Chemin Saint-Guilhem or Stevenson?

[LauraWalks]

Last year, I walked my first Camino with a dear friend: Le Puy route from Le Puy to Roncevaux. We loved everything about walking this French route, and we will return in late summer or autumn for another Chemin. This year, however, because we do not have as much time, we plan to walk the Chemin de St. Guilhem or the Chemin de Stevenson.

Does anyone have experience with these routes and might be able to highlight any differences? or highlights of either? Any recommendations?

I guess some important considerations for me are: The gites – so many warm welcoming places along GR65. Does that exist on these routes? Also - Landscapes? Lovely French villages?

About us: My friend and I are reasonably fit 60 year-olds. For reference: We walked GR65 in 34 days, including the Cele Valley alternative, and that seemed a good pace. We may add a third to our little group this year.

I have read the threads on this forum and read what I can glean from the web.

Thanks for all of your thoughts and insights! And any specific accommodation recommendations too!

 

[mspath]

LauraWalks,

Have you read the 19th c account by Robert Louis Stevenson of his Travels with a Donkey in the Cevennes?

I always thought RLS's description of the Trappist monks,
their contemplative silence and austere monastery to be particularly astute and evocative.

"A stern simplicity, heightened by the romance of the
surroundings, spoke directly to the heart. I recall the whitewashed
chapel, the hooded figures in the choir, the lights alternately occluded
and revealed, the strong manly singing, the silence that ensued, the
sight of cowled heads bowed in prayer, and then the clear trenchant
beating of the bell, breaking in to show that the last office was over
and the hour of sleep had come"

Be sure to listen for that "clear trenchant beating of the bell"
if you follow anew Stevenson's footsteps!

 

[Brodie]

Last year, I walked my first Camino with a dear friend: Le Puy route from Le Puy to Roncevaux. We loved everything about walking this French route, and we will return in late summer or autumn for another Chemin. This year, however, because we do not have as much time, we plan to walk the Chemin de St. Guilhem or the Chemin de Stevenson.

Does anyone have experience with these routes and might be able to highlight any differences? or highlights of either? Any recommendations?

I guess some important considerations for me are: The gites – so many warm welcoming places along GR65. Does that exist on these routes? Also - Landscapes? Lovely French villages?

About us: My friend and I are reasonably fit 60 year-olds. For reference: We walked GR65 in 34 days, including the Cele Valley alternative, and that seemed a good pace. We may add a third to our little group this year.

I have read the threads on this forum and read what I can glean from the web.

Thanks for all of your thoughts and insights! And any specific accommodation recommendations too!

The Stevenson has gites similar to the Le Puy. You probably need to book in advance though.

 

[andycohn]

Last year, I walked my first Camino with a dear friend: Le Puy route from Le Puy to Roncevaux. We loved everything about walking this French route, and we will return in late summer or autumn for another Chemin. This year, however, because we do not have as much time, we plan to walk the Chemin de St. Guilhem or the Chemin de Stevenson.

Does anyone have experience with these routes and might be able to highlight any differences? or highlights of either? Any recommendations?

I guess some important considerations for me are: The gites – so many warm welcoming places along GR65. Does that exist on these routes? Also - Landscapes? Lovely French villages?

About us: My friend and I are reasonably fit 60 year-olds. For reference: We walked GR65 in 34 days, including the Cele Valley alternative, and that seemed a good pace. We may add a third to our little group this year.

I have read the threads on this forum and read what I can glean from the web.

Thanks for all of your thoughts and insights! And any specific accommodation recommendations too!

I don't know the St. Guilhem, but have walked both the Le Puy route and the Stevenson (the latter, this May). If you've walked the Le Puy route, you won't find anything that will throw you for a loop on the Stevenson. Similar welcoming gites, similar cute little towns (nothing even as big as the larger stopping places on the Le Puy). Also like the Le Puy route, virtually all of the walking is on real trail, and there's lots of ups and downs. You'll have to carry your lunch because there are often no stopping points halfway through the day, and you'll meet very few non-French fellow trvellers.

Equally gorgeous scenery, but surprisingly different, considering that you start in the same place. More forested areas, but also more wonderfully remote open landscapes, especially in the Cevennes National Park.

You'll again have to reserve in advance (as noted above) because the gites need to know how many people are showing up for dinner. May, in particular, is extremely crowded because of all the French national holidays (4 this year), so if you're traveling then, I would reserve as far in advance as possible (in our case, we reserved in January and was glad we did). I don't have any personal experience with other months, but I'm assuming a day or two in advance would be sufficient, which is what we did on the Le Puy in September - October, 2019.

And get Stevenson's book, as mspath says above. It's wonderfully entertaining and fun to read his chapters as you're walking. Following in Stevenson's footsteps, you'll see lots of people with donkeys, too!

Fun movie to see, set on the Stevenson: My Donkey, My Lover and I.

Miam Miam Dodo is again the guidebook of choice. The Cicerone book in English is pretty out of date.

 

[mla1]

One night while walking the Chemin de St Gilles (which more of less follows the GR 700 - south from LePuy and shares a bit of the Stevenson route for the first few days), we had supper with a French couple who told us that they much preferred the Chemin de St. Guilhem, and that it was one of their favourites out of many, many long walks. It has been on our list ever since! They raved about the landscape. I think they also liked that it is less popular than the Stevenson route or the GR 65. So that might affect accommodation options.

 

[gittiharre]

I don't know the St. Guilhem, but have walked both the Le Puy route and the Stevenson (the latter, this May). If you've walked the Le Puy route, you won't find anything that will throw you for a loop on the Stevenson. Similar welcoming gites, similar cute little towns (nothing even as big as the larger stopping places on the Le Puy). Also like the Le Puy route, virtually all of the walking is on real trail, and there's lots of ups and downs. You'll have to carry your lunch because there are often no stopping points halfway through the day, and you'll meet very few non-French fellow trvellers.

Equally gorgeous scenery, but surprisingly different, considering that you start in the same place. More forested areas, but also more wonderfully remote open landscapes, especially in the Cevennes National Park.

You'll again have to reserve in advance (as noted above) because the gites need to know how many people are showing up for dinner. May, in particular, is extremely crowded because of all the French national holidays (4 this year), so if you're traveling then, I would reserve as far in advance as possible (in our case, we reserved in January and was glad we did). I don't have any personal experience with other months, but I'm assuming a day or two in advance would be sufficient, which is what we did on the Le Puy in September - October, 2019.

And get Stevenson's book, as mspath says above. It's wonderfully entertaining and fun to read his chapters as you're walking. Following in Stevenson's footsteps, you'll see lots of people with donkeys, too!

Fun movie to see, set on the Stevenson: My Donkey, My Lover and I.

Miam Miam Dodo is again the guidebook of choice. The Cicerone book in English is pretty out of date.

Absolutely my experience too.

 

[gittiharre]

One night while walking the Chemin de St Gilles (which more of less follows the GR 700 - south from LePuy and shares a bit of the Stevenson route for the first few days), we had supper with a French couple who told us that they much preferred the Chemin de St. Guilhem, and that it was one of their favourites out of many, many long walks. It has been on our list ever since! They raved about the landscape. I think they also liked that it is less popular than the Stevenson route or the GR 65. So that might affect accommodation options.

Been on my list for a long time too.

 

[Vagabonder]

I’ve enjoyed reading these messages. We’ve been planning to walk le Chemin d’Arles in spring but now I’m thinking more about walking the Chemin de Stevenson. Could someone please direct me to a listing of gîtes d’étapes/auberges along the route? I’ve depended mostly on gronze for past caminos.
Thanks

 

[gittiharre]

I’ve enjoyed reading these messages. We’ve been planning to walk le Chemin d’Arles in spring but now I’m thinking more about walking the Chemin de Stevenson. Could someone please direct me to a listing of gîtes d’étapes/auberges along the route? I’ve depended mostly on gronze for past caminos.
Thanks

There is an entire website dedicated to the Stevenson trail with maps, stages and accommodations.
https://www.chemin-stevenson.org/

 

[JMig]

I don't know the St. Guilhem, but have walked both the Le Puy route and the Stevenson (the latter, this May). If you've walked the Le Puy route, you won't find anything that will throw you for a loop on the Stevenson. Similar welcoming gites, similar cute little towns (nothing even as big as the larger stopping places on the Le Puy). Also like the Le Puy route, virtually all of the walking is on real trail, and there's lots of ups and downs. You'll have to carry your lunch because there are often no stopping points halfway through the day, and you'll meet very few non-French fellow trvellers.

Equally gorgeous scenery, but surprisingly different, considering that you start in the same place. More forested areas, but also more wonderfully remote open landscapes, especially in the Cevennes National Park.

You'll again have to reserve in advance (as noted above) because the gites need to know how many people are showing up for dinner. May, in particular, is extremely crowded because of all the French national holidays (4 this year), so if you're traveling then, I would reserve as far in advance as possible (in our case, we reserved in January and was glad we did). I don't have any personal experience with other months, but I'm assuming a day or two in advance would be sufficient, which is what we did on the Le Puy in September - October, 2019.

And get Stevenson's book, as mspath says above. It's wonderfully entertaining and fun to read his chapters as you're walking. Following in Stevenson's footsteps, you'll see lots of people with donkeys, too!

Fun movie to see, set on the Stevenson: My Donkey, My Lover and I.

Miam Miam Dodo is again the guidebook of choice. The Cicerone book in English is pretty out of date.

There is a new edition of Cicerone's Trekking the Robert Louis Stevenson Trail. Authors: Nike Werstroh and Jacint Mig

 

[andycohn]

There is a new edition of Cicerone's Trekking the Robert Louis Stevenson Trail. Authors: Nike Werstroh and Jacint Mig

Hello @JMig: I checked my edition of the Cicerone guide and it has actually NOT been updated since we walked the Stevenson last May, and found it out of date. The edition we used was the 3rd edition published in 2021, and according to Cicerone's website, that remains the latest edition (although it was re-printed recently).

It's a good enough general guidebook, with some helpful background which the MMD guide does not have. However, the trail itself has been re-routed in several respects since it was published, and possibly even more so in the year since we walked it. Thus, one cannot fully rely on it for directions on the route itself. And it will, of course, be even further out-of-date with respect to lodgings. (And its listing of lodgings was far from complete in the first place).

Therefore, for completeness, wealth of detail, and accuracy, I would continue to suggest the latest edition of Miam Miam Dodo. But, of course, no harm in carrying multiple guidebooks -- each will offer something the other does not -- and the electronic edition of the Cicerone book certainly won't weigh down your pack.

 

[JMig]

Thank yoi cor your comment. Can you tell me which parts of the trail have been rerouted? It would be much appreciated.
Thank you so much

 

[andycohn]

Thank yoi cor your comment. Can you tell me which parts of the trail have been rerouted? It would be much appreciated.
Thank you so much

I can't remember all the details, but the one I remember in particular is the walk into St. Jean du Gard, which has been completely re-routed from the high point at Col St. Pierre into St. Jean itself because of a flood (I think in 2022). There were other variances, too, as would be expected in any guide that's not updated annually.

Not "dissing" the Cicerone guide, but overall, we found the Miam Miam Dodo guide more useful on the trail itself because of all its detail and because it is updated annually. MMD lists all the accommodation options, including descriptions and accurate price information, and tells you where you'll find stores, ATM machines, transit links, etc., etc. In terms of navigation, its maps are more detailed, and it also shows you alternatives -- useful short-cuts such as on the parallel Chemin de Regordane, or scenic "long-cuts."

And it doesn't matter whether you speak French because it's almost entirely in symbols, and uses simple and repetitive vocabulary that can be easily translated.

But chacun a son gout! You won't get lost, because the route is well-signed on the ground.

 

[JMig]

I can't remember all the details, but the one I remember in particular is the walk into St. Jean du Gard, which has been completely re-routed from the high point at Col St. Pierre into St. Jean itself because of a flood (I think in 2022). There were other variances, too, as would be expected in any guide that's not updated annually.

Not "dissing" the Cicerone guide, but overall, we found the Miam Miam Dodo guide more useful on the trail itself because of all its detail and because it is updated annually. MMD lists all the accommodation options, including descriptions and accurate price information, and tells you where you'll find stores, ATM machines, transit links, etc., etc. In terms of navigation, its maps are more detailed, and it also shows you alternatives -- useful short-cuts such as on the parallel Chemin de Regordane, or scenic "long-cuts."

And it doesn't matter whether you speak French because it's almost entirely in symbols, and uses simple and repetitive vocabulary that can be easily translated.

But chacun a son gout! You won't get lost, because the route is well-signed on the ground.

Thank you very much. Yes I am aware of the flood damage and it seems to me that the diversion will still be in place between Col de Sant Pierre and Sant Jean du Gard. Details of temporary diversions will be published on Cicerone's website. I agree with you that the maps are not much of use in Cicerone books and more info would be useful on facilities. Now the good news is that Cicerone is working on a new system to target exactly this issue, so hopefully when we get to update the Stevenson trail next time it will be better. As you said earlier the two books are very different and offer something else in other aspects. Unfortunately it is not possible for us (or any other author) to revisit all the trails we write about on an annual basis. I guess the MMD has several people in place to do their checks and being a local guide it is definitely easier. Any change we hear about usually go on the publisher's website.
So thank you very much for bringing these to my attention. I actually heading to France next week and I might take a look at that diversion near Sant Jean du Gard
Happy walking
J

 

[andycohn]

Thank you very much. Yes I am aware of the flood damage and it seems to me that the diversion will still be in place between Col de Sant Pierre and Sant Jean du Gard. Details of temporary diversions will be published on Cicerone's website. I agree with you that the maps are not much of use in Cicerone books and more info would be useful on facilities. Now the good news is that Cicerone is working on a new system to target exactly this issue, so hopefully when we get to update the Stevenson trail next time it will be better. As you said earlier the two books are very different and offer something else in other aspects. Unfortunately it is not possible for us (or any other author) to revisit all the trails we write about on an annual basis. I guess the MMD has several people in place to do their checks and being a local guide it is definitely easier. Any change we hear about usually go on the publisher's website.
So thank you very much for bringing these to my attention. I actually heading to France next week and I might take a look at that diversion near Sant Jean du Gard
Happy walking
J

Just put 2 + 2 together, and realized you're Jacint Mig, the author of the Cicerone guide! As I said, I definitely found your book useful and informative, and was also grateful for the terrific pictures, and the continuing commentary on Stevenson and Modestine, but for nitty-gritty, I did turn more to MMD.

The Cicerone book also features very precise point-to-point directions, which is very useful, although I myself now rely more on my phone app (mapy,cz) than on written directions when the markers on the ground are unclear. So what I personally appreciated in the MMD guide was the detailed overall maps, and the inclusion on them of the frequent alternatives. This allowed me to make informed decisions day-to-day between alternatives which I would not have known about had I relied solely on the Cicerone edition.

Ironically, we actually followed the old route into St. Jean du Gard, as then shown (exclusively) in the Cicerone guidebook. But MMD showed both the old and new routes, and using mapy.cz, I was able to calculate that the old route would save us about 100 meters of climbing on a day that was already reasonably strenuous. The turn-off onto the old route is no longer indicated on the ground, but since I knew it was there, I was easily able to pinpoint it with mapy.cz, and once we were a couple hundred meters down the trail, the markings picked up again. Overall, the old route on that stretch remains perfectly walkable, but there's an extra kilometer or so of tarmac at the end, where the trail next to the river was wiped out.

Similarly, MMD shows both the new route and the longer old route out of Luc, whereas the Cicerone book shows only the new route, which heads south from Luc along the road. Apprised of choices, and aided again by mapy.cz, we opted for the old route, which first loops north from Luc and whose initial markers, like on the old route to St. Jean du Gard, have been removed. While substantially longer, the old route was gorgeous and avoided walking near the road. (This is distinct from the variant out to the monastery, which both books discuss).

And as I indicated above, the inclusion of the parallel Regordane was also helpful in MMD. Once or twice we took short-cuts along it, which enabled us to "rationalize" some of the stages.

Very glad to hear that Cicerone is re-working its handling of maps. I have a shelfful of its books, but the maps are my least favorite part.

And thank you so much for your work on this guide. I offer the details above not to be critical, but only to offer suggestions from the point of view of Average Joe walker (or Average Andy, in my case).

 

[JMig]

Just put 2 + 2 together, and realized you're Jacint Mig, the author of the Cicerone guide! As I said, I definitely found your book useful and informative, and was also grateful for the terrific pictures, and the continuing commentary on Stevenson and Modestine, but for nitty-gritty, I did turn more to MMD.

The Cicerone book also features very precise point-to-point directions, but I myself now rely more on my phone app (mapy,cz) than on written directions when the markers on the ground are unclear. So what I personally appreciated in the MMD guide was the more detailed overall maps, and the inclusion on the maps of the frequent alternatives. These allowed me to make informed decisions day-to-day between alternatives which I would not have known about had I relied solely on the Cicerone edition.

Ironically, we actually followed the old route into St. Jean du Gard, as then shown (exclusively) in your guidebook. But MMD showed both the old and new routes, and using mapy.cz, I was able to calculate that the old route would save us about 100 meters of climbing on a day that was already reasonably strenuous. The turn-off onto the old route is no longer indicated on the ground, but since I knew it was there, I was easily able to pinpoint it with mapy.cz, and once we were a couple hundred meters down the trail, the markings picked up again. Overall, the old route on that stretch remains perfectly walkable, but there's an extra kilometer or so of tarmac at the end, where the trail next to the river was wiped out.

Similarly, MMD shows both the new route and the longer old route out of Luc, whereas the Cicerone book shows only the new route, which heads south from Luc along the road. Apprised of choices, and aided again by mapy.cz, we opted for the old route, which first loops north from Luc and whose initial markers, like on the old route to St. Jean du Gard, have been removed. While substantially longer, the old route was gorgeous and avoided walking near the road. (This is distinct from the variant out to the monastery, which both books discuss).

And as I indicated above, the inclusion of the parallel Regordane was also helpful in MMD. Once or twice we took short-cuts along it, which enabled us to "rationalize" some of the stages.

Very glad to hear that Cicerone is re-working its handling of maps. I have a shelfful of its books, but the maps are my least favorite part.

And thank you so much for your work on this guide. I offer the details above not to be critical, but only to offer suggestions from the point of view of Average Joe walker (or Average Andy, in my case).

Hi Andy,
Thank you for your honest opinion. Luckily it is quite easy to follow most of these long distance routes and the organisation responsible to maintain the trails generally mark any temporary changes that happen.
Enjoy your future walks
J