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Ok, Kitsambler, thanks, I'll bear that in mind.May is a very popular walking month on the Le Puy. The train change at St Ettienne will involve a platform change. Just follow the crowd of backpacks and you'll be in the right place. You'll only have approximately 10 minutes for the change.
It is nearly 17km, some of it steep, so maybe. I couldn't. You can quit at St. Christophe sur Dolaison after 9km if you are tired. It is a nice old farmhouse.Do you think I will be ok reaching Montbonnet the next day if I start walking around noon?
Yes it does look very steep........but I thought since I booked ahead there is no need for hurry and I could take my time. But I'll think about it, and it's good to know there will be something in between in case I don't make it. I might try to start earlier as well. If pilgrim mass is finished around 8 I suppose if I take a couple of hours for sight seeing I could start walking around ten.......It is nearly 17km, some of it steep, so maybe. I couldn't. You can quit at St. Christophe sur Dolaison after 9km if you are tired. It is a nice old farmhouse.
I second Kitsambler here, and wouldn't leave departure from Le Puy much later than 9-10am if you are aiming for Montbonnet. If you want to spend longer exploring Le-Puy-en-Velay before you leave- and there are some wonderful places to go, eg a climb up to visit the chapel of St Michael on the 'needle' -d'Aiguilhe- then it would be better to aim for somewhere like St Christophe sur Dolaison your first day. (I actually spent two nights in Le Puy so I had time to explore.)
Like Kitsambler I also stayed at Montbonnet the first night, (and Monistrol d'Allier the second night) and found those walks quite long enough for me starting out. It is a steepish climb on the road out of Le Puy to start with, but if you just take your time and do it at your own pace, you will be surprised by how soon you arrive at the wooden statue of St Jacques, and leave the paved road behind for more 'cross country' sort of paths/roads. And though there is quite an altitude gain to Montbonnet, somehow it doesn't seem so very steep after that. I found the second day's walk to Monistrol d'Allier was enough for me starting out as well- though I know others walk further on both these days. It was the steep descent from Rochegude that I found most challenging with my short legs!
All the best with your planning.
Margaret
Thanks to the three of you for taking time to advice on this. I am starting to realize that I need to think this over properly, I am not the fittest of pilgrims and I have time enough for this Camino so no need to hurry. I would very much like to start the steep walk up to Saugues early in the morning from Monistrol and thus I should spend the night there.I second Kitsambler here, and wouldn't leave departure from Le Puy much later than 9-10am if you are aiming for Montbonnet. If you want to spend longer exploring Le-Puy-en-Velay before you leave- and there are some wonderful places to go, eg a climb up to visit the chapel of St Michael on the 'needle' -d'Aiguilhe- then it would be better to aim for somewhere like St Christophe sur Dolaison your first day. (I actually spent two nights in Le Puy so I had time to explore.)
Like Kitsambler I also stayed at Montbonnet the first night, (and Monistrol d'Allier the second night) and found those walks quite long enough for me starting out. It is a steepish climb on the road out of Le Puy to start with, but if you just take your time and do it at your own pace, you will be surprised by how soon you arrive at the wooden statue of St Jacques, and leave the paved road behind for more 'cross country' sort of paths/roads. And though there is quite an altitude gain to Montbonnet, somehow it doesn't seem so very steep after that. I found the second day's walk to Monistrol d'Allier was enough for me starting out as well- though I know others walk further on both these days. It was the steep descent from Rochegude that I found most challenging with my short legs!
All the best with your planning.
Margaret
Thanks to the three of you for taking time to advice on this. I am starting to realize that I need to think this over properly, I am not the fittest of pilgrims and I have time enough for this Camino so no need to hurry. I would very much like to start the steep walk up to Saugues early in the morning from Monistrol and thus I should spend the night there.Hi
My sister and I walked from Le Puy in May last year. We got a Eurolines (overnight) bus from London to Lyon, which arrived early in the morning. We walked across to the train station, and bought a train ticket to Le Puy, which included a change to a bus (instead of another train) at St Etienne.
The tourist office in Le Puy booked our first night for us at Gite d’Etape Prive L’Escole in Montbonnet for the night of 8 May. It cost us 31 euros each for dinner, a dorm bed and very basic breakfast. We had to pay 4.50 euros extra for a half litre of wine, AND we had to wash up. We were horrified at the cost.
After that we never booked ahead, and took our chances, mainly because we didn’t know how far we would be able to walk each day. It is much tougher than the Camino Frances. All the French people we met were very concerned for us as we had no bookings, but we always found a bed, except for one night, at Labastide-Marnhac. The bar/restaurant there let us sleep on their covered patio. It probably happens quite often, as he was very OK with it. The town’s public toilets were right next door, and the barman (who had the key) left them unlocked for us.
The French system is very frustrating. You can reserve a bed without paying a deposit, so people often don’t arrive to claim their bed. Several places turned us away as “full”, although we’d hear next day that there were empty beds. Their loss, not ours. When a friend on the trail tried to cancel a reservation once, as she couldn’t walk the distance, and found somewhere else, she got such a cross and crazed woman screaming at her on the other end of the line that she refused to phone and cancel when it happened to her again.
Having said that, the walkers on the Chemin du Puy (who are mostly French) are so laid back and easy going, as no-one is in a hurry, being sure of a bed booked up ahead somewhere. We really liked that; so very different from the often mad rush on the Camino Frances.
Jill
That is dead average for demipension in France. That is why past pilgrims say that France is 10E more per day than Spain. In many places the only meal choice is demipension. There are no restaurants and there is no kitchen. The choice is the demipension or food from your pack!It cost us 31 euros each for dinner, a dorm bed and very basic breakfast.
Yes.you mean the gite?
I think it was this place:"nice old farm house" to you mean the gite?
Thank you Falcon, I looked at the gites Hospitalité chrétienne Pèlerins d'Emmaüs but according to Miam Miam Do Do they are closed week ends when I would arrive. But I will have a look at the other gites you suggested in Saint-Christophe-sur-Dolaison, it seems nice. I can understand you need trekking poles on this Camino. I never used them in Spain, not even for the Primitivo but this time I will bring them for the first time. I expect they will be a great help.I think it was this place:
http://www.gitelafermette.fr/accueil-a-la-ferme/ALF_detail.asp?AdFermeId=26
It is "gone," I think. The building is there, and still a gite. The old place was closed only on Sundays, I think. The new operators do not seem to have hours on their website.Pèlerins d'Emmaüs
Ok, Kitsambler, thanks, I'll bear that in mind.
Do you think I will be ok reaching Montbonnet the next day if I start walking around noon?
Thornley,Josefine,
Start after mass or start the next day
Montbonnet is the perfect stop for the first night. Good gite with very nice bar/cafe attached.
It's a 6 hour walk after using your camera. The climb is considerable over a good but not steep.
However when leaving Monistrol it should be done in the morning.
It is very , very steep and could be dangerous in heavy rain.
Saugues for the third night.
There will be more on the GR till Conques than after.
There will be less after Cahors.
Bon courage and in the early stages go slowly.
This is very different than Camino Frances and please do me a favour Josefine......book your accommodation and meals for the Sunday and Monday evenings . You are in country France , sometimes remote and absolutely beautiful.
Monistrol is at the bottom of a very steep river gorge -- the steepest down, and the steepest up, sections you will encounter along the entire Le Puy route. Steep enough, as Falcon mentions, to be quite treacherous if it is raining. The climb up from Monistrol ascends 430 m (1350 ft) in the first hour. We were completely done in by the time we reached Sauges. That was far enough.I suppose so I would continue to Monistrol 21, 6 km . And next day 22,6 km to Le Villeret-d'Apchier.
Thanks a lot, your lists will be a great help while I continue my planning.Monistrol is at the bottom of a very steep river gorge -- the steepest down, and the steepest up, sections you will encounter along the entire Le Puy route. Steep enough, as Falcon mentions, to be quite treacherous if it is raining. The climb up from Monistrol ascends 430 m (1350 ft) in the first hour. We were completely done in by the time we reached Sauges. That was far enough.
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