Will I get lost?

[SushiNinja]

Walking the Camino Frances from SJPdP to Pamplona, I found that the way was so well sign-posted, it was almost impossible to get lost. Then I did a section of the Le Puy way near St Cirque Lapopie last year - got hopelessly lost, had to resort to roads and had a miserable time. How good is the signposting from Le Puy up to Aubrac? I'm hopeless at map reading....

 

[NavyBlue]

Hello,

The way is well sign-posted, in the GR style (red and white blazes), without the profusion of yellow arrows you will find in Spain.

However, be sure to look for signs at crossroads : a sign might be hidden by leaves, for instance.

We happened to get lost only once, after Saint-Chély-d'Aubrac, walking on the left side of the road, while the sign was on the right side...

The Vallée du Célé (Saint-Cirq-Lapopie) is an alternative way. This (probably) explains that.

 

[SYates]

A guide and checking for hidden way marks got me through that stretch without any major problems. Bon Chemin, SY

 

[jsalt]

How good is the signposting from Le Puy up to Aubrac?

The signposting is excellent. You will not get lost. However, having said that, I remember one couple we kept bumping into, who were forever getting lost. They had not worked out that they had to follow the GR65 signposts. Jill

 

[billmclaughlin]

Anyone can miss some waymarking and have a problem here or there, but the waymarking is solid, in my experience.

Just in case others happen upon this thread I'll add that, while I can't speak for the Célé route itself, I left the GR65 at Limogne-en-Quercy and followed a road to Concots, proceeded to Saint-Cirq-Lapopie, and returned via Concots to the GR65 at near Bach without any signposting issues.

 

[Older Guy]

Yes, you will get lost. You will ask locals which way to Santiago and you will ask fellow pilgrims. That is part of the experience. I got lost lots of times, especially trying to leave cities. I also helped point out strange yellow arrow markings to other pilgrims to help them avoid problems. Lots of arrows to places to stay that try to confuse pilgrims who want to move on down the road.

 

[homebuilt]

Having walked way maker routes in the past the best advice I can give is to develop a instinct the tells you whether you are going the right way or not. Paying attention to what's around you is the key. Even if have basic map skill you should have a guide book and even if it only has a basic description it should prove help getting you to your destination.

An example would be starting from village A and finishing at village B. What does your map or guide tell you you will see along the route. From the information you should have an idea of how long it takes to get from one identifiable feature to the next. If your guide says you leave village A and there is a river with a bridge and then a church close by. If you pass the church keep walking. If not stop check your information was there another indidicator that you are on the right path like a route marker. Was there another bridge you should have crossed, did you pick the right path after crossing the bridge, do you need to walk back to check. The most obvious could be that the church is a ruin hidden from view. If you are almost positive you are on the right path what should you encounter next (a way point) . Start heading for it and you should find proof that you are heading in the right direction. A route makers being the most obvious. If you have seen proof of being on the right route or have reached the next destination carry on walking if not you will have to back track to the last know place and work out where you when wrong.

The short answer is to pay attention to you surroundings and don't walk to far without being confident that you are on the right path. If are unsure stop check your information and only carry on if you know that you can find proof ahead other wise back track to point that you can identify and then be confident that you are going the right way.

 

[Kitsambler]

The basic answer is that of course you will get lost. The real, unasked question is, will you then get found?

Yes, the waymarking is solid on the GR65. That does not mean that you have yellow arrows with every footfall. There is a waymark every few hundred meters plus at turning points. However, they are applied in early spring before the trees leaf out, and often in odd spots (downspouts, reverse side of traffic signs). One must keep a steady visual scan of one's environment.

Knowing what to expect will be helpful. The schematic maps on Miam Miam Dodo are less confusing than a real topographic map, and so that should make them easier for you to read.

 

[Felipe]

Generally, there are dual GR markers: the "go this way" and the "don't". In doubt, I walk a couple of minutes both ways; generally you find another, reassuring marker. Click here
One problem are local routes, which are similar to the GR markers, but painted in other colours. In some Caminos, actually you have to follow local routes (as in the Bavaria, with the Königsweg); or the "Chemin de Saint Jacques" does not follow exactly the GR routes (as in the Piedmont).
As for lost or weird markers, I present you with one of my favorites, in the Munich jakobsweg: the tree with the marker of the Königsweg (a "K" with a crown) was cut, but the kind lumberjacks let the log on the ground...I missed it at first, and finished in a marsh.
I remember what an old hospitalero told me once: being lost in the Camino is part of the experience.

 

[homebuilt]

I hope no one minds a second post about my personal experience of walking the long distance path across Cyprus. You will not find much information about it. I flew to Paphos armed with a guide printed from the Cyprus tourist web site. There are no other guide books, proper maps have not existed since the the 1970's and there are no forums about the walk. My first stop was the tourist office in Paphos for more information and a printed copy of the guide I had. When I ask about the guide I was told that they had stopped printing because it was not very accurate. This did not put me of starting the walk and within a couple of miles I lad lost the markers and got lost then found the path then got lost again found the path etc. This became a daily routine of ether being knowing where I was or not having a clue but at the end of each day I end up where I wanted to be. You might think Iam mad to attempting cross Cyprus with so little information but any journey is not about the destination it's about the getting there. When you get lost and you will stop take 5 minutes before deciding what to do next. The best advice is enjoy each and every day. When you do reach your destination the rewards will be all greater having overcome the problems found along the way. If it's too easy then what would be the point of doing it.

 

[Kanga]

@Col Prosser we found the route easy to follow from Le Puy on the main route - except for a tiny stretch on the Albrac plateau in open fields, but realised our mistake after only half a kilometre or so. I think your experience near St-Cirq-Lapopie is not typical of the rest of the route - I walked the traditional route via Limoges-en-Quercy without any trouble but the following year we took the alternative route via the Célé route and got quite off track after St-Cirq-Lapopie. We finished up getting back onto the GR by winging it using GPS on the phone.

 

[marbuck]

Yes we got lost several times, gets frustrating but each time was because we were not paying attention. But don't worry, you always get back to where you are supposed to be.

 

[SushiNinja]

Thanks so much to all who took the time to post on here. I'm back home now after having done a week's "taster" of the Le Puy route and can confirm that I didn't get lost! I actually had a wonderful time though it turned out to be almost as much about the food as about the journey. The food was frequently fabulous.... especially at "Les Drailles de la margaride" in St Alban, la clauze refuge des pelerins de margeride and Le pain de sucre in Monistrol. Now itching to get back so I can continue...

 

[nalod]

To never stray from a given path would be a boring existence. It is like all GR routes well marked. Enjoy a truly beautiful Camino.