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Two words. Two words and an off-the-cuff suggestion from an old local man I met for a few fleeting seconds by the roadside were all it took: “and why don’t you do Mont Aigoual?”
A brilliant idea, which will cost me an evening of replanning to produce a proper route. So it’s decided: this morning I set off for the Aigoual, via the Causse Noir road, reputed to be very beautiful.
The town drowns in a thick steam early in the morning; a meeting between the icy freshness of the night and the boiling springs that run through the gutters.
As for me, I set off in this fog, on a winding road that leads out of the bowl. Provided, of course, that I have the legs for it. That’s not really my case, and I drag myself along a bit, especially since the biting cold numbs my muscles.
The village festival was a success. I spent the evening with a few old-timers and the mayor’s wife, herself a florist by trade. We chatted about the weather and, before I left, these kind souls had the charming idea of offering me a triple portion of cherry clafoutis, as well as freeze-dried coffee for my breakfast.
This morning, I am therefore savoring this delicious meal in my little mobile home, which crackles under intense rain. Because yes, the forecast was somewhat optimistic: in reality, ten millimeters of rain are going to pour down on my poor head.
When the alarm goes off at seven this morning, I curse myself for not having, once again, taken a single day off before leaving on a trip, when I was still working yesterday until around six in the evening.
The road is wet and dark all the way to the station. I settle into the little TER bound for Tulle, which carries me, with plenty of shaking and all kinds of hesitation, safely to port - that is, Brive-la-Gaillarde.
After completing a personalized version of the Anillo de Picos (AP) in the Picos de Europa park in June, I wanted to share this seven-day itinerary, especially since it allows you to see almost the entire park. So if, like me, you only have a week available, this might be an interesting option! I’ll also share all my tips for this beautiful trek.
NB. The GPS tracks are the ones I recorded with my watch, except for the Bulnes section.