking for something totally illustrated that you can fallow. there are many good ones for the Camino Frances, I wish I could find one for the Via Podiensis. Thanks. Bart

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Route, map, elevation change, and many accommodations:

http://www.librairie-voyage.com/micheli ... -port.html

You will find it in bookstores and tobacco stores in France.

 

[Tia Valeria]

My husband is looking into the Le Puy en Velay to Roncesvalles route for 2014. He's ordered the 2013 Miam Miam Dodo, the The Way of St James Vol 1 (France): Le Puy to the Pyrenees Cicerone Guide and is now looking for a great overview map of the chemin.

For example we have the Ordinance Survey maps (UK) that cover the Pennine Way, Yorkshire Dales in their OS Explorer Map series. I think for the Camino de Santiago our map of Northern Spain is a Michelin (not green). He was told to look for a Michelin GR65 map and is having trouble locating such. We know that GR65 covers the Le Puy to the Pyrenees route but can't specifically find a/the map by the correct title or ISBN number to place an order anywhere!!! Not sure if it is a Michelin Green map. Would be lovely if the map has gites marked and the chemin marked.

thanks much!

We bought the Mapas Militar (Spanish Ordinance Survey maps), for Northern Spain, and plotted the albergues etc onto them from Gronze etc. The Map Shop, Upton on Severn sells the maps for Europe and may be able to tell you which you need if you cannot work it out from their website - like here.
http://www.themapshop.co.uk/images/spain/250KCGE.jpg
or they may have exactly what you are looking for.
Buen Camino

 

[julie]

IGN maps of France are available on http://www.geoportail.gouv.fr/accueil

Open "Cartes" on the left hand side of the page and choose "Cartes IGN" then, at the top left of the map section, start typing your starting point. Select from the drop down menu and then zoom in. The GRs are marked in pink/mauve.

I love this site and have used it for many walks in France.

That being said, I didn't know of its existence when I walked from Le Puy and merely had the CSJ guide - no maps or Miam Miam Dodo sketches. I simply followed the red and white markers.

 

[Hellbo]

A big thank you, Julie, for the link that you posted! I've been trying in vain to find an online map of the GR65 route--and here it is! It even includes the alternative "variante" through Bains (which is the route I plan to take), fantastic! And the mobile version is very easy to use, even if one doesn't understand much French. Thanks!

 

[vicrev]

The maps I used were Michelin Chemins de Compestelle No 161 (in French,English,German,Italian,Spanish.) Most of the French I walked with carried this map, I found the Miam Miam Do Do lacking in things like distances between towns & threw it away.For the Cele & Lot Valley variants Michelin Lot,Tarn-et-Garonne No 337 ,found it spot on in all ways.........Vicrev

 

[nellpilgrim]

"You need to ask yourself here and there, what would the original pilgrims have done? Would they climb up to that radio tower for the view or continued walking along this perfectly fine river? There are some places where the marked route goes out of the way simply because a pre-existing hiking trail was there. If you like the trail, stick to it, but be open to modifying the route a bit to suite your taste."
newfydog,

You're so right newfydog. After a few weeks on the German leg of my journey I got fed up with being repeatedly diverted to go up (very UP) hill or rack up additional kms simply to walk through more interminable blooming 'Foret'. Having got wise to the germanic devotion to the 'Pine Plantation Plod" I started to take evasive action and struck out on my own. On a number of occasions when I went 'off road' I actually discovered old rusted/faded Jakobsweg signage and a small trackside shrine to St James which proved what any eejit would guess-when walking within an asses roar of the Danube one would probably walk along the bank rather than up in the bordering hills.
Not only were my route variations more scenic they provided an opportunity to go through villages and find a shop/bar/loo . In addition I learned that with any Chermin/Camino/Jakobsweg, as with most things in life , there is a certain guilty pleasure in 'straying off the path'!

 

[vicrev]

Love 'straying off the path' always seem to come across the unexpected, I always carry a big ball of string ....Vicrev