Why is the road too difficult and which way did you go?
The N116 from Thuès-entre-Valls to Fontpedrouse is a national highway with many curves and lots of holiday traffic. There isn't a verge on either side of the road. Someone at la mairie said it wasn't possible to walk along the road to Fontpedrouse, that I should take the bus.
Which way did I go? If you wait a day or two I will give you the detailed version. The quick answer is, from Prades to Bourg-Madame I attempted to follow le Chemin de Saint Jacques using information published by
Association Roussillonnaise Les Amis du Chemin de Saint-Jacques de Compostelle:
Pdf guide part 1
PERPIGNAN%20-%20ESCARO.pdf (website-editor.net)
Pdf guide part 2
Escaro-bourg%20madame.pdf (website-editor.net)
I didn't carry a gps. I used freebie local tourist maps which lacked detail, not something I would recommend others do. There are excellent IGN maps of the region, at a price.
The pilgrim trail itself was not often signed. It switched between local trails with only an occassional camino sign. I needed the pdf commentary to understand exactly where to walk. Throughout the day I chatted with local folk and others on the trail asking advice on what lay up ahead. Alternative trails were sometimes suggested.
*Prades via Saint-Michel de Cuxa to Villefranche de Conflent : nothing difficult
*Villefranche de Conflent : No accommodation available within my means so, I hitch-hiked up to Vernet-les-Bains.
*Vernet-les-Bains to Saint-Martin de Canigou : From Casteil there are two ways up to the Abbey -a concrete road or a steep nature trail by the river.
*Vernet-les Bains via Estoher to Vinça : Following the Tour du Canigou -steep in parts, nose almost to the ground; eroded in places, slithering + toboganning down trails. Exhilarating.
*train from Vinça to Villefranche de Conflent (€1)
*Villefranche de Conflent to Fuilla : Steep zigzag on a stone path up a mountain. Fallen trees obstructing the trail. A splendid view to the Vauban fortress, Libéria. Down the other side on a piste. The pdf notes were not exact enough at this point. Fortunately I met a holidaying couple who were familiar with the trail.
*Fuilla to Nyer : Local folk showed me two alternatives to Le chemin de St Jacques, both easy to moderate walking.
Trail 1
There is a splendid, shady PR route to Col de Fins (before Escaro) which passes through forests on the other side of the piste above Fuilla (yellow + white signs, Aytua 5 kms).
Start: A few minutes after arriving on the piste above Fuilla there is a dirt lane turning right. It is directly opposite a very large flattish rock (stone piles on top). The lane leads to a ruined building and continues past. The trail signs are after the building.
Note: le chemin de Saint Jacques follows the piste above Fuilla all the way to Col de Fins. It is in the blistering sunshine.
Trail 2
From Escaro to Nyer I followed the GRP Tour des Reserves Naturelles (yellow + red signed trail) up to a mountain prairie with outstanding views. A little later one discovers a strategically placed bath tub filled with ice cold mountain water. Yipee!
Note: le Chemin de Saint Jacque departs Escaro at the entrance of the camping ground. It joins the GRP later. One misses the splendid panorama, the mountain prairie and a chance to skinny dip in a mountain bath tub.
Map 1: Fuilla to Col de Fins (PR trail, yellow + white signs)
Map 2: Escaro GRP trail, Tour des Reserves Naturelles (yellow and red signs)
*Nyer via En to Thues-Entre-Valles : trail eroded in places, in need of maintenance, time spent hanging onto tree trunks and bushes; steep descending zigzag to Thues-les-Bains; after Thues-les-Bains there are 4 small avalanches to scramble.
*Thues-Entre-Valles [bus to Mont Louis €1]
*Mont-Louis to Bourg-Madame : There are two ways to Bourg-Madame from Mont-Louis.
Trail 1: 8 hours. An easy, pleasant walk
From La Cabanasse one follows the GR 10 to where it meets the D 33, a kilometer or 2 after the village. Crossing the road, one finds the first camino signs and an information board with historical notes on le Chemin de Saint Jacques. Here the pilgrim trail coincides with the GRP Tour de Cerdagne (yellow + red signs) all the way to Eyne. From Eyne one follows the GR 36 via Llo (Romanesque church) and Err on to Bourg-Madame.
Map:
IGN 2250 ET Bourg-Madame, Mont-Louis
Trails: GR10, GRP Tour de Cerdagne, GR 36
Map Trail 1: La Cabanasse via Eyne, Llo and Err to Bourg-Madame (8 hours, easy)
Trail 2:
From Mont-Louis one follows a trail to Bolquère then a series of trails via Llivia to Bourg-Madame. Maps and a booklet are availble at the tourist office in Mont-Louis (5 euros).
Map Trail 2: Mont-Louis via Bolquère and Llivia to Bourg-Madame
I'll write more about this another day
PS i would not attempt any of this with a heavy pack. I had less than 6 kilos most of the time and that was onerous and worrisome enough.