Cele Route Option

[GuyA]

I am presently in Aumont-Aubrac and am wondering if I should do the Cele option from Figeac to Cahors. I understand that it is quite an interesting walk and that the distance is roughly the same as if I take the traditional route. I would like to hear your opinion. If you favour the Cele option a few questions:

Why? Is the Cele option route well marked? Which villages did you stay overnight and if possible the specific hebergement used.

Tomorrow I get to walk on the Aubrac plateau...should be an experience...hope the weather is good!

Appreciate any comments received.

Guy

 

[Kitsambler]

The word is that the Cele route is much better scenery and more interesting towns/terrain. Route markings are reported as problematic. The section of the main Gr65 that you are skipping by this detour is, however, utterly forgettable. I don't know how the Cele option might be in the bad weather you are encountering, though.

 

[julie]

I've walked both routes between Figeac and Cahors and the Valley of the Cele wins hands down. I walked the Cele last year and found the route markings were generally good. The only problem was at Bouziès because you have a choice of going in either direction on the GR36. I wanted to head east to Saint-Cirq-Lapopie. It wasn't marked as such so I took a punt and the markers appeared again about 50m further on. There was no problem after that.

Unfortunately, I can't give you gite details for the first couple of days as I was staying with a friend who lives in Marcilhac-sur-Célé. I can recommend Marcilhac as a stop-over.It's very pretty and has the ruins of an Abbey, a patisserie, small supermarket, bar and restaurant.

From there, Cabrerets is 19km. I've stayed in and can recommend the communal gite in Cabrerets. It was very clean and the rooms have only two bunks in each and also have their own bathroom.

Saint-Cirq-Lapopie is only 11km from Cabrerets which is perfect as it gives you time to go through the Peche Merle caves (prehistoric cave paintings). You don't have to go out of your way to visit the caves, the route virtually goes past the front door.

Though touristic, Saint-Cirq-Lapopie is worthy of a visit because it was last year voted the most beautiful village in France. Be aware that the gite in Saint-Cirq-Lapopie has to be booked at least one day in advance. You will be given a key number and the keys are left in the gite. There is no-one in attendance when you arrive. The phone number is +33(0)565312151

I visited the gite and it looked spic and span but I wasn't aware of the booking rule so ended up in a chamber d'hôte. The tourist office was very helpful in sorting out somewhere for me to stay.

My next night was 22.5km further on in the convent at Vaylats, phone number +33(0)565316351. You have to detour to go to Vaylats but it is well-marked and there is no need to backtrack when you set out the next morning.

The final stage was about 24km into Cahors. I've stayed in both the Foyer des Jeunes Travailleurs and the Foyer des Jeunes du Quercy and both are fine. My preference is for the latter simply because it is closer to the Cathedral.

Hope you enjoyed the Aubrac. I found it quite spooky (in a good way) in the mist.

 

[sunsurf]

Hi Guy
I have copied you some information from the postings on the Forum - you can find it in the section "CHECK IF YOUR QUESTION HAS BEEN ASKED BEFORE" under Cele Route.

Lovingkindness wrote :
"I found the Cele Valley to be quite beautiful. Soaring granite cliffs tinged with apricot, troglodyte dwellings, ancient shepherds paths & huts, castle facades and ramparts from The One-Hundred Year War. I hiked late October, 2004 and had the valley to myself. I remember a few strenuous ascents and descents to & from the cliff tops, all worth the effort and there being something very special about the microclimate, the air was soft. The church bells in Marcilhac-sur-Cele are quite doleful, tuned at aprox a minor 6th I think, rather unusual.

Julie wrote :
"It is definitely worthwhile walking through the Valley and I would rate it much higher than the chemin via Cajarc because of its beauty and its diversity. There is the limestone causse, the abbey ruins in Marcilhac, houses built into the rock, the Pech Merle caves with their prehistoric cave paintings as well as Saint-Cirq-Lapopie which last year was voted the most beautiful village in France.
A word of warning - you must book the gite in Saint-Cirq-Lapopie at least one day in advance as there is no one on duty when you arrive. They take bookings and give you a number, you pick up the appropriate key when you arrive."

Peregrina2000 wrote :
"Since I walked this route years ago (2004), I can't add to the much more up to date info on lodging, etc, but I can put in a plug for the Cele detour. It was beautiful. I did this segment at a very leisurely pace, I'm sure you can do it more quickly, but here were the stages according to my journal:
Figeac to Espagnac 26 km
Espagnac to Marcilhac 18 km
Marcilhac to Cabrerets 18 km (we wanted to visit the Peche Merles (?) caves with prehistoric paintings)
Cabrerets to St. Cirq le Popie (this is a detour off the route but St. Cirq is one of those fairy tale towns that is now virtually uninhabited but filled with tourist shops and restaurants, hotels, etc -- its setting up high over the river is stunning and the walk there was very beautiful. We did have to do an "out and back" to where we left the GR, but it was worth it IMO) -- very short 11 km day but we didn't get started till noon because of the cave tour in Cabrerets
St. Cirq to Pasturat 18 km
Pasturat to Cahors 22 km
Though the details are all sort of fuzzy in my mind, I remember town after beautiful town on the river, with essentially no tourists (except St. Cirq), great gites with great home grown food for dinner. I think this detour adds a few kms on to the route, but I think you would enjoy it tremendously."

If you do not have a Miam Miam Dodo GR65 map and lodging book, see if there is not one at the gites/hotels where you overnight. I remember a few gites that had the Miam Miam Dodo for the pilgrims to page through. The Cele Route is in the back of the Miam Miam Dodo.

Looking forward to read your daily update on your blog tonight! The Aubrac Plateau is stunning!

Bon courage.
Dolfina

 

[dalston999]

I also walked the Cele this year but it rained incessantly so didn't experience it at its best. I also liked the main route so I would perhaps make the decision based on the weather you find when you get nearer.

Because the paths are quite rocky they can be quite slippery in the wet and you won't see much of the 'stunning scenery'! You would need to check whether the Gites are open too, as there are very few people who walk this variante even in high season. The La Roue restaurant and Gite in Cabreret is fantastic, a highlight of the trip, best meal I had inFrance and the young woman who runs it is a real camino Angel. Also the Gite in Pasturat, amazing hospitality and food.

I detoured and stayed in the Gite at St Cirq Lapopie which although touristy is worth a visit if you do the Cele, and the Gite one of the best.

 

[vicrev]

I zig-zagged all over the place between Figeac,Cajarc,Rocamadour,& Sarlat & loved every minute of it,beautiful scenery,(especially along the Cele) wonderful people ,great camping spots & gite communals, as dalston says, the Gite at St Cirq Lapopie is really good & the town is a definate visit, just be careful of the food situation there , mini supermarkets are few & far between.........for me there wasn't one standout.....it all did!!!!....................Vicrev

 

[billmclaughlin]

I spoke with 3 trekkers who did the Célé in late September 2013. They reported the waymarking was just fine.

Accommodations? I tried making a reservation for my first night -- I tend to work one day ahead -- and found nothing available even when I shifted my stages around. Perhaps it was a function of the particular day I wanted to set out from Figeac (Sunday, September 22, 2013) and not true more generally.

Bill