John Hayes Walks

Day 3 GR 48 - Cala to Almaden de la Plata

2012-03-01T06:46:00.000Z

Really interesting walk today, three very distinct sections with pretty historic towns at the end of each.

Early morning leaving Cala

Cow Heaven

Struggled to get going at the start of the day, lingered in a noisy little bar, and then couldn't find the route out of town. Didn't matter though as we were soon into what I thought was the best four or five kilometres of the whole walk. Classic ancient camino's, wonderful light through the trees illuminating the grazing animals - if bovine reincarnation is to be my fate than send me here.

Lignite mine beyond Cala

Castle at Santa Olalla del Cala

This wonderful stretch finished with a huge abandoned quarry, the bottom of which was full of water, followed by a flat walk along the course of an old railway line into Santa Olalla del Cala. Nice town with the largest and best preserved castle of the route so far. Has places to eat and sleep, definitely an alternative place to stop if you wanted to walk shorter days.

Stork on the River Cala

After leaving the town, passing underneath the motorway, the route takes you through another oak forest/pasture down to the River Cala and a lovely four kilometre walk into Real de la Jara. Spent most of the walk trying to get a perfect picture of one the storks or herons in flight, failing of course but it was good fun non-the-less. Real de la Jara, also with a castle, looks like another splendid town - we stopped for a beer and tapas in one its many bars and came across my first grumpy Spanish barman.

Castle at Real de la Jara

The last section of the walk is different again. As we get further east the landscape feels dryer and although there are still grazing animals there are not as many as before. The dry stone walling has all but disappeared and the we are now walking along forest trails. You can't help but notice the impact of the drought and even in February there is a burnt out feel to the scenery.

My feet were very sore by the time we arrived at Almaden de la Plata the first of today's four towns not to be festooned with a castle (had a bull fighting rink instead). We stayed in a nice casa rurales and ate in a very simple but pleasant restaurant. Due to small navigational diversions today's walk, at 44 kilometres, was three more than planned - despite the cold evening I slept very well.

Day 2 GR48 - Hinojales to Cala

2012-02-28T14:08:00.000Z

Day 1 was a brilliant walk but if anything Day 2 was even better. The landscape the route takes you through was similar to the first day, with the same wonderful trees and brilliant paths, but if anything opens up a bit with the views just a bit bigger.

The day started particularly well with the bill for the accommodation - 32 euros all in, fantastic value - and Juan confessing that his legs ached a bit after yesterday's 44 kilometres. I told him mine were fine which was not quite true but made me feel better.

Leaving Hinojales as the sun comes up

We were also out in time to see the sun come up through a red sky, excellent start to the day. The sun seemed to trigger of a Hooper bird whose distinct clacking song is, Juan tells me, a harbinger for spring in Spain.

After about 8 kilometres walking along an ancient camino you arrive at the little town of Canaveral de Leon. The scenery then starts to open up, the valley gets wider, and you get some great views back to Hinojales.

The route then takes you down to the banks of the Rio Montemayor and a particularly nice stretch of river side walking. We meet a man coming the other way and he explains to Juan that the river is unusually low and that the drought has meant that the grazing is very poor and not enough to keep the animals going. It's so tough for local farmers that he hopes more tourists will come and keep things going. Despite the lack of the rain the countryside looks wonderful.

Climbing out of Arroyomolinos de Leon

Having crossed a bridge over the river the route takes you into the middle of a wide valley with the large fields populated by a mix of cattle and pigs. At a cross roads on the trail we meet two men and a woman in green overalls, much younger than the average local farmer, and clearly something to do with the government. They had lost four black pigs and in sea of black pigs and asked us to watch out for them. I hope the fugitive pigs made good their escape.

Abandoned farmstead

It's then a gentle climb up out of the valley, along a road for a bit before a little climb over the Alto de la Toba Mountain Pass and then down a lovely ancient trail into the town of Arroyomolinos de Leon. Stopped for lunch in a local bar and were so far ahead of schedule that we could treat ourselves to two beers.

Near the Molina de la Parra watermill

The last stage of the walk to Cala is particularly nice. A bit of a climb up out of Arroyomolinos de Leon and then into another huge valley, a bit like the one in the morning. Lots of evidence of busier times in the recent past, abandoned farms, olive groves, water mills as well as the huge disused open cast mine near to Cala itself. The last stretch of the walk, with the sun now low in the sky, was excellent with the sheep in trees enjoying the last bits of daylight.

Sheep in the evening sun

Got to Cala at about 5.30 and after walking about 37 kilometres. Stayed in a Casa Rural run by the local council which was OK but very cold. The hot water ran out half way through my shower and I thought my heart was going to stop. We enjoyed an excellent meal in the bar across the way although we were the only two in it. Cala has a new hotel but it had not opened when we were there.

Castle at Cala

Day 1 - GR 48, Encinasola to Hinolajes

2012-02-27T15:16:00.001Z

Huge walk today, 44 kilometres, knackered but feeling good, very close to getting blisters on the my first day but after a soak in cold water my feet have stopped cooking and now feel fine.

So where am I and what's the walking like?

Well I'm in Huelva which is the most westerly province in Andalucia, on the border with Portugal, and I'm walking, with Juan Holgado, directly east through the Sierra Morena. It's fairly gentle walking, hilly (we're at an average altitude of around 500 metres) and although the route takes you through a series of small villages, the countryside feels empty.

We are walking through the Sierra de Arecena y Picos de Aroche Natural Park and the landscape is lovely. Most of countryside is used for low intensity animal grazing with the animals sheltering under trees. We have seen the whole range of farm animals: sheep; the famous black Iberian pigs (this is an area famous for the quality of its ham); cattle (supposed to an area where fighting bulls are bred); and even a few goats.

Iberian Pigs

There are trees everywhere, holm oak and cork oak in particular, but some olive trees as well. What's interesting about the trees however is the way they seem to have been planted. The planting seems to have been designed for a dual use of the countryside with the trees planted for cork or for olives but with enough space between them to allow the grass to grow for the grazing animals. The effect is wonderful particularly this time of the year. The crisp winter sun, still low in the sky, reveals scenes which are full of light and shade. It's like an extended walk on a summer evening.

Cork Oak

The other special feature of the walk, so far, has been the trail itself. Predominantly it's along ancient caminos dating back to a time when the countryside was clearly a lot busier than it is today. Because it's grazing country these caminos are often bordered with dry stone walls to keep the animals in. Although some of the routes are showing their age, others are well preserved and the original paving is still in place.

Ancient wall lined trails

So what's the first day been like?

Well it started particularly well - had met Juan the night before at the Hotel Rincon del Abade in Encinasola having completed the trip from England. Dinner with wine, bed and breakfast (in a splendidly noisy bar) all for 38 euros. Given my tight fisted nature I was already well ahead.

Onto the trail by 8am just before the sun rose and through Encinasola, with it's ancient castle, and out along a paved camino into the countryside. After a few kilometres there is a river to cross which, if it wasn't for the intense drought his part of Spain is currently suffering from, could have been a bit tricky.

The lovely path continues all the way Cumbres de San Bartolome and just before we arrive we meet the first people we have seen since Encinasola. One of them is picking a sort of wild asparagus which I recognised from the scrambled egg starter I had had the night before. Juan engaged them in a conversation and I didn't understand any of it but I did get the impression that they thought we were mad to be walking all the way to Hinalojas. We had walked about 18 kilometres and stopped in a bar in the village for a couple of beers and a plateful of lovely local cheese.

The walk is essentially taking you from one defended hill top town to the next and Cumbres Mayores is a particularly fine example with all of the ancient castle walls still intact. By now we were walking in the full heat of the day which in February equates to a perfect walking temperature. Still Cumbres Mayores had been another 10 kilometres and even with a reviving drink I was starting to feel tired as we started on the last stage to Hinalojas.

Cumbres Mayores

After descending down the valley and crossing the railway line, we encountered the only duff bit of walking for a day, a bit of trek along a brand new road (no traffic) as we climbed up over the pass into the next valley. At 800 metres we were now at the highest point of the day and the views back to Cumbres Mayores were great.

The sun was starting to get really low and the light was amazing, just as well as I was getting pretty knackered and definitely slowing down as we got to Hinalojas at about 6.30pm.

We are staying at the Hostal Restuarant Sierra Tortosa, very comfortable with a friendly and helpful family running it.

Well what's it been like walking with Juan?

It's actually been great although a bit tough. The truth is I'm not as fit as I was when I finished the E4 walk last year and for the first time in a while I have had to follow a pace rather than set it. Juan seems to speed up in the afternoon when I'm slowing down. I'm not complaining though, he's great company and it's wonderful to leave all the navigation to someone else, particularly someone who speaks the local language.

Walks for 2012

2012-02-01T10:45:00.001Z

Definitely getting “stir crazy” and ready for another big walk. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not looking for another six month trip like last year’s walk along the E4, but I need some more adventures. So, as well as tidying up E4 notes and photographs, doing a bit of baby minding, I’ve spent the winter putting on weight and planning trips for next year. I now have a schedule that takes me from the end of February through to October.

The first trip takes me back to Andalucia and four days hard walking along the GR48 Sendero de Sierra Morena. The GR48 goes west to east from Barancos, just inside Portugal, and through to Santa Elena on the eastern side of Andalucia. The total distance is 581 kilometres and over four days I’ll be doing the first 160 or so, starting at Encinsola, the first “stop” inside Spain, and finishing at Cazalla de la Sierra. I’ll be walking with Juan Holgado, the No 1 Spanish walking expert, and the mad 40 kilometre a day schedule has been set by him - just hope I can keep up.

If I have any energy left at the end of each day I’ll try and blog but will definitely be writing the trip up when I get back. In the meantime, if you’re interested in the walk than go and have a look at the GR48 Sendero de Sierra Morena website, really good, lots of detailed information including a GPS trail and everything you need to plan your own trip. Really nice people as well. I left a comment on their Facebook page and they came straight back offering to send me English language versions of their Topoguides.

Back home for a week and then I’m off to Nepal for seven weeks for two back to back treks, one around the Annapurna Circuit and the other one to Mera Peak.

Perhaps even more than Everest Base Camp, Annapurna Circuit is the classic Himalaya trek and I got my first Nepalese trekking experience along a bit of it on the way to Poon Hill. Because it’s popular, the Nepalese are understandably trying to improve access to the trail and some people are concerned that it will somehow get spoilt. I’m not so worried - but what I do know is that if you ask the Nepalese guides to name their favourite walk they always say the Annapurna.

One of the slightly counter-intuitive features of Nepelese trekking is that it’s cheaper to stay in the tea-houses (the Nepalese equivalent of Alpine mountain huts) than to camp. Only the popular walks, like the Annapurna Circuit, have enough traffic to sustain a network of tea-houses and for the more remote trips you need more porters to carry all the tents and cooking equipment and this makes camping trips more expensive. The Mera Peak is a camping trip and I’ll be heading off on that one as soon as I have finished Annapurna Circuit.

Mera Peak, at 6476 metres, is the highest trekking peak in Nepal, and you don’t need to have any climbing experience to do it. From the top you get to see four of the five highest mountains in the world. Interestingly it was first climbed in 1953 by James Roberts who is acknowledged as the father of Nepalese trekking (and by the sound of it an amazing man),pioneering the approach where teams of locals take care of transportation, cooking and liaison, while visitors, who generally couldn’t cope with carrying loads at altitude, concentrate on walking and the scenery. It was a pioneering move for adventure travel in general and where Nepal led the rest of the world followed.

Christine is coming with me on the Annapurna Circuit but after Kanchenjunga in 2010 has decided that sleeping in a freezing tent at altitude is not her idea of fun. She currently holds our domestic altitude record (Kilimanjaro) and is a bit miffed that I might beat it.

Back home and in May I’ll be walking with a group of seven grumpy old men along the South Downs Way. The grumpy old men trip is an annual event (although I missed it last year) although as we get older and grumpier we seem walking further. It used to be the case that the same stories got repeated every year, they now get repeated every day.

The South Downs Way goes from Winchester to Eastbourne, is 100 miles long (160 kilometres) and the plan is do it in 7 days. Again there is a brilliant website which provides you with everything you need to plan the route. We’ll be stopping at Droxford, Buriton, Charlton, Amberly, Devils Dyke (staying in Brighton), Lewis and Afriston.

In May and June I’m doing an Open University photography course so the next trip is not until July when, with Christine, I’m going back to the Vercors.

The E4, last year, took me along the western side of the Vercors Massif and although the walking was great I couldn’t help but notice a wonderful ridge on the eastern side which seemed to form a much higher flank. From the distance it’s a really dramatic feature, like a huge wave on the point of breaking, and I knew when I saw it last year that I would have to come back and find out if it’s as good as it looks. Again with just a little bit of research I found a brilliant web site and have used this, and the GR-info website, to come up with my own six day circular walk. There is a formal Vercors circular which I didn’t have enough time to do, but the networks of paths is very dense and it was easy to come up with a variation. My itinerary is attached if your interested.

Back home just in time to experience the Olympics in London (Christine managed to get some tickets) and then back to the Alps for a longer trip.

In Austria last year, talking to Austrian walkers, the one walk which came up time after time as the walk to do was the Carnic Way, or the Karnisher Howenweg, which runs through the Carinthian Alps along the border between Austria and Italy. The two things people told me about it was that it was both stunningly beautiful and very interesting. It stays high, well above the tree line, and follows the First World War front with plenty of evidence of the horrific battles between the Austrian and Italian armies. I have already walked the Alta Via 1 - which is at the western end of this trail and heads down through the Dolomites - and crossed the front line as part of that trip. If the Carnic Way is half as good as the Alta Via 1 than it is well worth doing.

The Carnic Way should only take a week and I would like to do it in the first week of September when the crowds have gone. We have another couple of weeks, the last two weeks in August, when we want to be walking in the Alps so deciding whether to approach the Carnic Way from the east or the west is the big decision.

From the east we could extend the border theme and walk all the way from Bad Radkersburg along the SudenAlpenweg 03 (including the extension along a route down to Bosen which is very similar if not the same as the Alta Via 1) and I’ve developed a plan based on this route using the German language guide. Alternatively we could approach it from the west along the Red Route of the Via Alpina and have developed alternative schedule based on that route. The later option involves crossing Austria from the north-west (Austria is not that wide at its western end) and the starting point could be at Feldkirch which is just to the south of Bregenz a favourite kick off point for my Austrian trips.

It’s interesting but good quality information on the web does have an impact on my choice of route. I still don’t quite understand how things work in Austria but the information on the national trails - trails like the Sudaplenweg 03 - is bit limited. The guides are in German and not available online. There are no GPS trails and digital maps are quiet expensive (although Austrians have told me you could buy individual cards, I’m struggling to work out how). The web-site for the Via Alpina network on the other hand is excellent, is available in English and allows you to download GPS trails and you can construct your own specific trip notes (although unlike the high level description the detailed notes work in just one direction). Unless someone comes back to me and tells me that the east west option is better, the quality of the information available for the alternative option, the Via Alpina, is tipping me in that direction.

The last trip, which I want to start at the end of September, is the Grande Excursione Appenninica. As the name suggests, the trail takes you along the spine of Italy, for about 370 kilometres, crossing from the borders of Tuscany/Umbria, through Tuscany (passing close to Florence), into Liguria. I’ve been to Italy lots of times and Rome is perhaps my favorite city (after London) but have never walked anywhere there other than in the Dolomites. If I’m not mistaken this is the best non-Alpine trail in Italy.

To plan it I’ve used the excellent “Trekking in Appenines - Grande Excursione Appenninica” by Gillian Price and intend to do the trip in 16 days. My proposed schedule is attached. Most of the mountain huts will be closed in October but it’s still supposed to be a good month to do what looks like quite a tough walk, sub-alpine rather alpine, but with potentially mixed weather.

Please have a look at my plans and let me have any comments - I had some invaluable advice when planning the E4 trip and I really do make use of it. If anyone plans to be on any of the routes at the same time than please get in touch and perhaps we can meet up.

Andalucia along the Southern Variant of the GR7

2012-01-18T19:41:00.000Z

If you decide to walk the E4 and you want to start in Spain, an early choice you have to make is whether to take the northern or southern variant of the GR7 through Andalucia. With no great application of science I chose the northern option. Checking if this was the best option was just the excuse I needed to return to Spain and in October, five weeks after finishing my E4 trek in Budapest, I was on my way back there with Christine.

I only had 9 days which isn’t long enough to do the whole variant. The GR7 splits into two at Villanueva del Cauche in Malaga and doesn’t join up again for 450 kilometres (at Puebla de Don Fadrique). I figured I would need at least 15 days to do the whole stretch.

To help me decide which bit to do I turned to Juan Holgado. I had met Juan in March on my second day out of Tarifa on the E4 walk. This was an amazing coincidence and a real stroke of luck. Juan had helped Michele Lowe and Kirstie Shirra write their guide “Walking the GR7 in Andalucia” and is the expert on the GR7 and all things walking in Spain. He has his own web site (www.jaholgado.com). Although we only spoke for a few minutes we struck up a friendship and Juan, through comments on my blog, advised and encouraged me all the way across Europe.

Leaving Ventas de Zafarraya and arriving at Alhama de Granada

Juan suggested that the best 9 days walking along the southern variant are from Ventas de Zafarraya to La Calahorra. This meant dropping the two day stretch in Malaga province, and avoids the La Calahorra to Narvaez section which doesn’t have any accommodation. As well as getting Juan’s advice I also managed to persuade him to join us for the second half of the walk. It was going to be interesting to find out whether, having only talked face to face with Juan for 15 minutes, we would still be talking after 5 days!

Sierra de Almijara

There are a couple of fairly obvious things to say about the southern variant. First, the route is on the southern and eastern sides of the Sierra Nevadas and these huge mountains, the second highest range in Europe, hide you from the damp Atlantic air stream. It was a surprise to me to discover in March, on the northern route, that I was walking through some of the wettest parts of Spain; in October, on the southern side, the weather was much better. Second, the southern side is a more popular walking destination. To be honest that had initially put me off but one of the things I have learnt from my trip across Europe is that popular for walkers doesn’t necessarily mean crowded - in October at least, it just means you won’t be completely on your own.

Our trip started on the 14th of October with a flight out from Gatwick to Malaga and a taxi up to Ventas de Zafarraya. I’m a big fan of the Spanish bus service, ALSA, which has a fantastic web site but unfortunately it didn’t have a route to our starting point so we had to get a taxi from the airport. I booked this online from home and was very impressed with the service.

Into the Alimijara y Alhama Natural Park

We got to Ventas de Zafarraya at about 5.30pm and were instantly reminded of all the ups and downs of Spanish budget accommodation. The restaurant, which looked really interesting, was only open at mid-day and even the bar was shut in the evening. After a couple of beers and some tapas, it was down to the tiny village supermarket for chocolate and biscuits. We also missed breakfast, which was much too late for us, so we posted the key through the door and left early hoping (in vain) to find somewhere along the way.

Dramatic scenery to start with but the rest of first half of the walk, through intensively farmed and messy countryside with a poorly waymarked path, was not very impressive. After a restorative lunch at a roadside restuarant at Los Canos de la Alcaiceria, the walk along a forest road improved as we approached Alhama de Granada. The last bit took us through a dramatic gorge to the town wonderfully located at the end of the incision, high up on cliffs. We dropped our bags at our overnight stop, the Hotel el Ventorro - a lovely spa and cave hotel at the beginning of the gorge, and this shortened our walk next day by a couple of kilometres.

After clouds and mist on day one, the weather improved and was good until the last day of the walk. It was cold however as we left the hotel in the dark on the second day, but soon the morning sun was highlighting the lovely burnt out colours characteristic of an October walk in Andalucia. It was a long walk to Jayena and after some amazing views of the Sierra de Almijara things got a bit dull as the olive trees increasingly dominated the landscape. If I had gone the right way, the afternoon would have better but after 10 hours walking we were knackered as we walked into Jayena which, like us, was a bit down at heel. Stayed at the Hospederia la Almijara and had some amazing food in the local bar which completely revived our spirits.

Dropping down to Lanjaron

The walk next day to was excellent, away from the olive trees and into the Alimijara y Alhama Natural Park. The first stretch was through a forest of natural Corsican pine involved a gentle climb along a forest road before arriving at the open plateau at the top. Had an amazing lunch at the Meson los Prados and a short climb up a road and over a ridge the route took us down along and increasingly dramatic gorge all the way to the town Albunuelas where we were looked after in an English bed and breakfast at La Casa Azul.

After walking further down the valley from Albunuelas, the route and the waymarking gets confusing. The route has clearly been changed to make way for the new motorway before Niguelas and some of the waymarks had been vandalised. Once you get above Niguelas on the way to Lanjaron, its a fantastic walk contouring high up and with huge views. You pay for it of course and the walk down to the spa town, past sulphurous springs, is steep and seems to take forever. Lanjaron is a holiday town, has loads of accommodation, and if you have even less time than we did, the starting point for a shorter walk in the Alpujarras. We met up with Juan at Lanjaron.

From the Hostal des Terraces

The walk next day to Bubion is a great one with the route continuing along a high contouring trail dropping down just a bit as it visits a series of Andalucia’s characteristic whitewashed villages - Canar and Sopurtujar before the final and perhaps most famous trio of Pampeneira, Bubion and Capileira (above Bubion but not on the GR7). We stayed at Hostal des Terraces which has wonderful views across the valley and which turned out to be the same place Christine and I stayed at in a first visit to Sierra Nevadas 15 years ago.

Next day is more of the same with the immaculately kept villages of Capilerilla, Pitres, Atalbeitar, Portugas and Busquistar following in rapid succession. A landslip had destroyed the trail on the final approach to Travelez, a wonderful mountain town famous for its jamon, but it didn’t detract from an excellent walk. We stayed at the Hotel La Fragua, which is in the higher part of the town and is definitely the place to stay - very much a hotel for walkers.

Another lovely walk next day, particularly the climb out of Travelez which was rewarded, eventually, with a view back to Mulhacen, Spain’s highest mountain. More little white villages and, in particular between Juviles and Timar, some spectacular walking. After Lobras the character of the landscape changes with deeply incised soft sedimentary rock giving it a new and temporary feel. We saw this the next day as well and Christine and I sustained a steady but unresolved debate about its origins - is it: (a) wind blown loess from the Sahara (Christine’s theory); or something more local (John’s theory); or (c) neither. Given the depth of our geological knowledge the odds have to be on (c).

The final climb to Berchules, at the end of the day, was a bit of a strain but the Hotel los Berchules was excellent (although not very helpful in terms of taxi organisation for the next day).

Tapas

We changed the schedule for the last two day’s walking deciding to try and get to La Calahorra in time to catch the bus to Granada. This meant a relaxing day back to Malaga and home - it’s possible to do it from La Calahorra but perhaps a bit stressful. So instead of walking to Bayarcal we walked to Mairena and then got the taxi up to Posada de los Arrieros, a great place to stay on your last night in the mountains. A fine walk but the highlight was definitely lunch in a bar full of local hunters. Great atmosphere helped by Juan’s company and his ongoing lesson on the joys of tapas. A great day, very relaxed with tired joints lubricated with large quantities of local wine.

Posada de los Arrieros

After 8 days of good weather things finally changed as we crossed the pass at Puerto de la Ragua (2042 metres) and made our way 1600 metres down to Ferreira and La Calahorra and the bus back to Granada. It finally stopped raining as we left the bar in Ferreira and shortly after the cloud broke and the first fresh snow of winter could be seen on top of the Sierras. La Calahorra sits majestically on one side of a wide valley and has an amazing sandstone castle with wonderful pepper pot towers at each corner. We should have stopped but all of our thoughts, Juan for Madrid and us for London, were already on home.

So which is the best option the northern or the southern variant?

La Calahorra

I honestly don’t know. For me the best bit of the whole of the GR7 in Andulacia was stretch from Quesada to Santiago de la Espada, really wild and remote and very beautiful, and this is on the northern variant. On the other hand the weather is better on the south side and the walk through the Los Alpujarras, the five days after Lanjaron, is excellent.

Although I managed to walk from Tarifa to Budapest without local assistance I did enjoy walking in Spain with a Spaniard. Juan was great company, full of local information and sharing the trip with him added hugely to what was already a very interesting walk.

If your interested in what it felt like at the time please have a look at the daily diary entries

Ventas de Zafarraya to Alhama de Granada
Alhama de Granada to Jayena
Jayena to Albunuelas
Albunuelas to Lanjaron
Lanjaron to Bubion
Bubion to Trevelez
Trevelez to Berchules
Berchules to Posada de Los Arrieros
Posada de los Arrieros to Granada

Accommodation on the E4

2012-01-10T17:23:00.003Z

One of the great pleasures of a long distance walk like the E4 is the chance to experience the full range of different types of accommodation. Because you’re following a route you have to take what’s available and never know quite what you’re going to get and indeed who you’re going to meet. Taking pot luck is a key part of the fun of this sort of walking but finding somewhere to stay is not always easy and often determined where I stopped each night and how far I walked each day.

Castillo de Castellar and Casa Henriette

Just in case anyone wants to follow in my footsteps, or even do something similar, I thought it might be worth describing how I found places to stay in each country and what to expect in the different sorts of accommodation. Attached to this blog is a link to a schedule of all the places I stayed at and how to contact them.

A few general points first. I’m a tight fisted sort of guy, I don’t like spending money if I can avoid it, and set myself a daily budget which I enjoy beating. My daily budget (accommodation, food etc) was 50 euros. This was easy to hit in Spain (many single rooms), slightly harder in France (double rooms the norm - so easy with 2 people), impossible in Switzerland, fairly easy in Germany and Austria and completely over the top in Hungary.

I rarely booked in advance, accommodation where it was available was hardly ever full although I occasionally got caught out by bank-holidays, busy weekends and found in France that places were often shut on a Monday. I learned to avoid things like booking.com which, if rooms are plentiful, are an expensive way to get accommodation (a fully booked hotel on booking.com definitely doesn’t mean a fully booked hotel). Not booking in advance where accommodation was plentiful meant you could choose the place closest to the route. Having to walk past empty hotels to the place you’ve booked can be really frustrating when you’re knackered at the end of a long day.

Although it fits with my tight fisted approach I believe the cheaper the accommodation the more fun it is. This general rule does of course have its exceptions but based on my experience (and mean predisposition) it applied to all the countries I stayed in and all the different sorts of accommodation.

For a schedule of accommodation on the E4 please go to the following.

Spain

I couldn’t find any single source of information on accommodation along the route in Spain. Information on the route itself is managed by the regional walking associations but they didn’t provide information on accommodation, so the planning task was simply finding places along the route and then doing a web search and seeing if there was any accommodation. The best place to find accommodation turned out to be local town council web sites which in Spain were very good and which often gave a list of the all the available accommodation.

La Bruschetta

Accommodation comes in a whole range of different shapes and sizes and it’s hard to spot the real difference between a hotel, albergue, hostal and a pension. Sometimes you got breakfast (I’m now a total fan of “bruschetta”) and sometimes you were asked to pay the night before, put the keys through the letter box in the morning and make your own breakfast arrangements. The main meal in Spain is mid-day so quite often the restaurants are shut in the evening and you had to make do with bar food. The tapas is sometimes so good that its enough but you have to be a bit careful about ordering the racion (plateful) as these can be enormous.

Casa Pernias

One type of accommodation which I hadn’t experienced before was a casa rurales, essentially a house or apartment let out nightly on room by room basis, usually with cooking facilities. You usually get the whole place to yourself so these can be great value.

Accommodation in Spain is often special and nearly always fun. There are more bars per head of population than any other country in Europe and in every bar there will be a television in the corner and you don’t need to feel uncomfortable sitting on your own reading a book, writing a blog, or just watching the beautiful Spanish newscasters doing their stuff. The accommodation is also very clean, even in the cheapest pensions (Spain apparently are huge consumers of bleach) and the facilities are good - you always get own shower and sometimes one of those special Spanish micro baths.

France

Accommodation is easier to find in France. The GR-Info website, as the well as the GR routes (not always up to date) provides lists of local accommodation as do the Topoguides (although you can’t get these for the whole route). Neither of these sources are comprehensive however and there is often accommodation available which is not listed and if you can’t find something where you want to stop then its worth either contacting or dropping into a local tourist information office. There are many of them in France and they are incredibly helpful, not only finding places for you but making the bookings.

Gite d'Etape at Mantet

Accommodation in France is very interesting and full of surprises. In particular there was a very odd category, which provided some of the very best adventures, called a gite d’etape. The Wikipedia definition - “Stopover and holiday getaways off the beaten track for groups of walkers or cyclists” - fails to capture the enormous variety of provision. There are municipal “gite d’etapes” which can be painfully primitive, really charming ones attached to the owners house, and very old fashioned ones included in a farmstead. Accommodation can be primitive but all the ones I found served food, no choice but usually really good.

Gite d'Etape at L'Hospitalet

It’s the sheer variety of accommodation which makes walking through France particularly special. Whether it’s a family farm running a beautiful auberge to supplement agricultural income; a long established logis providing top quality food to a loyal set of local customers; a gite d’etape where the sheep moving in and out of the stable below is the main night time distraction; or whether it’s sharing the dreams of a charming crank who has been building his gite d’etape for 40 years; it’s all so different.

Hotel Baume

Switzerland

Refuge at Le Solait

The journey across Switzerland was shorter than Spain and France and my smaller the accommodation wasn’t as good. Finding it wasn’t too difficult with the Swiss Hiking Federation website providing both the route and accommodation suggestions, but compared to Spain and France it was expensive, a bit dull and the food wasn’t as interesting. Surprisingly, comparable hotels at the bottom end of the market in Switzerland were not as well equipped as their equivalent in France or Spain and it was quite normal in Switzerland not to have ensuite facilitates.

Hotel Chasseron

My slightly negative experience of the route may of course have something to do with the route - it didn’t go through the high Alps - or it may have something to do with the places I stopped. I took my itinerary from the Swiss Hiking Federation website which, quite reasonably, is aimed at a domestic audience and broken down into daily slices with either end accessible by way of the amazing Swiss public transport system. This usually meant that I was staying in towns or large villages. When I broke away from this schedule the accommodation became more interesting. In particular I think I could have made more use of the farm based accommodation like the at Hinter-Weissenstein, should definitely have stayed at the Hotel Le Chasseron, just for its amazing location, and I did really enjoy staying at the Refuge at Le Soliat. A bit more work on accommodation in Switzerland might have produced better results.

Germany and Austria

I’m lumping these two countries together because the process of finding accommodation and the experience of using it were so similar - accommodation in both countries is very good.

For the most part the German and Austrian sections of the walk went through the Alps where there is plenty of really good accommodation. First there is plenty of good value summer accommodation in the winter sports sports resorts and second there is a huge network of mountain huts run by the German or Austrian Alpine associations (lots of German Alpine Association huts in Austria)

August-Schuster-Haus

My itinerary was based on two German language guides (04 Voralpiner Weitwanderweg. Wienerwald - Berchtesgaden - Bodensee by Günther Eigenthaler, Erika Käfer, Fritz Käfer, Karl Mor; and 01 Nordalpiner Weitwanderweg vom Neusiedler See bis Bodensee by Alois Messeritsch, Werner Rachoy, Robert Wurst) which gave suggestions daily walks and places to stay.

Erika and Fritz Käfer have written many Austrian walking guides and I think are closely associated with the Austrian Alpine Club which has an excellent web-site, description of all the walks and, really useful, at Hutte finder. Worth having a look just to get a feel for how many there are, it’s an amazing network, there are literally hundreds. If your walking across Austria it’s definitely worth considering club membership, it qualifies you for a hefty accommodation discount and a whole range of other benefits including mountain rescue insurance.

Voisthaler Hutte

Staying in a mountain hut is a special experience. Very often in stunning locations, facilities can be a bit primitive and in the limestone areas (much of Austria) water for washing can be limited. There is always plenty of beer however and the huts can be great fun. They can occasionally get a bit crowded, particularly if you're on a really fashionable route and hit the weekend, and if you're in a dormitory you might not get much sleep but most times, particularly if you book ahead, you should be able to get your own room. There is also a new generation of mountain huts being developed which an emphasis on high eco standards and better accommodation.

The winter sports resorts, in the summer, provide really excellent value for money, great facilities and a huge choice. Worth checking out the location of the accommodation and try and avoid long hikes through a town away from the route.

To be honest the only two gripes I had about accommodation in Germany and Austria was the food and the lack of accommodation away from the Alps as I approached the Hungarian border (much of it closes in August). Just not a fan of German Austrian cuisine I’m afraid and the worship of processed meat. The beer is also a little disappointing given the reputation - very little variety.

Hungary

I had been warned by a Hungarian, when I first started planning the walk, that the accommodation in Hungary was bad and hard to find. It’s true to say that there isn’t much of it, particularly as you get closer to Budapest, but it was a lot better than I had been advised. Actually it was good, great value for money, and I thought the food was also much better than in Austria or Germany. I particularly like the fresh water fish which seemed to be on every menu.

Karolyi Kastely

Before I went I had the benefit of good information on the route but had not found a single source of information on accommodation. I decided where to stay using the same process I had used in Spain - just looking for likely places along the route and then doing a web search. When I was there I discovered another source of information http://turistautak.hu/, which is an amazing information resource and has everything you need to plan a trip.

If you can’t find a “panzio” (which I think is the Hungarian equivalent of guesthouse), then you can stay in the equivalent of the Spanish casa rurales and book rooms in a house on a nightly basis. I did this a couple of times (one night was put up in a place like this for nothing) but it’s more fun staying in a guesthouse.

For a schedule of accommodation on the E4 please go to the following.

Stage 14 - The E4 from Koszeg to Budapest

2011-12-29T16:22:00.000Z

By the time I got to Kozeg I was obsessed with getting home and could only think about finishing the walk. My pre-occupation with the end of trip inevitably meant that I rushed at things through Hungary and missed some of the local colour. Still I enjoyed I enjoyed the last two weeks, had lots of adventures and came away with some wonderful memories.

I knew less about Hungary than any of the countries I had visited. I had been to Budapest a couple of times before, and loved it, but had never left the City boundary and didn't really know what to expect. More than any stage of the trip the last part of the walk felt like a real journey into the unknown.

The Countrywide Blue Route

What I found was a revelation. The walking, to be honest, was nice rather than spectacular and the predominant impression left is one of long forest trails with huge deciduous trees - oak, ash and beech - and closed rather than open views. The villages also lacked the ancient stone splendour of their cousins in Spain and France. What I did find, however, was a country that was really easy to walk in. The route was clear and a pleasure to follow, food and accommodation was generally plentiful, good and excellent value, and above all the people were friendly and helpful. I had been "rescued" many times along the E4 but in Hungary the rescues came thick and fast and have left me with a particularly fond memory of all things Hungarian.

Fantastic Hungarian Waymarking

The E4 in Hungary follows the route of the Countrywide Blue Tour which can claim to the first long distance hiking trail in Europe and is without doubt the most important walk in Hungary. It does takes a incredibly indirect route however and meanders through hilly/rolling countryside all the way to Budapest (doesn't got into the city centre) before continuing (without me!) to Hungary's eastern border.

There is an amazing amount of information on the Blue Tour. When researching the route I had found two outstanding sites available in English and both called Countrywide Blue Tour, one maintained by Peter Istvan Papics and the other by Horpolin and Son, and used these to develop my itinerary. I somehow managed to miss the best site however - which I think is a sort of open map initiative - the turistuatak site. This has everything you need to plan a walk through Hungary, downloadable maps, routes, and information on places to stay and eat.

Although I hadn't found the amazing turitstuatak site before arriving in Hungary I felt pretty well prepared. In particular I had downloaded a GPS trail for the route and was confident I could find my way. In practice however I hardly needed the GPS because the waymarking, with a white and blue sign every 20 metres or so, was brilliant. Help with accommodation also flooded in via the blog with lists of places to stay and even an occasional booking service. Kind Hungarians would contact me and then ring ahead and make the reservations.

Huge scale Hungarian agriculture

What I wasn't prepared for was the "feel" of the Hungarian countryside and to be honest I'm still trying to work out my reaction. In particular the "tools" I had to interpret the countryside, which had worked when I was in France and Spain, didn't seem to apply in Hungary. In particular I struggled with the fact that while the countryside was not particularly wild or remote and - despite the lack of evidence of rural depopulation which was such a strong feature of Spain - it was very empty.

The different feel to the countryside made it interesting and I was particularly lucky to be joined for a couple of days by Hungarians who helped to interpret some of what I saw. However I'm still left with more questions than answers which I guess is a good reason to return.

Koszeg Cathedral

Staying in Koszeg is a nice introduction to Hungary. The medieval centre of the town is still intact and is being carefully restored. The weather had picked up as soon as I crossed the border and in Kozeg I was able to enjoy lovely ice-cream and later a meal in the central piazza which acted as a magnet to Hungarians on a Saturday night promenade. I stayed in the Hotel Portre which was on the square and very good.

The first day's walk to Szeleste was a long one, 35 kilometres and, after a month of indifferent weather, the heat of Hungary came as a bit of shock. Fortunately the route was sheltered in a sliver of forest in what is otherwise open countryside with huge fields characteristic of Hungary's large scale agriculture. Szeleste is big village and the Castle Hotel was one of the more upmarket places I stayed in in Hungary.

Nádasdy Castle

A shorter 22 kilometre walk next day to the famous spa town of Sarvar again involving a mix of forest and open walking through a more huge fields. The town is quite big (16,000 population) and it's a long walk to the middle and the lovely Nádasdy Castle. Lots of accommodation but I stayed in a little gasthof very near the castle which was excellent but unfortunately I don't seem to have a record of its name.

Another long day through flat countryside with the same mix of open and forest walking with the route visiting a number of typical Hungarian villages (Gerce and Kald) although the heat seemed to be driving everyone indoors. I had my first Hungarian rescue when I man in Hosszupereszteg persuaded a bus driver to take me to the local hotel (the Hotel Patyi) which I was struggling to find.

Sumeg Castle

Another big 35 kilometre walk with the first 25 kilometres in trees. The main distraction was a lake near Szajk full of very green water and swimmers. The last 10 kilometres is more open although the stretch into Sumeg takes you along a road which you share with large and fast moving vehicles. Towering above Sumeg is imposing castle dating back to the 13th century and one of a series which form an ancient defensive line across Hungary. Found a little hotel right in the middle of Sumeg which was excellent.

Next day was a huge 45 kilometre walk, very hot, still through trees but for the first time hilly. For the only time in Hungary I lost the route just south of the Sumeg and only found it again after a bit of bushwacking. The hilly countryside seemed to usher in a different sort of agriculture with fruit trees and vines becoming pre-eminent. Keszthely is a famous resort on the side of Lake Balaton and a big draw for visitors from across Europe and really I should have stayed there but Budapest and home beckoned. Lots of accommodation but just a bit more expensive.

Mill pond in central Talpolca

The walk next day was in three parts - a short roadside escape from Keszthely; a long middle section mainly through forest but some open countryside at its end; then a really long roadside walk into Tapolca. The hot weather continued and it was official, I was walking through Hungary in the middle of a heat wave. Stayed at the Hotel Gabriella right next to the pretty mill-pond in the middle of the town, eat outside and was savaged by mosquitoes - a shame because the food was good.

As the crow flies it's probably about 10 kilometres to Szentbekkalla but the meandering blue route turns this into 35. This, however, was one of the best days of the Hungarian section of the E4 and although the hot weather made for a hazy light the scenery was wonderful with the gentle rolling countryside, the fruit trees and the vines, providing a feel which reminded me of holidays in Tuscany. Lots to see on this section, great views of Lake Balaton and a chance to visit the castle at Szigliget. I also shared the day with four Hungarians who, bit by bit, were walking the whole of the blue route. Stayed at a lovely guest house which had been booked for me by a blog commentator.

Views back to Lake Balaton

From Szentbekkalla, and after three days of meandering, the route turns decisively east. The next day was a really pleasant 20 kilometre walk with good views back to Lake Balaton, helped by the fact the extreme heat had gone and the haze with it. Nagyvazsony is a pretty village with Kinizsi Castle at its heart. I stayed at a simple but very adequate guest house near the castle.

Kinizsi Castle

Apart from the bit in the middle, around Varoslokislod, next day's walk was excellent, although at 42 kilometres quite a long one. Rolling countryside, mainly through forest, but with the occasional open stretch, it was helped by perfect weather, warm rather than hot and very clear. Bakonybel is a pretty little town and I stayed at another pleasant guest house.

The next days walk was a nice short one to Zirc, only 18 kilometres, so plenty of time to rest up. A good walk which included the gentle climb up to Koris-Hegy which at 709 metres is, I think, the highest point on the E4 in Hungary. Zirc is a pretty town centred around a spectacular baroque Cistercian abbey. Stayed at the Jesko guesthouse, excellent value but unfortunately, when I was there, no food.

Zirc Abbey

Next day's walk was huge, 50 kilometres to Fehervarcsurgo but was rewarded at the end with some splendid accommodation in a castle. The route visits a series of fairly substantial villages, Bakonynana (the southern edge), Jasd, Tes, Bakonykuti, and a variety of landscapes. The dense woodland opens up completely towards the end into open heath before closing up again as it drops down to the lake at Fehervarcsurgo. Stayed at the Karolyi Kastely which was absolutely splendid.

Karolyi Kastely

Another circa 50 kilometre walk next day and a walk with three distinct parts. A pleasant starter, around the lake and along a very pretty gorge; a rather plain main course, across a wide open valley with a lot of road walking, and a splendid dessert meandering through a forested national park before arriving late at the village of Vargesztes. The hotel I was hoping to stay in was shut but some locals in a bar found me some accommodation and I had a really pleasant evening sharing a meal with them.

Castle at Csókakő

It was a lovely morning next day, a little bit of a mist which created some amazing sunbeams through the trees. The mist cleared however and by the middle of the day and the trip across the valley and through Szárliget it was hot. Stayed at Tatabanya, a Hungarian new town of the route, the only place I could find accommodation, which, like new towns in the UK, is not necessarily a place you would choose to visit.

Sunbeams in the trees leaving Vargesztes

The Blue Route is definitely not a straight one, having visted Lake Balaton twice the route takes another detour north into the Danube valley before finally heading east to Budapest. Next day, a 28 kilometre walk, took me close to but not to the top of the Gerecse valley and then down along a pretty trail to Mogyorosbanya where I stayed at the very pleasant Club Leonardo. A good walk which was getting busier as I got closer to Budapest.

Approaching Piliscsaba

Penultimate day of walk and a very nice one too. For once I was not walking in trees and, often from ridges, was able to enjoy views north to Slovakia and the Danube, and west back to the Gerecse mountain. The only "obstacle" was the old industrial town of Dorog but the walk after the town to Piliscsaba was particularly good. I then experienced another and perhaps the best example of Hungarian hospitality. I had been advised that there was no accommodation in Piliscev so planned to stay Klastrompuszta. Unfortunately the guesthouse was full. The landlady tried to contact an address in Piliscev but with no luck. She gave me the name of the place and after getting to the village, wandering around aimlessly for a bit, a man in a bar gave me some instructions. When I found the place, the Kelemen Majorsag which was right on the eastern edge of the village, it was a goat farm (although it had virtually every farm animal other than cows) whose accommodation is still in the process of completion. They were expecting me however, the landlady from Klastrompuszta had made contact, and I got really well looked after. They not only fed me with wonderful local produce but found me some accommodation. No-one would take any money - really nice people and very kind.

In Budapest

For the walk into Budapest I was joined by Csaba Almási, ex-Hungarian Long Jump champion and a really nice guy. To be honest I can't remember much about the walk itself. We stopped for lunch at the home of one of Csaba's relatives, had some beer, crossed the City boundary, drank some Hungarian champagne and some more beer, caught tram into the City centre and of course had some more beer. I was interviewed by the media man from Hungarian Olympic Committee and, after all those beers, provided a very cogent explanation why I did the walk and what I found out about myself - it was sensibly dubbed so unless your Hungarian the mystery remains intact.

Sunday 21st August Koszeg to Szeleste
Monday 22nd Szeleste to Sarvar
Tuesday 23rd August Sarvar to Hosszupereszteg
Wednesday August 24th Hosszuperreszteg to Sumeg
Thursday 25th August Sumeg to Keszthely
Friday 26th of August Keszthely to Tapolca
Saturday 27th August Tapolca to Szentbekkalla
Sunday 28th Szentbekkalla to Nagyvazsony
Monday 29th August Nagyvazsony to Bakonybel
Tuesday 30th August Bakonybel to Zirc
Wednesday 31st August Zirc to Fehervarcsurgo
Thursday 1st September Fehervarcsurgo to Vargesztes
Friday September 2nd Vargesztes to Tatabanya
Saturday 3rd September Tatabanya to Mogyorosbanya
Sunday 4th of September Mogyorosbanya to Piliscsev
Monday 5th September Piliscsev to Budapest

Stage 13 - The E4 through Eastern Austria

2011-12-18T08:29:00.000Z

Coming up with a simple explanation for my route through the eastern half of Austria is not easy. Firstly I have to explain that there are two E4 options through Austria, one which takes you along the Nordalpenweg 01 and one which takes you along the NordAlpenweg 04. Secondly the route I took combined bits of both options - I took the 04 for the first six days after Salzburg and then switched south to the 01. Thirdly I have to explain that my last two days in Austria were on an option which I made up myself designed to avoid what I considered to be an unnecessary diversion which goes north and then south again before joining up with the E4 through Hungary.

Of course I was trying to save time. I had been walking for five months and was keen to get to Budapest and home to London. The bad weather through Bavaria had taken its toll on my morale and the forcast was for more rain. More important neither of the official E4 options seemed to make sense to me. Both routes struggle to join up with the start of the Hungarian section in a direct way. The northern variant takes you to Vienna and then south while the southern variant takes you east, close to the Hungarian border, but then heads north to Neusiedler See, before retracing its route south.

The truth of the matter is that the international long distance routes don't always make sense. They are superimposed on national routes which vary in complexity and develop over time. Given the huge potential for beautiful walking, the route is particularly complicated in Austria. Not only are there two basic variants (one following 01 and other the 04) but there are variants within variants (with the 01 splitting in eastern Austria with one leg going to Vienna and the other to Rust).

Nordalpenweg 04 and 01

Because the routes are superimposed on national routes extensions to the international network are not always straightforward. There was clearly a problem knitting the Austrian ends of the E4 up with the start of the Hungarian section which was added later. The original E4 ended in Austria to the north of the start of the "Blue Route", the national trail followed by the E4 in Hungary, and this presumably explains why you have to go north to Neusiedler See (the original route) and then south again to start the Hungarian section. I guess it's just not worth redesigning the route and taking down all the old signs and putting up new ones given the limited number of longdistance walkers.

Hochtor from the west

So my route through eastern Austria is the "John Hayes E4 Variant". It travels along the Nordalpenweg 04 for six days, crosses to the 01 and then avoids the return trip to Neusiedler See by taking a more direct route to the Hungarian border. What's more it nearly works although, as I'll describe, things do fall apart a bit just before arriving in what proved to be a Hungarian navigational safe zone.

Despite my declining enthusiasm things actually picked up once I got into Austria. The weather continued to be mixed but the walking was excellent. More of the accommodation was in mountain refuges and from Salzburg, until I left the Alps I had my wife Christine as company.

Modlingerhutte

Man with Harmonium

Although not quite as super-efficient as Switzerland, Austria is a walking friendly country. The waymarking is better than Bavaria and the network of mountain huts makes accommodation easy to find. Climbing and skiing are the key national sports in Austria and walking of course is a close cousin. Austrians watch the weather forecast and as soon as the sun comes out the mountains fill with walkers heading up to a hut, a beer, sausage and the other defining Austrian habit - music. Every hut has a harmonium and there are lots of walkers only too keen to demonstrate their talents.

You could do a lot worse than walk from Salzburg to Vienna - both really interesting places. Salzburg of course is the birth place of Mozart, the location for the filming of the Sound of Music and famous for its baroque architecture. Vienna, on the other hand, has a fascinating imperial legacy. Austria, which after all is quite a small country, has a capital which a hundred years ago was the centre of a huge and complex empire. The empire has gone (almost overnight) but the imperial architecture remains.

As it happens I had been before to both Salzburg and Vienna and for me city breaks are one thing, walking into a city another. Staying for a short time in a city centre you see its best bits, walking into a city centre you see its worst. If I have to travel through endless suburbs I think it's better by bus.

Attersee

In any event I wasn't going to Vienna and in the end only stayed in Salzburg one night. The first chunk of walking however, through the Salzkammergut, was a highlight in its own right. The area often referred to as the Austrian Lake District is a world heritage site, and has a reputation for some of the best walking in Austria. It has its own Cicerone Guide "Walking in the Salzkammergut" by Fleur and Colin Speakman and offers truly varied walking from tough Alpine hikes to lakeside strolls.

Perhaps not as famous as the Salzkammergut, the last alpine part of the walk after the switch to the Nordaplenweg 01still had some special places to visit. It includes the Gesause National Park, the Hochshwab, and what turned out to be an amazing finale, the Murztaler Alps.

Christine had booked the accommodation and had found a hotel really close to the point at which the E4 left Salzburg, essential if you don't want to go site-see in Salzburg. The first target is Gaisburg, a 1000 metre climb with views back over the City. It's then a pleasant walk down to Ebanau with a fairly flat (dull) walk to Faistenau. Lots of places to stay at Faistenau.

The walk next day was huge, taking you into the heart of the Salzkammergut, down to the first big lake (the Fuschlsee) then along to St Gilgen and views of the second big lake (the Wolfgangsee) finishing with an enormous 1400 metre climb up to the Schafberg. The Schafberg is an amazing place, another mountain top with its own train station. The food in the hotel was very average but the location more than made up for it. When I was there it was empty but on really sunny days I suspect it gets very busy, the views are just vast.

Schafberg

The descent from the Schafberg requires a serious head for heights but the scenery was brilliantly set off, when we were there, by wonderful weather. We found the perfect mid morning coffee stop at Eisenauralm although by 10.30 most of the locals were drinking beer. The long walk down to the Attersee starts to get a bit tedious before you get to the end but, once you have walked around the lake, Weisenbach is a pretty little village. There are lots of Weisenbachs in Austria and we had booked a hotel in the wrong one but luckily found a guest house which was more than adequate. Enjoyed a swim in the lake before dinner.

The walk next day was epic, maybe just a little too epic. The weather started really well and after an easy walk the day before the 1200 metre climb up to Brennerin (1602 metres) was good with stunning views back to Attersee. After the big climb the trail undulates along a dry scrubby limestone trail to the Hochleckenhaus, a very popular hut when we were there and a good place to stop for lunch. Trouble is it's still a long way to the Reider Hutte, and in the way is another climb up to the Grunalmkogel (1821). The climb down is really tough and includes a fairly hairy bit of walking along a very narrow path. Eventually things got easier but the remote and tiny Reider Hutte was a very welcome site.

From the top of Brennerin and then Reider Hutte

After Reider Hutte it's more fairly flat walking across the limestone massif it's a big descent on a fairly dull trail through ski run scarred mountainside down to Ebensee. On a good day the views would have been huge but the rain had returned when we were there and we saw very little until we got to the bottom. We stayed at the Hotel Post which was excellent.

Not so much climbing next day and most of the walk was in trees but a very nice walk none the less. Stopped for lunch at the lovely lake at Offensee where Christine went for a swim. With hindsight continuing south from here and joining the 01, which gets very close, would have made sense but we stayed on the 04.. Almsee, the next lake, is in another stunning location and we found a brilliant hotel (just a bit expensive) at Habernau where we enjoyed the best food we had had in Austria.

Up the Valley from Almsee

The next day was the last one in the Salzkammergut and although the scenery is nice, it's not as dramatic as it has been. The route takes you along a valley to the Almtaler Haus (a cheaper alternative to the Hotel in Habernua), up over a relatively small ridge at Rind, and then along another valley down to Steyrling. We then carried on along the valley to the train station, caught the train south and stopping at Spital am Pyhrn to start the second half of the Austrian walk along the 01.

There was lots of cheap accommodation at Spital am Pyhrn although our arrival there signalled the start of a spell of really bad weather. We did manage to make the climb out of the village and up over the pass at Pyhrgasgatteri (1350 metres) but then it really started to rain. The first half of the walk is excellent but the second half, through semi-suburban countryside to Admont, was not very nice. Admont itself, home to a large baroque monastery, looked interesting and we found cheap little gasthof near the town centre to dry up in.

The weather was very bad the next day and we hadn't been able to find a local map and the guidebook (which anyway was in German) was very basic. We got lost several times, very frustrating in the rain, and definitely added a lot of time to the walk. We were on track again when we got to the Oberst Kinkler Hutte (no food on a Monday) and found the pass at Kalblinggateri but rain meant we missed the views as we entered the Gesause National Park. Had originally hoped to stop at Johnsbach, and on a good day could have made it easily, but instead stayed and dried out at the lovely Modlingerhutte and pigged out on beer and strudel.

The next day's walk, to Hess Hutte was a good one with great views of Hochtor (2369 metres), the highest mountain in the Ennstal Alps. It involved a steady 1,000 metre drop down to Johnsbach (stopped for coffee at the Hotel where we should have stayed and it looked good), a walk along the valley followed by a really good 900 metre walk up to the Hesse Hutte, another hut in a stunning location.

Over the pass at Sulzkarhund and on the scree at Lugauer

Next day should have been a good one but dodgy weather and rain soaked ground make it difficult. It was blowing a gale up the valley as we left the Hess Hutte and the wind didn't drop until we had climbed the pass at Sulzkarhund (1815 metres) and got into the lovely sheltered valley of Sulzkaralm which was full of wildlife. The route then takes you down a long way before a gradual climb through trees and meadows until you find yourself under the huge cliffs of the Lugauer (2207 metres) The route down is very difficult, steep with unstable scree. It was nerve racking and a real relief to get onto something more solid at bottom. We stayed in a basic but friendly gasthof right in the middle of the village of Radmer.

Lugauer

Good weather the next day and a pleasant walk. A simple 600 metre climb along a forest trail to the pass at Radmer Hals and then a walk along a beautiful valley followed by a long contour trail leading down to the town of Eisenerz. On the final descent you're treated to views of what is claimed to be Europe's oldest working iron ore quarry although, after centuries of years of operation, activity now seems to have finished.

The next day's walk up to the Sonnschien Hutte was excellent. Once you get out of Eisenerz, you climb up the side of a valley and then turn east into a long gorge with the River Hintersee Graben running along the bottom. At the end of a lovely walk the route takes up steeply until after around 1,000 metres your in an upland valley with good views all around. Staying high you eventually reach the Sonnschien Hutte which, despite being a Saturday, was empty enough for us to get our own room.

The bad weather returned in time for the climb up to the Hochschwab, really bad with lots of people, including us, getting confused at the top in the wind, rain and very low cloud. We managed to miss the right route to the summit only to find another one, go over the top and then return back to where we had started. Eventually the cloud lifted, everything became clear, and we walked down a deep valley with huge cliffs to the east of the Hochschwab. We stayed the night in a crowded Voisthaler Hutte but only had to share our room with a couple of other people who were very quiet.

Hochschwab and heading down the valley

The walk down the deep valley continued the next day but this time in brilliant sunshine. The good weather bought out the Austrian walkers in large numbers (you can walk to the top of Hochschwab and get to and from Vienna in a day). At the bottom of the valley is the village of Seewiesen and after crossing the road it's a gentle climb up through wooded countryside and pastures past huts at Seebergalm, Gorrecheralm, and Turnaueralm before a final tough climb up to Graf Meran Haus. This hut, currently very primitive but apparently about to be done up, has a brilliant location just under the summit of the Hohe Veitsch. Another great evening with several harmonia players in attendance.

Leaving Voisthaller Hutte

The initial part of the walk next day was lovely, high up in classic limestone surroundings and across open pasture, but dropping down a bit the scenery became more wooded with the views limited and fairly boring. My target was Krampen but when we got there the gasthof I was hoping for didn't exist and after a series of huts with limited washing facilities we were desperate for a shower. It would have been feasible, with a bit of push, to reach the next hut (quite a big climb up to the Wiener Leher Hutte) but instead we decided to stay in Neuberg.

Schneealpen Huas

Next day, instead of retracing our steps to Krampen, we took a more direct route up through the trees on the lovely open plateau above Neuberg and stopped for an early lunch at the Schneealpen Huas which sits in splendid isolation in the middle of an upland plain. A brilliant stretch of walking then takes you across this plateau, past the Lurgbauer Hutte, down steeply into a valley and then up again past the abandoned Zimmermann Hutte. The next bit was perhaps the most exciting bit of the whole of the E4, better even than the climb up to Canigou. Ropes, ladders, scree everything was thrown at us for the next 45 minutes or so but for some reason, on this day, it was just on the right side of the exciting/scary pivot point and the higher we got the more confident we felt. There was a real sense of achievement when we got to the top and as we made our way across another plain to the modern a very comfortable Karl Ludwig Haus.

Climbing up to Heukuppe

The Nordaplenweg 01 splits just after the Karl Ludwig Haus with the main route carrying onto Vienna and a southern variant carrying onto towards Rust. We took the southern variant and headed towards Semmering. Dropping down from the Predigtsuhl and eventually past the Wax Reigel Haus, the route takes you into trees and along a ridge walk. Christine was returning to England and you can get a train from Semmering but stopping there means leaving the route and if you're carrying on a better place to stay would be Maria Schutz which is another hour or so along the route.

Karl Ludwig Haus

One of the things I tried but failed to buy in Semmering was a local map with the walking routes marked up. They just didn't exist. My plan involved walking to Bromberg the next day and then onto Marzakogel where I would join the 07 longdistance trail heading south which, as I understand it, is the official return route from the Neusiedler See. Trouble was I was entering a less fashionable walking area and waymarks and maps are hard to find.

I did make it to Bromberg - a pleasant walk, no longer alpine and through countryside full of cattle and prosperous looking villages - but although I knew I was heading in the right direction I was never sure of the trail. The gasthof I wanted to stay at in Bromberg was shut (another feature of the less fashionable places is that accommodation is often shut for the holiday month of August) and I had to stay at some distance from the village and definitely off the trail.

Next day with Marzakogel as my target I got completely lost and although I was hitting some of the right places I couldn't find the trail and accommodation was also proving difficult to find. I needed to get to a place along the 07 called Landsee and from there you're supposed to head east and cross the border, join the Blue Route and then head to Kozeg. I couldn't find the route and I couldn't find anywhere to stay so in the end, after consulting helpful people in town halls, made it to Markt St Martin, not on the 07 but not far from the border.

The last day, from Markt St Martin to Kozeg in Hungary I walked on roads all the way. I was definitely not on the E4 but finding it without a map, and with few waymarks, felt like a real wild goose chase. The last few days in Austria were a bit of an anticlimax to what otherwise, despite mixed weather, had been a wonderful walk.

If you want to read what the walk felt like at the time than please go the walk diaries. The links are below:

Sunday July the 31st Salzburg to Faistenau
Monday August 1st Faistenau to Schafberg
Tuesday August 2nd Schafberg to Weisbenbach
Wednesday August 3rd Weissenbach to Riederhutte
Thursday 4th of August Riederhutte to Ebensee

Friday August 5. Ebensee to Habernau

Saturday 6th August Habernau to Spital a.Pyhrn

Sunday 7th August Spital am Pyhrn to Admont

Monday 8th August Admont to Modlingerhutte

Tuesday 9th Modlingerhutte to Hesse Hutte

Wednesday 10th August Hess Hutte to Radmer

Thursday August 11th Radner an der Stube to Eisenerz

Friday August 12th Eisenerz to Sonnschien Hutte

Saturday 13th August Sonnschien Hutte to Volsthaler Hutte

Sunday 14th August Voisthaler Hutte to Graf Meran Haus

Monday 15th Graf Meran Haus to Neuburg

Tuesday 16 August: Neuberg to Karl Ludwig Haus

Wednesday August 17th Karl Ludwig Haus to Semmering

Thursday 18th August Semmering to Bromberg

Friday 19th August Bromberg to Markt St Martin

Saturday 20th August Markt St Martin to Kozeg

Stage 12 - The Maximilianweg, the E4 through Bavaria

2011-12-12T10:30:00.001Z

At Bregenz, at the eastern end of Lake Constance and a day into Austria, the E4 splits. There are two options, the Nordalpenweg 01 and the Nordalpenweg 04. Both head east and both finish in Vienna. I was keen to save time so decided to get through Austria by combining the routes, travelling firstly along the 04 and then, in eastern Austria, crossing over to the 01. This approached saved me about 10 days.

Part of the saving results from the fact that the 04 is an easier walk than the 01. It's still Alpine but involves less climbing and you cover more distance each day. After a couple of days in Austria it crosses into Bavaria and, until you get to Salzburg, involves walking along a route called the Maximiliansweg following a journey undertaken in 1858 by King Maximilian II the then king of Bavaria. The 04 is an Austrian long distance footpath which, for much its route, takes you into Germany.

Linderhof

When Maximilian undertook the trip he was visiting some of the most beautiful locations in the Bavarian Alps. Starting at Lindau (not on the E4), the route visits Bregenz, Fussen (where his son Ludwig II built the Neuschwanstein Castle), Linderhof (site of another amazing palace built by his son) and Bertesgaden. For much of the time you're walking along or close to the very northern edge of the alps with long views down into Germany.

Neuschwanstein Castle

I had walked in Austria before but not Germany, and to be honest in this part of the world it's hard to spot the difference. One thing that did surprise me, given Germany's reputation for efficiency, was the poor quality of the waymarking. I'm not sure how the German footpath system works - whether or not the Maximilianweg is a national trail - but the waymarking along this route is hard to find.

Accommodation in Germany/Austria is good, cheaper than Switzerland and better. You're often walking through ski resorts so it's plentiful and in the summer good value, even for the British suffering currency devaluation. The mountain huts, are excellent, not always comfortable but usually in fabulous locations and full of people sharing the experience of the mountains. I have mixed feelings about the food, love the strudel and the cakes, but get bored with the sausages. It's nice to drink the beer high in the mountains but I was surprised by the lack of variety. I was told by locals that multinational brewers dominate.

Hittisau

I didn't have to use my GPS trail in Switzerland because the waymarks were so good but in Austria and Germany I didn't have a choice, I didn't have a trail. Had a German language guide, the equivalent of the French topoguide, which had distances and accommodation but the maps in it were very poor (they are good in the topoguides) and for the first time I started buying local maps. These are OK but the routes are still sometimes hard to find, there are often just so many of them.

After relatively good weather in Switzerland the weather was poor in Austria. A pattern set in, three days fine weather followed by three days of rain. I was told that the weather was exceptionally bad and this was one of the wettest summers locals can remember. I was also told that Bavaria is a wet part of the Alps, that it is usually wetter on the northern side of the Alps than it is on the southern side, that August is a often a wet month and that the weather doesn't settle down until September. Will definitely be coming back so will I'll test out all of these theories.

Crossing the border into Austria marked the beginning of a wet cycle, really wet. The walk is not particularly pleasant taking you over various versions of the Rhine (a sort of Rhine Lake Constance delta) and through the suburbs of Bregenz. Music festivals seem to feature everywhere in Austria and there was a big one in Bregenz when I was there (it has a huge open air opera house famous for gigantic stage sets) and finding accommodation was not that easy (although I didn't try the youth hostal).

Lechtal Alps

The rain stopped next day and once I had negotiated the suburbs of Bregenz things started to pick up. Climbing once more up to about 1,000 metres you got glimpses of the views back to Lake Constance. After a wet forest walk you drop down to the pretty and prosperous town of Albershwende (lots of places to stay) before a very gentle walk to Muselbuch and Lingenau. I stayed at the Gasthof Walderhof just outside the village which was excellent.

Along the ridge to Sonthofen

Rindalphorn

The walk next day was excellent with a big climb at the end. It meanders up a ridge and through trees from Lingenau to Hittisau (another pretty village), up the Lecknerta Valley and then the big climb up to the Staufnerhaus (crossing the border into Germany on the way). The Staufnerhaus refuge is in a brilliant location on top of a ridge with huge views north into Germany. I was staying there on a Friday and it was full of hikers getting ready for the weekend. Not a lot of sleep but good fun.

Top top walk next day. Perfect weather, absolutely amazing 360 degree views, high up all the time, simply fantastic. I was anticipating a ridge walk but it was much tougher and involved a series of minipeaks (Hochgrat, Hittisau, Rindalphorn, Buralkopf, Stuibern, and Steineberg), all around 1750 metres and quite hard work. You need a bit of head for heights for the last stretch and there is an alternative low level option but if the weather is good it would be a great shame to miss the views. I walked all the way down to Sonthofen which was a mistake; if you're not rushed staying at Gunzesried is a much better option.

Staying in Sonthofen meant a short walk to Unterjoch the next day which was just as well as the route was poorly defined high up and the weather got worse. It would have been a nice walk in the sun but as it was I was lucky to get to the hotel at Unterjoch just before the heavens opened. The Gasthof am Buchl is about a kilometre from Unterjoch but on the way in. There are lots of choices in the village itself although the Gasthof was excellent.

Next day's walk to Fussen was a good one. It starts with a gentle walk up out of Unterjoch, follows the River Vils down along a gorge, takes you across a slightly suburban valley before climbing up to the castle at Falkenstein. After Falkenstein, where I joined up with some friends, you follow the ridge through trees (crossing the border between Germany and Austria several times) before dropping down into the historic town of Fussen.

Fussen is a lovely town full of famous gothic buildings, in particular the Hohes Schloss, the castle on the hill in the middle. The Neuschwanstein Castle, just outside the town is perhaps its most famous landmark, but the setting with the Ammergauer Alps providing a dramatic backdrop is also brilliant. Steve McQueen's motorcycle stunts and many other Great Escape scenes were shot around the town.

The weather was OK for my day off in Fussen but bad again the next day. I climbed up for about 1,000 metres to the Tegelberghaus (which was shut) but decided that only mad people would go up higher to the Hochplatte on such a bad day so took the low level route to the wonderful Kenzenhutte. We got our own rooms and enjoyed good food out of the rain.

August-Schuster-Haus

Great walk next day, good weather in the morning but rain again in the afternoon. Again a high level and low level option. The high level option takes you along the ridge above Linderhof whereas the low level option takes you down to the town and its famous palace. We took the low level option which meant of lot of tree walking. After Linderhof you climb up to the ridge and the August-Schuster-Haus, another hut in an amazing location and then down through a wonderful open valley. After a gorge you cross a wider valley, go through the village of Unterammergau before climbing up to the Hornlehutte. This was a very basic hut but as I had it completely to myself it didn't matter.

Walchensee

The walk the next day was in three parts with a long flat valley crossing in the middle. The first part from Hornlehutte was high up with great views but it wasn't long before you had the knee crunching 1,000 metre descent down to Grafenschau. It's then 8 kilometres of road walking across the flat valley bottom to Eschenlohe. I went wrong at this point with my route following the river Eschenlaine all the way to Walchensee instead of climbing up over the Ohlstadter Alm - nice walk all the same. I stayed at the excellent Gasthof Edeltrout

With good weather the walk next day would have been brilliant. High up, but with a good mix of woodland and open walking, there should have been views to the lakes in the west. As it was it rained all day, we got lost several times (a party of four at this point) and we didn't make the target Brauneck-Gipfelhaus but stopped instead at Tutzinger Hutte. Lots of fun in the hut but on a Saturday it was crowded.

Next day was the only day of the whole walk when I had to bale out. Two of the party were leaving but I was meeting a cousin at Schliersee. Getting there involved a big walk and we were already a couple of hours behind schedule after the previous day. The weather was awful and the huge descent down to Lenggries seemed a bit masochistic. Did the two hours to Brauneck-Gipfelhaus and then got the chair lift down the mountain and a train to Schliersee (met my cousin on the train).

It was a huge introductory walk for my cousin the next day but at least it had stopped raining. It started with a gentle ascent through trees over a ridge before dropping down to village of Fischbachau. 1,000 metres of climb later and at we were at the top of Wendelstien (1800 metres), a big tourist attraction with huge views. We resisted the temptation to catch the mountain train and instead descended 1,400 metres down to Nusdorf am Inn. A horrible 5 kilometre road walk at the end forced an interim beer stop.

Cousins on Wendlestein

It was a much easier walk to Hohenaschau next day. 20 kilometres and about 1,000 metres of climb with a nice hut at the top, the Hochrieshaus, where we stopped for lunch. Hohenaschau is a very pretty village, built around an imposing medieval castle.

Another 20 kilometre day but with a bit more climb through the Chiemgau Alps. The highlight is a scramble to the top of Grosjoch which is the high point on a ridge of mountains called the Kampenwand. A head for heights is definitely needed particularly for the descent which involves quiet a lot of work on fixed ropes. A long pleasant walk down to Marquartstein which has plenty of accommodation. We had chosen a hotel on the northern edge, which was fine but added a couple of kilometres of road walking to the route.

Up and down Kampenwand

No ropes next day but a bigger walk to Ruhpolding, 1800 metres of climb and 34 kilometres. Two peaks to climb, Hochgern and Hochfelln and I must admit I was glad to have someone with me as visibility was very bad and there was some difficult walking at the top - another day when bad weather spoilt the views. Having completed the big climbs it was also a long walk down to Ruhpolding, a town with lots of accommodation.

Which way?

The walk to Bad Reichenhall was longer and more challenging that I had anticipated with optimism getting the better of common sense. Easy walk from Ruhpolding to Inzell followed by a 7 kilometre and 1,000 metre climb up to Kohleralm. The walking was good with some great views. The next 3 kilometres is along a path, aften narrow, running along the side of a cliff to the Zweiselhaus. There are several ways down to Bad Reichenhall, including a route over the top. I think we took the middle option which seemed to be the same path we had been on and continued to contour around Zwieselalm before a long descent down to the town. The weather had deteriorated again and I was glad to get off the mountain. Bad Reichenhall is a big place with lots of accommodation.

The grande finale for the Maxmiliansweg is a climb up to the Berchtesgadner Hochtron (1972 metres). Had originally planned to do this and stay at Zeppezaurhaus. In the event the weather next day was so bad that the low level option involving a walk to Salzburg made more sense. We made it through the rain to the City boundary and then caught the bus.

Although the NordAlpenweg 04 is definitely easier than the 01 (I walked the first 10 days of the eastern end in 2010) it's still Alpine walking and perhaps a bit tougher than I was expecting. I was definitely unlucky with the weather but of course if it hadn't been for the rain there would have been even more climbing and it would have been a tougher route. Have found a picture of the Berchtesgadner Hochtron just to show myself what I missed on the last day.

Berchtesgadner Hochtron

If you want to read what the walk felt like at the time than please go the walk diaries. The links are below:

Wednesday July 13th Rhieneck to Bregenz
Thursday 14th July Bregenz to Lingenau
Friday 15th of July Lingenau to Staufnerhaus
Saturday 16th of July Staufnerhaus to Sonthofen
Sunday 17th of July Sonthofen to Unterjoch
Monday 18th July Unterjoch to Fussen
Wednesday 20th July Fussen to Kenzenhutte
Thursday 21st July Kenzenhutte to Hornlehutte
Friday 22nd July Hornlehutte to Walchensee.
Saturday 23rd of July Walchensee to Tutzinger Hutte
Sunday 24th July Tutzinger to Schliersee
Monday 25th of July Staffelalm to Nusdorf am Inn
Tuesday 26th July Nusdorf am Inn to Hohenaschau
Wednesday 27th of July Hohenaschau to Marquartstein
Thursday 28th July Marquartstein to Ruhpolding
Friday 29th of July Ruhpolding to Bad Reichenhall
Saturday 30th of July Bad Reichenhall to Salzburg

Stage 11 - E4 through Switzerland

2011-12-07T18:10:00.001Z

You could blame Switzerland for my E4 adventure. The first time I did place to place unassisted walking was about 10 years ago, with Christine, when we went from Grindelwald to Gstaad and my enthusiasm for this style of walking has grown ever since. Of course we were completely spoilt by the scenery, particularly the awesome views of the Eiger and the Jungfrau, but it was the excitement of a new walk everyday and the sense of achievement from looking back over ground covered that really got me hooked.

Switzerland really is a different country. Intensely associated with the Alps (almost interchangeable) it has lots things going for it. Famous for its long history of independence and neutrality it somehow combines an intensely decentralised form of government (all the way down to referendum) with really strong national institutions (a conscript army based on national service). Famous of course for its financial services (infamous to some (particularly Harold Wilson)) it actually has a broadly based economy with the highest per capita level of manufacturing in Europe (interesting counter factual - it also has the lowest proportion of graduates in its workforce). Switzerland is a successful country and all this makes for easy hassle free visiting.

As it happens the E4 route through Switzerland does not take you through classic Alpine scenery (that comes in buckets in Austria) but through the less well known Jura Mountains and then along the southern shore of Lake Constance.

Jura Crest Way

Through the Jura the route follows the Jura Crest Way (known locally as the Chemin des Cretes or the Jura Hoehenweg in German). The Crest Way is one of the oldest national trails in the world with original development starting in 1905. It starts at Nyon, just north of Geneva, and finishes at Dielsdorf, just north of Zurich, joining up Switzerland's two largest cities. As the name suggests the route follows an east west ridge overlooking the central plateau with its huge lakes and with the Alps forming the horizon to the south.

After the Crest Way there is a messy couple of days as you cross over to the Rhine and Lake Constance and than an easy walk along the southern edge of Lake Constance (Bodensee in German) to Rhieneck before heading into the Alps again and the Maximiliansweg.

When I was planning the route I had two really good sources of information. The Swiss Hiking Federation website, which provides both an itinerary and a description of the stages, and a site called Activity Workshop, which provides a KMZ file for the route (which you can display in Google Earth) and loads into the GPS on my Iphone.

Brilliant waymarks

As it happens Switzerland's footpath waymarking turned out to be amazing and, as far as I'm concerned, sets the international standard. You feel like your walking on a real network comparable to the rail and road networks with signs designed to enable you to choose walking as an alternative way of getting from place to place (the cycle network looks just as impressive). It's also completely integrated with the public transport network so if you do lose the signs (there is always one in line of sight) all you have to do is find the train station (everywhere) and you find the footpath signs.

The biggest test for waymarking for me is going through towns. It's in towns where choice increases and where you're more likely to make mistakes and lose your way. Swiss waymarking in most cases was good enough to take you right through even large towns and I went through Switzerland without maps and without the using of my GPS.

Walking in Switzerland does have it down sides. It was the most expensive country and accommodation wasn't generally as good as elsewhere. I also have a downer on central European food. For me the food started to get worse in Switzerland, declined further in Germany and Austria and didn't get better until I got to Hungary.

Like all general rules there are lots of exceptions and the first night's accommodation in Saint Cergue and the food and accommodation at the Hotel de la Poste was good and not too expensive. The first day's walk was good as well, easy walk through meadows to the Col du Marchairez. Another general rule, certainly for the E4 in Switzerland compared to the E4 in France, is that the meadow to tree ratio was much better - a lot more open and better views. I also had good weather on the first day, a bit less humidity would have produced even better views of the Alps, and it would have been perfect.

Typical Crest Way path

The hotel/refuge at the Col du Marchairez was also nice and they made me a huge sandwich for lunch and wouldn't accept any payment! The weather however had turned nasty and during the day went from dense fog to rain. Great shame as the walk to Baillaigues took me up a gentle climb over Mount Tendre, the highest point on Swiss part of the E4. The views would have been great but even in the rain it was a good walk down from Mount Tendre, across an upland plain and then down towards La Pont and then on through a valley and down further to the town of Vallorbe. I stayed at the Hotel La Croix d'Or which did comply with the general poor accommodation rule.

The weather improved the next day and the walk to Sainte Croix was excellent. I had views of both Lake Geneva and Lake Neuchatel but still too misty for the Alps beyond. What I worked out at this point was that the stages on the Swiss walking web site are all designed to get you to public transport points and not necessarily the best places to stay. Sainte Croix has accommodation but it was expensive and I ended up in a bed and breakfast out of town. I would have been better off walking another 5 kilometres and staying at the refuge at Le Chasseron which is perhaps the most scenic place to stay on the whole Swiss section of the route.

Hotel Le Chasseron

The Crestway as a defensive line

The walk the next day was wonderful. I decided not to worry about the humidity spoiling the views of the Alps as the shorter views, the lovely hay meadows in particular, were just excellent. The ridge walk either side of the amazingly positioned Hotel Le Chasseron was particularly good but the real highlight was the Le Creux de Van, a huge Malham Cove type limestone semi circle, which provides the iconic view of the Crestway. I stayed at the right place as well, a refuge at Le Solait, near the Le Creux de Van, where I had my annual fondue.

Le Cruex de Van

Not quite so good the next day, occasional views of Lake Nuechatel and to the Le Creux de Van, but a lot tree walking. It started with a huge walk down to the town of Noiraigue and then a big climb up the cliff on the other side and then along the ridge to Vue des Alps with the scenery gradually opening up as you went. The hotel at the Vue des Alps was a bit disappointing, on a busy road with poor food.

The walk next day was brilliant, lots of fabulous open countryside and amazing views of the Alps. It was all good but I guess the high-light was the walk up the Chasserol. There is a hotel (very expensive) and a huge telecoms tower at the top, a very popular spot. I stayed in the Auberge des Gorges at Frinvillier, good food and a really helpful host.

Across Neuchatel to the Alps

The good walking continued to Hinter-Weissenstein, perhaps the toughest day on the trip (not very tough) and certainly the only stretch where you needed just a slight head for heights. It was also along this stretch that the language spoken went from French to German with the Chemin des Cretes (the Crest Way) turning into the Howenweg. The ridge also gets narrower and at one point becomes just a sliver of limestone. Stayed at farm Gasthof set high up on the side of a valley, a perfect location.

Diminishing Crest Way

Gradually the ridge is starting to shrink with residual lumps of limestone stick out of the landscape like old teeth. Between these lumps there are huge meadows usually with hay already captured but lovely and green for all that. The intensive use of the Swiss countryside for agriculture does give it a beautiful but perhaps, for some people, a slightly manicured look. I like it. Balsthal is quite a big place and the Hotel Balsthal a big but not particularly nice hotel.

Stiff climb out Balsthal, up to 1,000 metres again, and then more of the same wonderful ridge walking which by now I was taking totally for granted. Along this stretch your again reminded of the proximity of the German border with defenses enforcing Switzerland's distinctive armed neutrality and how the Crestway has been enhanced to form a defensive barrier. Just before Hauenstein, at Belchenflue the whole mountain has been fortified, anticipating an invasion from the north, with construction dating back to the First World War. Stayed in a bed and breakfast at Hauenstein and ate in the local restaurant.

If I was just walking along the Crest Way than I would go east to west. This penultimate stretch to Brugg is nice but somehow doesn't add anything to what you have seen already. You're are getting lower and the landscape is becoming more arable and less attractive, coming the other way though it would be a good introduction to what comes next rather than an anti-climax. Brugg is a fairly big with a historic centre sitting on a bend in the River Aare. Like all Swiss towns of any size there is an obvious manufacturing sector. Stayed in a hideously expensive hotel although there was a good choice of places which were similarly priced.

Regensburg

Had my only bad Swiss navigation day next missing the route out of Brugg (going by the river rather than climbing to the top of the ridge), and then missing it again out of Baden. Eventually found it after some bushwacking to the east of Baden and then followed it down a lovely path to the very pretty town of Regensburg. I didn't know precisely which route I should be taking to Stein am Rhein, where I would pick up the route as it went along the south bank of the Rhine and Lake Constance, was was relying on a list of towns as stepping stones and using the foot path signs to take me from town to town. Bulach was the first stepping stone, it's just north of Zurich airport. Stayed in a very poor hotel.

As I understand it the official route goes Bülach, Freienstein, Irchel, Ober-Buch, Dorf, Großandelfingen, Truttikon and Oberstammheim to Stein am Rhein. I ended up going via Neftenbach and Adelfingen. I'm not sure which is longer or better but I started at 7 and got to Stein am Rhein at 5.30, a 44 kilometre walk. Stein am Rhein is an absolutely gorgeous town, stunning timber framed painted with medieval scenes. I stayed in a sort of refuge on south side of the bridge over the river and had a very sub-standard curry.

It took me three days to get from Stein am Rhein to Rhieneck and the border with Austria. It was almost flat all the way and navigation very easy, just keep the water to the left.

Stein am Rhein

On the first day I made it to Ermatingen which meant walking along the south bank of the Rhine. An interesting walk during which you get to see the wealth of the Swiss, displayed in stunning houses with radical modern designs; the enterprise, all the little towns even in such scenic surroundings had factories; and, the organisation, the amazing public transport and intensively used cycle networks. Ermatingen is a typical little resort town and I stayed at the Hotel Adler which was very good and reasonable, although like most Swiss hotels in small towns you have to share a bathroom etc.

Leaving Romanshorn

Next day I continued along the bank of the Rhine and then through the suburbs of Konstance and learnt that Konstance is actually in Germany. Past Konstance and you're on the southern shore of the Lake (Bodansee) and the route takes you through one little resort village after another. I perhaps chose the wrong one by staying at Romanshorn. Could only find one hotel, opposite the station, and had perhaps my worst breakfast of the trip, a very run down sort of place.

The last day in Switzerland was a bit messy (so was the first day in Austria) and it felt like the footpath didn't actually make it all the way to Rhieneck. Just like yesterday the walk then took you through a series of resorts, Arbon, Steinach and Rorschach. Just past Rorshach, which was the largest resort, maybe at Staad, there was a huge railways works where the very same trains that have been flying past me on the local line for the last few days are built. You then have to get past a little airport before finding the old River Rhine and walking down its west bank to Rhieneck. Most people around were doing place trips on bikes and given the amount of hard surface walking along the south bank of Lake Constance I can see why. A couple of places to stay in Rhieneck I stayed at the cocktail bar - although the bar was shut.

If you want to read what the walk felt like at the time than please go the walk diaries. The links are below:

Tuesday June 28th Saint Cergue to Col du Marchairuz
Wednesday 29th of June Col du Marchairez to Ballaigues
Thursday 30th June Ballaigues to Sainte Croix
Friday July the 1st Ste-Croix to Le Soliat
Saturday July the 2nd Le Soliat to Vue des Alps
Sunday July 3rd Vue des Alpes to Frinvillier
Monday July 4th Frinvillier to Hinter-Weissenstein
Tuesday July 5th Hinter-Weissenstein to Balsthal
Wednesday July 6th Balsthal to Hauenstein
Thursday 7th July Hauenstein to Brugg
Friday 8th July Brugg to Bulach
Saturday 9th of July Bulach to Stein am Rhein
Sunday 10th of July Stein am Rhein to Ermatingen
Monday July 11th Ermatingen to Romanshorn
Tuesday July 12th Romanshorn to Rhieneck

Stage 10 - The E4 from Grenoble to the Swiss Border

2011-12-01T17:03:00.001Z

By the time I got to Grenoble I was three days ahead of schedule. Because friends had booked flights and were expecting to meet me at a particular place, I had to lose some days. Some friends near Grenoble had offered to put me up so taking a few days out made a lot of sense. I finished walking on the Wednesday and was back in Grenoble lunch time on the Saturday. It rained almost continually for the three days so my timing for once was impeccable.

View across the Isere Valley

Getting to the Swiss border, where the E4 turns firmly east, involves a journey of some 245 kms, 10,500 metres of climb and 9110 of descent. It took me 9 days with some long days where the accommodation was a bit limited.

You can break the walk down into three parts - a really dramatic, and tough, first three days through the Chartreuse Natural Park; a gentler central stage which eventually takes across the Rhone (for the second time, with the Rhone now flowing east to west and out of Lake Geneva); and finally an upland section the last couple of days of which are in the Haut Jura Natural Park.

At the base of the Chamechaude

The Chartreuse Natural Park is built around the Chartreuse Massif which is the mirror image of the Vercors on the southern side of the Isere valley and shares the same dramatic limestone scenery. Grenoble sits strategically in the gap between the two.

I was walking out of Grenoble at about 2 in the afternoon, it was drizzling which was a big improvement on the morning, and the day was getting better. The route took me up past the Grenoble's imposing Vauban fortress (there is a lift option), along a ridge and then down to the little village of Le Chateau Pillon before a very steep climb up to another fort, the Fort du St-Eynard. This was followed by another lovely ridge walk through trees but with occasional views from the edge to huge mountains on the other side of the Isere valley. The route then drops down to the ski resort of Le Sappey en Chartreuse where I stayed at the Hotel les Skieurs, very nice but way above my budget. A good walk, not very far but at least 1400 metres of ascent.

Dent de Crolles

Views to Mont Blanc

Th next day's walk was brilliant and one of the best of the whole trip. The weather was drizzly in the morning but again got better as the day went on. It started with a gentle walk up the valley along a muddy road to the foot of a cliff underneath the 2,000 metre Chamechaude. Crossing the valley to the east, climbing a gentle ridge you then drop down to the Col de Coq before climbing up the side of the very impressive Dent de Crolles. It was Sunday and there were lots of walkers out and there was a short queue to get onto the rope which you used to pull yourself up. Leaving the crowds it was then a long descent before climbing over another ridge at the Col de Bellefond. Great views of Mont Blanc followed by a long gentle descent along a limestone valley before turning west towards La Plagne. Stayed in a brilliant Gite d'Etape at La Plagne.

Cliffs above La Plagne

Next day was the last day in the Chartreuse, a nice walk but not brilliant with quite a lot of road walking. You do visit some pretty villages (L'Epernay and Les Bozons) and pass through the pleasant Gorge de L'Echaillon before dropping down to Les Echelles. Couldn't find accommodation in the town and stayed some way out at Auberge du Morge.

Three days in the Chartreuse is then followed by couple of gentle (not flat) days as the GR9 and E4 crosses the Rhone Valley. I rejoined the path proper at Attignat-Oncin with the route taking me along quiet country lanes and across meadows. At the little town of la Bridoire it gets a bit more built up but your soon back onto those quiet country lanes before climbing onto a ridge (just after the village of Dullin) which takes you all way to St Maurice de Rotherens. A autoroute runs underneath the ridge and there's a motorway hum in the back-ground but the ridge gives great views of the Rhone Valley. The Gite d'Etape at St Maurice de Rotherens is an absolute classic, awful beds, great food and great fun. There is a tributary to the St James Way around here and the owner has built a chapel to promote the fact.

St Maurice de Rotherens

The walk next day was a lovely one spoiled a bit by mixed weather. Continuing along the ridge above the Rhone Valley you eventually drop right down to its banks at Yenne (the Rhone actually splits following either side of a large island). Climbing up again, away from the Rhone and through vineyards (the GR9 is sharing the same route as the GR65, the St James Way tributary) you then return to the river at the pretty town of Chanaz before crossing the Rhone just in front of Culoz. It was pouring with rain and I glad to get to the Hotel le Cardinal which was cheap and cheerful.

I could have stayed at the prettier town of Chanaz but I wanted to be as close as possible to the Grand Colombier. Climbing up to 1500 metres and walking 30 kilometres felt like a challenge but the Gite D'Etape at la Grange d'en Haut was shut and the only choice was to walk onto the ski resort at Les Plans d'Hortonnes. Really good stretch of walking, a lovely mix of upland meadows and trees spoilt only by the mixed weather which restricted the views. Stayed at the excellent Hotel Berthet .

Much better weather next day but for once the scenery was a little dull, high up but either in trees or on fairly ground. A long knee crunching descent down to the motorway and just beyond that to the little ski resort of St Germain de Joux. Stayed at very nice but expensive Hotel Reygrobellet.

In the Haut Jura

Great weather the next day, scenery a lot better but still an awful lot of trees, just a bit frustrating given that the dry weather had recently been in short supply. After climbing up out of the valley and visiting the pretty village of Giron (could have stayed there), there was a sustained forest walk, some pretty meadows, but mainly trees and it doesn't really open up until the last third of the walk and the descent down to the little ski resort of Lelex. Have lost the name of the hotel I stayed in, a shame because it was very good.

Mont Blanc

The good weather continued next day, and climbing up the onto the Jura Ridge proper, I was rewarded amazing views of Lake Geneva, the Alps and Mont Blanc in particular. An absolutely fabulous walk along the ridge all the way to the ski resort at the Col de la Faucille where I stayed in the Hotel de la Couronne.

On my last day in France I went the wrong way. I stuck with the GR9 went on a huge detour to La Cure where I crossed the border and joined the GR 5 and walked to Saint Cergue. A comment on the web-site suggested I should have carried on along the ridge (now back in trees) along the GR Balcon du Leman. This would have taken me over La Dole, where I would have got some great views again, and then down to Saint Cergue. An annoying way to finish the trip through France.

If you want to read what the walk felt like at the time than please go the walk diaries. The links are below:

Saturday 18th June Grenoble to Le Sappey en Chartreuse
Sunday 19th June Le Sappey en Chartreuse to La Plagne
Monday 20th of June La Plagne to Les Echelles
June 21st Echelles to St Maurice de Rotherens
Wednesday 22nd June St Maurice de Rotherens to Culoz
Thursday 23rd June Culoz to Les Plans d' Hortonnes
Friday 24th June Les Plans d'Hortonnes to St Germain de Joux
Saturday 25th June St-Germain-de-Joux to Lelex
Sunday 26th June Lelex to Col de la Faucille
Monday 27th of June Col de la Foucille to Saint Cergue

Stage 9 - The E4 through the Vercors to Grenoble

2011-11-30T14:59:00.002Z

Although you're walking through mountains for almost of the French part of the E4 it's not all the same. Crossing the Rhone in particular meant I was leaving one type of geology and geomorphology, the ancient and fairly gentle Massif Central, and moving into another type which was younger and fresher. I was now moving into the Vercors, essentially the western foothills of the Alps. The Vercors, like a lot of the Massif Central, is limestone but here the uplifts have been relatively recent and as a consequence the erosion and the resulting cliffs are more dramatic, a little bit like their cousins in the Dolomites but of course with a different colour.

From Leoncel onwards the walk takes you through the Vercors Natural Park where the mountains form what has been described as a limestone "citadel", a huge upland massif with deep gorges sliced out by the rivers.

Above Sallians

The term citadel, of course came to have a more literal meaning in the Second World War. The Germans had always struggled to dominate the region and, just before the Normandy invasion, the Resistance embarked on their most ambitious action against the German army. In repressing the action the Germans were forced to deploy 10,000 paratroopers, landing by glider and killing some 600 maquisards.

Crossing the citadel meant tougher walking, 219 kilometres in 8 days with an average daily climb of 1,000 metres. Navigationally it was straightforward - I was now on the GR9 and the route followed the GR9 all the way to Grenoble and then on from Grenoble to the Swiss border. As well as my GPS trail downloaded from GR-Info I'd also got an up-to-date Topoguide. I was on my own again and all I had to do was walk.

First day was a tough one, 40 kilometres and 900 metres of climb to Dieulefit. I was still in the Rhone Valley and had to finish crossing the main north/south transport corridor by going over the Autoroute de Soleil and under the TGV line before a gentle climb up into the hills and onto the Trappist Monastery at Aiguebelle. Mainly shrubby forest it's gentle until the climb up to Mont Rachas (950 metres) after which the route takes you down steeply to Dieulefit (having left the GR429 and joined the GR9). The hotel I stayed in was OK but involved a long walk out of town, there is a much more convenient one in the middle but it was fully booked.

Church near Les Lombards

It was short walk the next day which was lucky because it was pouring with rain in the morning and a late start kept me dry. Very pleasant walk to the pretty town of Bourdeaux. I went past the stunning Romanesque church near Les Lombards, perfectly positioned on a hill, and a ruined castle just before the town. Accommodation was provided in a Chambre d'Hote, at the excellent La Tulipe Sauvage.

Bourdeaux

The dramatic walk came the next day. After stocking up at the market in Bourdeaux I followed the route up the mountain towards Rocher de la Laveus. Brilliant views back to Bourdeaux with the castle dominating the town. Arrived at the top of the Rocher de la Laveus in the sun, huge limestone cliffs with great views north towards Sallians. With hindsight I should have taken the variant up to Le Veyou which would have give me even more of this amazing walk along the cliff before rejoining the GR9. It's then a steep climb down to Sallians, a lovely town with lots a accommodation. I stayed at the town's Gite D'Etape, a bit primitive but good food and good value. Great walk but I wish I had done the variant.

Rocher de la Laveuse

Such walking couldn't be sustained and the next day was a little dull in comparison. The first half to Beaufort sur Gervanne was through scrubby forest across a sandy undulating moraine, not bad but not brilliant. The second half was much better, a climb up to the Rocher de la Laveuse and then a lovely walk along a ridge before dropping down to the little village of la Vacherie. I stayed in another Gite D'Etape, a huge one but I was the only person there - good food and a charming host.

Better again next day, although the weather was a bit dull. Really cold north wind blowing straight down the lovely upland valley which hosts the villages of la Vacherie and, further up Leoncel. The cliffs get higher as you head north but dense trees means that open views are fairly rare. Walking firstly on the east side you then cross the valley and climb nearly to top of ridge at Rocher d'Aiguille (1100 metres) before dropping down into another valley heading east valley. At the bottom of this valley you then walk through a really pretty gorge, barely mentioned on the maps, before climbing up again to the village of Bouvante-le-Bas where I stayed at the slightly down at heel Hotel Sapin.

The Echoing Gorge

The GR9 is now taking you into the heart of the Vercors and the sense of citadel really comes through. Firstly a big 800 metre climb up from Bouvante-le-Bas to the top of ridge. The weather was good but the density of the trees hid the views and indeed on the other side of the 1300 metre col you were in middle of commercial forest and had to walk along horrible tracked forest access roads. The route then goes down to the Col de la Machine, a bikers paradise, the views improved but you still felt short changed given the climb. I then took the GR9 variant down into the gorge with the village of Laval at the bottom, a huge open gorge with 700 metre cliffs, fantastic. Out of the gorge the GR9 takes you along the foot of the cliffs, with the plain to the west, and views into more gorges carved out of the Vercors massif to the east. Pont-en-Royan sits at the entrance to one of these gorges, a pretty town in a very pretty location. Stayed at the Hotel Royans, cheap and cheerful.

Into the Gorge la Vernaison

The next stretch takes up the gorge to the east of Pont-en-Royans, firstly along the Gorge de la Bourne, and then, after climbing steeply up its side, along a valley running north south to Rencurel. Very dramatic and very interesting. The second valley, to the north of the Gorge de la Bourne, repeats itself on the south side (with huge wave like mountains running along its eastern edge) and this north-south valley must be a remnant an earlier uplift of the Vercors. Absolutely brilliant scenery. Only downside was that the Hotel le Marrionnier in Rencurel was full and I had to stay back down the valley in La Balme de Rencurel, a nice hotel, just out of the way.

Pont-en-Royans

On my last day in the Vercors I walked all the way to Grenoble. This was a mad thing to do but I was making good time and I just couldn't bring myself to walk back to Autrans which provides the sensible accommodation option. The GR9 takes you up the Rencurel valley and then up onto a ridge running north south. The ridge then merges into cliffs formed by a giant meander in River Isere, huge cliffs which face north to Moirans and then east to Grenoble. The walk takes you the all way around this semi-circle of cliffs. It was misty when I started but once this had cleared the views were absolutely amazing and when the time to head back to Autrans I just couldn't do it. Instead I carried on walking, firstly down to Engins and then up over another ridge to ski resort of St-Nizier-du-Moucherotte, and then an knee crunching descent down to Grenoble. Fantastic two days walking done in a day. Was eating street pizza in Grenoble at 9 o'clock, about 13 hours non-stop walking.

La Grande Breche

If you want to read what the walk felt like at the time than please go to the walk diaries. The links are below:

Tuesday 7th of June Chateauneuf du-Rhone to Dieulefit
Wednesday 8th of June Dieulefit to Bourdeaux
Thursday June 9th Bourdeaux to Sallians
Friday 10th of June Saillans to la Vacherie
Saturday 11th of June la Vacherie to Bouvante-le-Bas
Sunday June 12th Bouvante-le-Bas to Pont-en-Royans
Monday June 13th Pont-en-Royans to la Balme de Rencurel
Tuesday 14th of June la Balme de Rencurel to Grenoble

Stage 8 - The E4 through the Cevennes and the Ardeche

2011-11-29T14:35:00.001Z

Stage 8 provides a high level description of my walk along the E4 from Lodeve on the southern edge of the Massif Central to Chateauneuf du-Rhone on the eastern side of the River Rhone. I started this Stage on the 27th of May and was in Chateauneuf du-Rhone on the 6th of June.

I was very much looking forward to his stretch of the E4. The route takes you through the Cevennes and the Ardeche, distinctive parts of France both with a reputation for good walking. The Cevennes and the Cevennes National Park are on the eastern side of the Massif Central and run from the Montague Noire (Black Mountains), which I crossed a week earlier, through to the Monts du Vivarais. If you drive through France it's the place where signs on the side of the motorway point out the watershed between the rivers which flow west to the Atlantic (the Loire and Allier) and those which flow into the Rhone and south to the Mediterranean. With its limestone geology the area is also famous for its massive gorges, in particular the Gorge du Tarn.

In France the Cevennes have a reputation as a hard and austere place. Some of this is to do with the geography, with the limestone producing dry, sometimes barren uplands (known as the causses), and some of it is to do with the people. The locals are mostly Protestant with a history of conflict against the Catholic French majority. Indeed there are definite echoes with the Cathars (see Stage 7) further south with the Camisard revolt (an Occitan word for shirt) a less bloody version of the Albigensian crusade.

Legends also reinforce the feeling that the Cevennes are really another place. La Bete du Gevaudan was a wolf-like monster (a she monster) that terrorised the area, killing 100 people between 1764 and 1767. This is a huge story in France, possibly an influence for the wolf in Little Red Riding Hood, which has not secured the international reputation it deserves. Despite the best efforts of the French Dragoons, the monster was never captured or killed and its precise nature remains a mystery.

Although the E4 route crosses the famous Stevenson trail it is generally some distance from it (further to the south in the Cevennes). It's a shame because "Travels with a Donkey" is a classic long distance walking book, the first perhaps to promote hiking as a recreational activity. It also established the Cevennes as one of the world's iconic walking destinations.

Walking with a donkey on the Stevenson Trail

After the Cevennes the E4 takes you down through the southern end of the Parc Naturel Regional de Mont d'Ardeche, cut through by the famous Gorge D'Ardeche. The Gorge, sometimes with cliffs up to 300 metres cuts through, in a really dramatic way what would otherwise be fairly gentle countryside. It must be one of the popular places in France for canoeing and the Pont d'Arc, a natural stone arch over the Ardèche River, one of the most famous beauty spots.

The Gorge D'Ardeche

There is a lot of walking in this area and E4 feels its way through a really complex GR network. After Lodeve it follows the GR7 (although initially it's on the same route as the GR71) until Barre-des-Cevennes where it heads off along the GR72 into Villefort before heading east on the GR44 to Le Vans and then along the GR4 to Vallon Pont d'Arc. It's confusing around here and there are variants which might provide a more direct route but I carried on along the GR4 until it joined the GR42 at Sant Martin d'Ardeche, where I walked north until I got to Viviers and then crossed the Rhone to Chateauneuf du- Rhone on the GR429.

The first day, out to La Vacquerie et Saint-Martin-de-Castries is a really nice stretch of walking although I initially struggled to find the route out of Lodeve. Confusingly it crosses the river and then heads south rather than north east. It shouldn't have been too difficult to find because, as well as the GR71, you're also sharing the route with the GR653 and the Pilgrim's way. You leave the confusion of the other routes at the pretty village of Fozeires and after climbing up through trees you start to get into the open scrubby causse countryside characteristic of the Cevennes. La Vacquerie et Saint-Martin-de-Castries is a lovely village where I stayed in a nice bed and breakfast (Le Relais des Faisses) and ate really well in the Auberge des Causses in the village where the accommodation looked excellent.

Gorges de la Vis

Fabulous weather next day and a fabulous walk. Across the flat upland plain, the Plain de la Barre, to the lovely village of St Maurice Navacelles (which has a Gite d'Etape) and then into the stunning Gorges de la Vis. A 7 kilometre walk along the side of the gorge before dropping down to the pretty village of Navacelles which sits at the bottom of an amazing feature, the Cirque de Navacelles. Stayed at the Ammonite guest house in the village and Christine swam in the river, very nice.

Bridge at Navacelles and the Cirque de Navacelles

After climbing out of the Gorge and enjoying amazing views of the Cirque the walk fizzled out a bit. Nice walk to Blandas (if you go into it you have gone too far) and onto Montardier (a lovely town with accommodation but undergoing massive reconstruction when we were there), after which you have to endure a grim stretch along a road past a series of stone quarries. Good walk down to Aveze at the bottom of the valley through a forest of sweet chestnuts, but then some more road walking before arriving in Le Vigan. A nice town but the hotel we stayed at, a Logis, on its edge, was not good.

The objective next day was L'Esperou, it was a very humid day, and although it wasn't that far it did involve about 1300 metres of climb so quite tough. Once you got through the suburbs of Le Vigan past the pretty little town of Aulas it was up and up. Lot of tree walking but things started to open up a bit as you got closer to the little ski resort of L'Esperou. Found a very nice hotel. the Hotel L'Esperou, good food and good value, faith in French cooking restored after the disappointment of the previous evening.

Aulas

The weather next day spoilt what would otherwise have been a brilliant walk. On a perfect day you can apparently see both Canigou and Mount Blanc from the top of Mount Aigoual but the day I went up it was pouring with rain. There was however a brand new refuge, a good place for a coffee and a great place to stay. After that it was a descent along a forest trail down to a refuge at the Gite d'Etape D'Aire de Cote and then a long easy walk, again through trees, until you hit a small quite road. After a short walk you leave the road and then follow a lovely open ridge walk until once again you hit a road. The Gite d'Etape at L'Hospitelat is on the junction with the road and staying there was a unique experience, very primitive but good fun and great food.

Another good day's walking (although perhaps too many trees) to Pont de Montvert. Just a bit of road walking at the start but you leave this before you get to Barre-des-Cevennes which is a really interesting town with more comfortable, but perhaps less interesting accommodation, than L'Hospitelat. Leaving the Barre-des-Cevennes on the GR72 you walk through scrubby woodland before descending down to Cassagnas and then climb up again to the Col du Bouges. The route actually turns east at this point but I carried on north to Pont de Montvert to find accommodation. Good choice, a wonderful town full of hikers and cyclists - stayed in a Gite d'Etape but good choice of hotels.

Barre-des-Cevennes

Following a GR72 east of Pont de Montvert (there are two GR 72s I took the one which goes to Le Merlet) you climb up through nice open countryside to the Plain du Tarn, the source of the River Tarn. It's a wonderful upland plain, full of cattle enjoying what at this height (1300 metres) must have been new spring grass. You're right in the middle of the national park and the trail takes you to a park centre at Le Mas de la Bargue before you again start to descend through dense trees towards Villefort. Just before Villefort the countryside changes into open moorland with great views west to the Vercors. It's then a knee crunching descent into Villefort where we stayed at the Hotel Balme, a classic French hotel.

Descending down to Villefort & through the village of Brahic

Along this stretch the weather went from heavy drizzle to heavy humidity, sploit what would otherwise have been good walking. First stretch, after a bit of a climb from Villefort, was on a forest trail but through a lovely forest increasingly dominated by sweet chestnuts. It then opens up into a ridge walk along the top of the Serre de Barre before a meandering descent, with some road walking, back through trees to the pretty hillside village of Brahic and down to Le Vans. Le Vans is a nice French town, plenty of places to eat but I could only find one hotel, a motel really, clean but not much more.

Really interesting stretch of walking next day spoilt by really bad weather. Heading east out of Le Vans you cross some classic dry limestone countryside, through scrubby trees, before finding yourself up on the edge of the Gorge D'Ardeche - great views. You then cross an intensely farmed agricultural plain, visiting the pretty villages of Berrias and Comps before climbing back into the mountains, again meandering through scrubby forest and eventually arriving at Vallon Pont d'Arc. Stayed at Le Manoir du Raveyron, very nice, great food. Didn't see much of the town, pouring with rain and I was very wet.

I'm still not absolutely sure where the E4 goes from this point. There is GR4F which goes north of the gorge from Vallon Pont d'Arc or a GR4 which goes south of the Gorge to St-Martin d'Ardeche. Both join up with the GR42 the next part of the route. Seeing a rare E4 sign in the forest next day suggests the GR4F but I went to St-Martin D'Ardeche. Either way I think you walk close to the Gorge but frustratingly not close enough to see it. My walk took me through more of the scrubby forest, a mix of pine and evergreen oak, which I must admit was starting to get a bit monotonous. Visited the pretty village of Labastide-de-Virac where I took the GR4b rather than the correct GR4 (so may have missed a bit of gorge) before arriving at the very pretty villages of Aigueze and St-Martin D'Ardeche. Stayed at the Hotel Bellevue although there is a big choice.

St-Montan and the Roman bridge before Viviers

Last day before crossing the Rhone and the weather was better. Lot of variety on this stretch, now heading north on the GR42. Initially through vineyards and nice cultivated landscapes I was soon back into the scrubby forest from yesterday. After several kilometres of this, things open up again and you arrive at the gorgeous little town of St-Montan, castle, restaurants, everything. After St-Montan, after a little climb, it's a lovely easy walk to Viviers which you reach after crossing a perfectly preserved Roman bridge. Viviers, a small town with a cathedral, looked wonderful and was the obvious place to stay, but I wanted to cross the river and went to Chateauneuf-du-Rhone where stayed at the grim Hotel de la Poste and ate pizza from the takeaway. Not a recommendation!

Taken as a whole the E4 through the Cevennes/Ardeche was excellent despite the dreadful weather. I particularly liked the Cevennes and will definitely be going back there, will try and find some more of that big open countryside and perhaps try and avoid the trees.

If you want to read what the walk felt like at the time than please go to the walk diaries. The links are below:

Friday 27th of May Lodeve to La Vacquerie et Saint-Martin-de-Castries
Saturday 28th of May La Vacquerie et Saint-Martin-de-Castries to Navacelles
Sunday 29th May Navacelles to Le Vigan
Monday 30th of May Le Vigan to L'Esperou
Tuesday 31st of May Esperou to l'Hospitalet
Wednesday 1st of June l'Hospitalet to Pont de Montvert
Thursday June 2nd Pont de Montvert to Villefort
Friday 3rd of June Villefort to Le Vans
Saturday 4th June Les Van to Vallon Pont d'Arc
Sunday June 5th Vallons Pont d'Arc to Saint-Martin d'Ardeche
Monday 6th of June Saint-Martin d'Ardeche to Chateauneuf du Rhone

Stage 7 - The E4 from Carcassone to Lodeve

2011-11-24T16:27:00.001Z

In its own right, standalone, the walk from Carcassone to Lodeve has a lot going for it. Both ends are easy to get to and sensible people would spend a bit of time at Carcassone which should be on most people’s must see list. The walking itself is easy, pleasant rather than spectacular, and there is plenty of accommodation along the route in interesting French towns and villages. The only downside is the long trip from Carcassonne to Mazemet, which really needs to be broken up with a taxi trip, and one or two bits of fairly dull walking through commercial pine plantations. It’s good if not quite spectacular walking.

If you’re walking 5,000 kilometres you probably fail the sensible person test and I had decided that I didn’t want to stay in Carcassone. Had done a huge walk the day before arriving, got there late, didn’t get my bearings and ended up in an expensive hotel. I went through the walls, into the old town, and to me it felt 100 per cent tourist. Don’t get me wrong I love going to see interesting places with lots of history but I struggle to flip from the mode of walk walk walk to site see site see site see. So apart from a perfunctory tick in the box I didn’t really see Carcassonne.

Canal du Midi

For the next six days or so the E4 goes through an area known as the Montagne Noire. I might be making a big mistake here but I don’t think it’s a distinct range of mountains - it’s the southern flank of the Massif Central, and gets its name from the dark colours made by the trees on the northern side of the hills. The area has lots of huge often spectacular trees, fueled by the rain coming in from the Alantic and indeed the rain which falls on these mountains provides essential irrigation for the fertile plain to the south.

The route itself continues along the GR36 to Mezemet and then heads east through the Natural Park of the Haut Languedoc along the GR 71. For a couple of days out of Mezemet the GR71 follows the same route as the GR 653 which forms part of the St James Way. For navigation I was armed with my GPS route download from GR-Info and the relevant Topoguide. The Topoguides are usually excellent containing both a route map and suggestions for accommodation (in French of course). Not so good on this stretch however and there were significant discrepancies between what was on the ground and in the guide. Clearly the routes do change and the Topoguide, GR-info and even the maps don’t always keep up.

First day out of Carcassone involved an insane walk all the way to Mazemet. I couldn’t find anywhere to stay on the way (although en-route found a Gite d’Etape at Pardelles Cabardes) and it somehow became a personal challenge to walk all the way in one day. I lost the advantage of a 6 o’clock start by getting lost in Carcassone and wasn’t on the trail until 7 and then lost more time when changes to route meant I had to retrace my steps mid-way through the morning. The walk was interesting non-the-less following the Canal du Midi for the first hour or so before heading north into the mountains. You have to climb the Pic Nore which at 1211 metres is the highest mountain in the Montagne Noire before dropping all the way down to Mazemet. By the time I had finished walking, just after nine, I had been on my feet for 15 hours, climbed 1700 metres and covered 56 kilometres.

Spent the next day resting up in Mazemet, an interesting if somewhat run-down old textile town. I stayed at the Cheval Blanc, a very friendly Chambre d'Hotes.

Huge Pines on the way to Angles

Nice easy walk to Angles, a bit of a climb once you have left the Mazemet suburbs, then up through lush forest, with huge pine trees, and the occasional flower laden hay meadows. Angles is nice old mountain town with a Gite d'Etape. Shared the Gite d'Etape (La Source) with a group of French walkers who were travelling the other way along the St James Way.

Another very gentle walk the next day, a bit of road walking, but more lush trees and meadows. There were lots of walkers along the St James Way but all coming the other way of course. There were plenty of opportunities for wild water swimming and this makes the area popular with French holiday makers. I stayed at the Auberge de Epinouse which was just wonderful, great food and good value.

Lac de la Raviege and leaving Fraisse-sur-Agout

The walk next day was a bit disappointing but I was following an old version of the GR71 and the latest one might be better. During the middle part of the day my route went through some ugly commercial pine forests. I stayed at the Auberge de Fau, about a kilometre south of the route, a working farm with a restaurant and auberge attached, it was really excellent, another amazing meal.

Melagues

Much better walk to Ceilhes-et-Rocozels , mixed open and tree walking, through the lovely village of Melagues and then down to the lake at the little. Great place for swimming and wonderful food at the Hotel Restaurant Bessiere.

Maintenance on the GR71

I experienced more route redirection just outside Ceilhes-et-Rocozels where the original route takes you high up along the side of the valley, and the new path takes along the road. The walk gets better once you get to the village of Roqueredonde when it goes cross country perhaps along an old route to Lodeve. I met some red shirted volunteers who were doing some route maintenance and they confirmed that parts of the route rely on landowner goodwill and that sometimes this goodwill is withdrawn. It then takes time for updates to work their way through the system into maps and topoguides.

Lodeve sits astride the Lergue River and has an ancient centre with a Cathedral. The towns feels a little bit rundown but there are plenty of places to stay. I stayed in a converted cinema but I wouldn't give it a particular recommendation.

If you want to read what the walk felt like at the time than please go to the walk diaries. The links are below:

Friday 20th May Carcassonne to Mazemet

Sunday 22nd May Mazamet to Angles

Monday 23rd May Angles to Fraisse-sur-Agout

Tuesday 24th May Fraisse-sur-Agout to Castenet le Haut

Wednesday 25th May Castenet le Haut to Ceilhes-et-Rocozels

Thursday May 26th Ceilhes-et-Rocozels to Lodeve

Stage 6 - The E4 from the Pyrenees to Carcassone

2011-11-17T14:33:00.001Z

After the disappointment of Catalonia things picked once I got into France. If the E4 through Catalonia was one of the worse bits of the route than the E4 from the Pyrenees to Carcassonne was one of the best.

This particular corner of France is a really great place to walk and the route of the E4 captures both the area's varied and beautiful landscape and its interesting cultural legacy.

E4 - GR36

From the geographic perspective the walk takes you from the top of the eastern Pyrenees, down through the foothills, crossing a series of wide valleys running east down to the Mediterranean, before arriving at Carcassonne which sits in the middle of the Aude Valley, the gap between the Pyrenees and the Massif Central.

From a historic cultural perspective it's much more complicated. The area has a complex history with associations with both Catalonia across the border (Pyrenees-Orientales roughly corresponds to an area the Catalans describe as North Catalonia) as well as Occitania which extended right across southern France and into Italy. Both traditions have produced a distinct linguistic legacy which still echoes today.

Particularly interesting is the Cathar history and the Albergensian Crusade which saw the destruction of the Cathar version of Christianity in the early 13th Century. Some estimate that 500,000 people were killed as a result of this crusade which transformed the area from one of the richest at the time in Europe (with a particularly important cultural tradition - home of the troubadours) to one of the poorest and most marginalised. The walk takes you through places of particular significance to this Cathar history, including lots of hill top forts.

Cathar castle at Fenouilledes

The E4 follows the route of the GR36 which, for the first three days, and after crossing the border with Spain at Puigcerda/Bourg Madame, follows the route of the GR10. These three days include the opportunity to climb Canigou, the mountain which serves as a "national" symbol for Catalans north and south of the border. It then heads north, out of the Pyrenees, and down into the heart of the Cathar country visiting one of the key Cathar sites, the Chateau Peyrepertuse. After that you visit Lagrasse, rated by some as the prettiest village in France, and then Carcassonne which of course is a UNESCO world heritage site. Not bad for 9 days walking (although much better to have gone a bit slower).

After well over two months in Spain it wasn't just the great walking that lifted my spirits, it was also the sense of progress and excitement I got from crossing the border into France. Entering France rekindled some of the excitement I had when I started the walk. Some of this was the sense of progress but it was also experiencing the real differences you still get in Europe when you cross from one country to another. Going from Spain to France is a particularly dramatic change. The border itself has all but disappeared as a feature but the cultures are very different.

From the perspective of a long distance walker some of these differences are important. The most obvious difference of course is the attitude to food. French people eat earlier but also take food a lot more seriously. In particular ordinary food in France - the food you get in a cheap cafe - is just much better than the ordinary food you get in Spain. On the other hand accommodation (when you can get it) is generally better in Spain than France - Spaniards are obsessed with cleanliness (use more bleach per capita than anywhere in Europe) and comparably priced accommodation has better facilities in Spain and is much cleaner. It's a cliche and a generalisation I know but in France the food was much better than the beds.

The whole service sector is also different in France to Spain. There are fewer shops in the small villages (a bit like England in that respect) and, compared to Spain, ATMs are like hen's teeth.

At a more practical level, French maps are much better than Spanish maps and so is the waymarking. The French Grande Randonnée (GR) network is enormous and the GR routes are marked on the maps. A word of warning however - they are not perfect, and it came as a big surprise to discover that on the ground the GR routes do change and the Topoguides, Maps and GPS routes downloaded from the internet don't always keep up with these changes. Some of the routes must be permissive - dependent on the goodwill of the landowner - and when this goodwill is withdrawn you can find that the information on the route is out of date.

For navigation I had GPS routes downloaded from GR-Info and I had PDF copies of the relevant Institut Géographique National (IGN) maps. IGN maps are widely available and you can get them in lots of local shops.

Despite the better waymarks and a good GPS trail I still made some dreadful navigational mistakes but it was always down to poor judgement and lack of attention rather than poor signs. Unlike Catalonia I could only blame myself when I went off in the wrong direction.

The trip to Carcassonne took 9 days - poor weather for the first three days in the Pyrenees, good weather after that.

Day one involved a trip to tiny village of Planes. After a walk across the valley from Alp, a stop off in Puigcerda, I crossed the border at Bourg Madame (a town which has perhaps lost a role as the status of the border has changed). Quickly climbed back up the side of the valley (which counter intuitively is on the south side) and passed through the pretty villages of Err and Llo before getting to the ugly ski village of Eyne. Planes is tiny, has the feeling of a Welsh mountain village (maybe is was the rain) and the Gite d'Etape there was very primitive.

Err

Next day I was joined by a friend who knew the area well, and walked with me for three days. He had a tough introduction, a huge 27 kilometre walk to Mantet crossing two high passes, the Col Mitja (2367 metres), and the Col de Pal (2294 metres), the latter one in a thunder storm. It was too early in the season to stay at the Refuge du Ras de la Caranca and given the awful weather I was glad I wasn't walking on my own. Fortunately, the Gite d'Etape at Mantet, La Girada, was a wonderful place to stop.

Pic de Reco Gros (I think!)

The weather had now settled into a pattern, sunny in the morning and wet, very wet, in the afternoon. Just as well that next day, the trip to the Refuge de Marialles was not so far and not so high. Just a couple of gentle passes to cross and the lovely village of Py in between to visit. The accommodation in the refuge is in a dormitory but we were the only people there so it wasn't a problem. Excellent food.

Strictly speaking you don't have to go up Canigou, the GR36/E4 goes around it, but if you have a head for heights you would be mad to miss it. Same good weather conditions in the morning, so a great walk up the valley from the refuge, out of the trees and into a lovely wide open valley full of Isards, a local species of deer, and soaring eagles. The last bit, the climb up a "chimney" to the summit was just amazing, scrambling all the way helped by fixed ropes. Got to the top just before the weather turned, and after a brief stop, at the Chalet des Cortalets, it was a long downhill romp through pouring rain to Ballestavy. I thought we were going to have to stay in a grim Gite d'Etape but the key holder took pity on us, and found us a holiday let for one night. Lovely local restaurant to eat in.

My friend left me the next day and missed a great walk to Sournia. The sun was shining and the views back to Canigou and down to the Mediterranean were fantastic. You walk down a lush green valley from Ballestavy until you hit a major valley running east west (feels like the end of the Pyrenees proper), across a dam over a reservoir, and climb up again on the other side. After the alpine landscape of the Pyrenees, you're now back into a scrubbier upland Mediterranean countryside. Lovely walk from the ancient village of Marcevol through to Campoussy with first sightings of ruined Cathar castles. Was the only person staying in the Gite d'Etape at Sournia, it was a Sunday and the auberge in the village was shut.

Canigou

Another great walk next day, this time to Caudies de Fenouilledes. Easy walking with huge views back to the Pyrenees and the Mediterranean. The route takes you through a series of tiny little villages, Le Vivier, St Martin, Fosse and Fenouilledes, each with its own ruined castle, through a lovely gorge near Fenouilledes before arriving at the ancient and slightly run down town of Caudies de Fenouilledes. Stayed at the Cave Ancienne, a very nice auberge.

Next my favourite walk of the stage, wonderful weather, great scenery everything fresh and green. After walking out of Caudies de Fenouilledes you climb up onto a ridge with yet more views of the Pyrenees. Away from the ridge you cross a wonderful upland valley, ancient pastures with abandoned farmsteads before coming back to the ridge, heading east, with the wonderful views again. After a while you loose a bit of height, have to walk along a road for a short distance before climbing up again and walking along another upland valley. Eventually you see the Chateau Peyrepertuse, one of the biggest Cathar castle ruins which, from this perspective, blends into the outline of the cliff, before dropping down into Peyrepertuse. I stayed in a bed and breakfast but the town also has a very smart looking auberge.

Chateau Peyrepertuse

Next day was a very long walk to Lagrasse made worse by the fact that I followed a GR36 variant which took me out of my way. I should have turned back but stuck with it and by the time I decided that it was just too far it was also too late. I ended up hitching a lift. I suspect that even if I had been on the right route it would have been a bit of a slog. Lagrasse has the reputation of being the prettiest village in France and attracts the tourists to go with this reputation - it is lovely but like something from a film set.

Lagrasse

The final day was also just a little bit too long. It wasn't so much the distance (although there was a lot of distance), it was also the endless series of gorges and valleys you had to cross enroute. I was never that high and had anticipated a fast walk but as well as walking 38 kilometres I actually climbed and ascended 1800 metres. As a consequence I got to Carcassonne a bit late and perhaps made a poor choice in terms of accommodation. There is lots, and the best choice is around the station which is where you need to be when you leave town.

Carcassonne of course is an amazing place, a stunning town with its huge walls completely in place. It's also a huge tourist attraction and very very busy.

If you want to read what the walk felt like at the time than please go to the walk diaries. The links are below:

Wednesday May 11th Alp to Planes
Thursday May 12th Planes to Mantet
Friday May 13th Mantet to Refuge de Mariailles
Saturday May 14th Refuge de Mariailles to Ballestavy
Sunday May 15th Ballestavy to Sournia
Monday May 16th Sournia to Caudies de Fenouilledes
Tuesday May 17th Caudies de Fenouilledes to Duilhac-sous-Peyrepertuse
Wednesday 18th May Duilhac Peyrepertuse to Lagrasse
Thursday 19th May Lagrasse to Carcassonne

Stage 5 - E4 through Catalonia

2011-11-10T14:20:00.000Z

The E4 through Catalonia was worse part of the whole trip. Accommodation was hard to find and I had to walk very long days. Worse still I was constantly missing the trail. Maps in Spain don't show the routes and unless you have a guide or a good GPS trail then it's easy to take a wrong turn. Of course I was never seriously lost but constant minor mistakes made long walks even longer - really frustrating and at times depressing.

Must admit that I couldn't understand why the E4 left the GR7. Having followed the GR7 all the way from Andalucia, it turns east at border with Catalonia and heads down to the coast along the GR8. It then heads along the coast via the GR92 to Tarragona, heads north via the GR172 to Montserrat and then onto Alp and the border with France on the GR4. Meanwhile the GR7 carries onto the Pyrenees ending up a few kilometres from the GR4.

The E4 through Catalonia does visit some amazing places, in particular Montserrat and Tarragona, but the walking itself was mixed. You are not walking around or through a particular mountain range and it's certainly not the most direct way to get to the Pyrenees. Catalonia is a busy place and although there is some lovely countryside you also have to cross some major transport corridors and built-up areas.

Montserrat Mountains

My negative view of the E4 through Catalonia is influenced by the extent to which I had been enjoying the GR7, particularly the last few days through Castellon. It was a change however and a change might be as good as a rest. I was entering a different sort of countryside and I was also entering Catalonia, a particularly distinct part of Spain with its own language and cultural traditions. The lack of love between Catalonia and the rest of Spain is manifested in many ways including the intense rivalry between the Barcelona and Real Madrid football clubs, something I had been observing throughout the trip (six El Clásico games when I was there).

I had put my schedule together using the information on the La Federació d'Entitats Excursionistes de Catalunya (FEEC) , the Catalonia Climbing and Hiking Association, which identifies all the major walking routes and gives you stage distances, walking times and altitude gained and lost. Great help for planning the route but as it turned out only limited help when you are actually doing it - why can't they go the next small step and actually publish a GPS route!

I started walking through Catalonia on the 24th of April and got to Alp 16 days later on May 9th. I stopped for a day in Tarragona and had another rest day at Alp before crossing the border.

The first part of my Catalonia trip was from El Boixar down to Mol l'Abad where I stayed at a very nice holiday centre. Was driven there by the lack of accommodation on the main GR8 route which runs through the mountains just to the north.

Was aiming to re-connect with the GR8 at La Senia but ended up walking all the way along the road to Ulldecona - miserable, was missing the mountains already. Found a good hotel and got there early so some compensations.

View across the Ebro Delta

Next day was much better, really nice walk and interesting as well. The walk takes you up the Sierra de Montsia to la Foradada (684 metres) which has amazing views of the Ebro Delta, the coast line to the north, and all the way back to Penyagolasa to the west. Really interesting information boards describing the impact of rural depopulation in the 1960s. After the climb and the views you walk down through ancient Mediterranean woodland, onto the delta and then into Amposta, a fairly large town with lots of accommodation.

Bridge over the Ebro at Amposta

After Amposta the trail is completely flat but still quite nice. The first part takes you across the intensely farmed delta and then, after Ampolla, along a lovely coastal path to L'Ametlla de Mer. Stayed at the Hotel del Port, very reasonable.

Coastal path after Ampolla

The coastal walk to Cambils was a bit more mixed. Some nice stretches, but also some horrible diversions around gated harbours (Sant Jordi) and a large diversion around a nuclear power station (and over/under railway lines and motorways). There were long stretches of concrete coastline with blocks of holiday accommodation running right up to the shore. Nice stretch along the beach after L'Hospitalet de l'Infant but a lot of hard surface walking over the whole day. Cambils itself was a tiny fishing village in the sixties but is now a huge resort.

Beach north of L'Hospitalet

Next day into Tarragona was just awful although I missed the route and possibly made it worse. Essentially you have to get around a huge port and chemical works to the south of the city (if you are English, think Middlesborough) and following GR signs in a built up area is not easy.

The 'players' entrance" at the Roman circus in Tarragona

Despite the chemical works to the south Tarragona itself is a wonderful city. I rested up there for a day and there was lots to see - it has a huge Roman heritage and is a UNESCO world heritage site. Would love to go back there again but would definitely choose a different mode of transport!

Ideally you would stay at Santes Crues the next day but I couldn't find any accommodation when planning the walk (when I went there next day it looked like there was some) and instead diverted to Valles. Not bad countryside but not stunning either. Initially through scrubby forest and then back to back vineyards. El Cattlar on the way is a pretty little town.

Santes Crues, or Santa Maria de Santa Creus to give it full title, is an important monastery dating back to the 12th Century. It was shut when I was there but looks like it would have been well worth a visit.

The ideal place to stay next day would have been St Joan de Mediona, a nice looking town with a historic centre. Instead I had to go to Capellades about 5 kilometres to the north. It was a long walk with about 700 metres of climb over the Col de Rimbalda and then a drop down again into the next valley. Nice countryside. I went to a distant suburb of Capellades but was rescued and given a lift directly into town.

Montserrat Monastery

Assisted by a short train journey I rejoined the route at Peira and walked onto the next historic highlight, Montserrat. The walk to Montserrat was had some tough bits crossing a series of steep sided gorges which had been cut into the soft loess at the bottom of the Montserrat mountain range. You do have to walk through a large suburb before you finally get to climb up to the Montserrat Monastery which is a 600 metre climb with great views.

The Montserrat Mountains are a spectacular feature, weirdly shaped and high above the surrounding countryside. The colour and texture of the rock are like ancient concrete and the shapes are reminiscent of Gaudi. The Monastery itself, with its famous Black Madonna, is an important focus pilgrims and a key symbol of Catalan nationalism. I stayed there for a day and walked to the top of Sant Jeroni (1200 metres) - the train, funicular and buses bring up the daytown crowds but it's empty in the evening.

The next destination was Navarcles (near Cabrianes) a 42 kilometre walk which was nice at either end but unpleasant in the middle when another busy valley spiralling out from Barcelona had to be crossed. You go on a huge detour to get inside the Parc Natural de Sant Lorenc and then walk along a really nice gorge before finally arriving at Navarcles. Really struggled to find accommodation but ended up in the Hostal Montane which was great, very cheap and very authentic.

Driven on again by the lack of accommodation, next day was another huge walk (51 kilometres) all the way to Santa Maria de Merles. The first hour or so is not pleasant involving a walk up to Cabrianes through a fairly busy industrial valley. After that things improve and the route takes you through a very nice pastoral landscape - lots of old farmsteads and isolated churches. Eventually you get to the tiny settlement of Sant Pou de Pinos from which point you head west and then east, again in a huge and frustrating detour before arriving at the equally tiny settlement of Santa Maria de Merles. Stayed at the wonderful Casa Escrigas - and enjoyed home made everything.

The walk next day was supposed to be a short one but was again frustrated by really poor waymarks with one memorable sign sending me completely in the wrong direction. One of the problems I faced today was intersections with other GR routes - unless you spot these, work out which is the right one, you can easily find yourself following white and red markings in the wrong direction. If it wasn't for the frustrations of getting lost, today would have been an excellent walk, the scenery is good and Borreda, a lovely old mountain village, is a great place to finish the day. Stayed in the Cal Bardolet which was OK but a bit expensive.

Spring growth near Les Pilones

Great walk to La Pobla de Lillet, mostly in trees but in early May the trees were at there best. The highlight was the climb up from Castell de l'Areny to Les Pilones (1700 metres) followed by a walk along an upland valley. The GR4 is supposed to be an ancient transhumance trail but the climb up to Les Pilones felt a bit steep for a herd of cattle. Stayed at La Pobla de Lillet, a slightly run down mountain resort town home to a Gaudi garden (Artigas Gardens) and station for the Spanish Yellow Train (there is a French one on the other side of the Pyrenees). I stayed and ate at the Hostal Pericas which was cheap and cheerful.

The walk to Alp was the last full day in Spain and another good one. Wasn't as tough as I had anticipated and I needn't have left at the crack of dawn. There was a big 1200 metre climb up to the Coll de Pal but it was gentle and along a lovely valley with great views. Not quite so nice on the other side, horrible ski runs and scarred mountains but seeing the snowy peaks on the other side of the valley, in France, was encouraging. Stopped for a day in the ski resort of Alp staying at off-season prices at the Hotel Roca - very nice.

Just a short walk across the valley bottom to Puigcerda and France.

If you want to read what the walk felt like at the time than please go to the walk diaries. The links are below:

April 26th Ulldecona to Amposta
April 27th Amposta to L'Ametlla de Mer
April 28th L'Ametlla to Cambrils
April 29th Cambrils to Tarragona
April 30th Tarragona
May 1st Tarragona to Valls
May 2nd Santes Crues to Capallades
May 3rd Capallades to Montserrat
May 4th Montserrat
May 5th Montserrat to Navarcles
May 6th Navarcles to Santa Maria de Merles
May 7th Santa Maria de Merles to Borreda
May 8th Borreda to La Pobla de Lillet
May 9th La Pobla de Lillet to Alp

Stage 4 - The GR7 and E4 through Valencia

2011-11-09T17:56:00.002Z

The 600 kilometres through the region of Valencia (which includes the provinces of Valencia, Castellon and Alicante) involved some of the best and some of the worst experiences of the whole trip. Although not a particularly fashionable walking area some of it, particularly the northern part, deserves to be much better known.

It took me 21 days to walk through Valencia, starting on the 3rd and finishing on the 24th of April. Walking up in the mountains, on a trail that ran parallel with the coast, I experienced the lows of multiple bee stings, the adventure of an all night walk, and the highs of a series of specatular Castellon towns. The weather was also mixed - really hot at the beginning and extremely wet at the end. Not quite sure what I was expecting in terms of scenery but I was surprised by how good much of it was - more of those dramatic gorges I got a taste for in Murcia.

Had an accurate GPS trail courtesy of Bornem and my way was generally not a problem. Had found high level description on the route, in the form of a PDF, on the Valencian Tourist Board site and this gave me a stage breakdown for the walk and some timings.

The first day, from Pinosa to Elba, wasn't much fun. A continuation of the fairly dull walking experienced since leaving Cieza. If you are going to walk 5,000 kilometres you can't expect scenic fireworks everyday! Elba was not a town I would choose as a destination for a weekend break - the hotel we had booked had closed down so others clearly shared the same view.

The next day was better and the scenery varied from good to excellent for the rest of the walk in Valencia. No co-incidence I guess, as for the first time for several days the route though the Sierra de Castalla was again at around 1000 metres. Fairly short walk, 22 kilometres to the pretty little town of Castalla (surrounded by large amounts of new housing development) with, appropriately, a hill top castle. Stayed in the new and very pleasant Don Jose hotel.

Castalla

Excellent walk to the wonderful town of Alcoi, worth going there just for its amazing street lights. Great walk through a gorge, up to the top of Menejador and through the Natural Park of Font Roja. Beautiful and unique ancient woodlands including some trees which only exist in this part of Spain. Lots of places to stay in Alcoi.

Montcabrer

Excellent 27 kilometre walk next day to the classic Spanish hill top town at Bocairent (just slightly of the trail). The first third was the best with a walk through an increasingly dramatic gorge followed by a steady climb to the top of Montcabrer, wonderful limestone countryside with huge views. It was then into the Sierra Mariola Natural Park and onto Bocairent where I stayed at the very nice Casa Rural Baretta.

Bocairent

The walk to Vallada was not quite as dramatic and nor is Vallada such a nice town as Bocairent, but still a good walk often on Moorish mule tracks. Stayed in the Giners tourist apartments which were fine.

After Vallada and for the next few days the route starts to get difficult in terms of accommodation.

Borranc de Bocquilla

From Vallada, and after crossing the valley and the Rio Canyoles, you go through a wonderful gorge (the Borranc de Bocquilla) which goes on for mile after mile, a real surprise and a great walk. You eventually climb out the gorge at El Chorrillo carrying on over the heath, drop down into a valley and back up again to Casa de Benali. There is a Casa Rural there which might do accommodation later in the season but not in April and I had to get a 20 kilometre taxi to and from Enguera - a nice town but a long way off the track.

Next day is also difficult with no accommodation on the route until you get to Cortes de Pallas (55 kilometres from Casa de Benali). The first metalled road to hit the route is about five kilometres after Caroche and this is the logical place to get a taxi to pick you up. This was my bee sting day and other things also went wrong. If you can get a taxi than the nearest hotel is in a town called Ayora and I afraid the hotel there is very poor and on Saturday the disco underneath went on all night.

If you have made it to and from Ayora than the next day to Cortes de Pallas is relatively straightforward, a good walk with nice accommodation at the end of it. You are entering a really important area in Spain for energy generation, huge reservoirs and nuclear power stations, but the scenery is great, with one dramatic valley meeting another one. Stayed at the Hostal Casa Fortunata in Cortes de Pallas.

Towards Cortes de Pallas

Another difficult day for accommodation - things went completely wrong as far as my schedule was concerned. Had expected to stay at Milares but the accommodation didn't exist and meant an unanticipated night out of doors. Avoiding my fate would involve either a 50 kilometre walk all the way through to El Rebollar and then a taxi or train to Requena or a short walk to Venta Gaeta and a taxi back Cortes de Pallas with a return to the same point the following day. The lack of accommodation is a shame because it's good walking, particularly nice stretch north of Venta Gaeta and the walk around the Pico del Mono. Requena by the way is a large pleasant town with plenty of accommodation, about 10 kilometres to the west of the route.

Next day's walk to Chera (which is about 3 kilometres of the route) was not without incident either. The route went through a large hunting estate and the management have decided to block it and cover the waymarks. Without an alternative I climbed the fence and followed the route. Chera has a hostal which was closed when I was there but there rooms above a local bar.

38 kilometres to Benageber but my navigational cock-ups and some confused waymarking just outside Chera added to the distance. Continuing to cross empty countryside, usually along forest trails, through dry Mediterranean woodland (Aleppo Pine and Holm Oak) with a thick undergrowth of cistus and rosemary shrubs. Savage if you need to go off the trail and cut through it. The countryside is absolutely empty although there were odd bits of cultivated land with locals coming up from the village and working the land in near traditional ways. Nice apartments to hire on a nightly basis in the bar in the small village of Benageber.

Benageber was the start of one of a really wonderful stretch of walking - comparable to anything in Andalucia - great countryside and lovely towns/villages.

Down to the Rio Turin

The first day in this purple patch involved a short walk to Chelva. Around 5 kilometres east of Benageber you hit an absolutely amazing gorge, huge cliffs, with the Rio Turin running through the bottom. You go almost straight down one side of the gorge and almost straight up the other - about 300 metres from the top to the bottom. Dramatic scenery. After climbing out the gorge, it's a pleasant upland walk, through the tiny village of Bercuta, along a forest trail and then down to the lovely ancient town of Chelva (with its old Arab quarter) where I stayed at the Hotel La Pasada.

Less fireworks the next day but still a nice walk and the twin villages of Andilla and La Pobletta were really lovely. Stayed in a smashing casa rural attached to the restaurant opposite the church. Really friendly and helpful.

Andilla

Short but lovely walk to Bejis next day, some great opportunities for outdoor swimming along the way and a couple of lovely villages to wander around (Arteas de Arriba and Arteas de Abajo). The first part of the 23 kilometre walk you share with the GR 10 and I managed follow it instead of the GR7 before working out my mistake. Bejis is in the province of Castellon (you have left the province of Valencia but you are still in the region of Valencia) and is one of a series of stunning hill top towns which now start to come thick and fast. Stayed at the friendly and authentic Hostal Restuarant El Pita.

Bejis

My GPS route was a bid dodgy on this stretch and this, combined with poor waymarking, meant that I kept missing the route, frustrating on a hot day. Still it was a good walk and the little town of Montan was a real reward at the day's end. Stayed at Hostal Pilar, authentic, cheap and great fun.

Really short walk to Montanejos but spectacular. The main feature is the Barranco de la Maimona, another dramatic gorge and a favorite venue for climbers and wild water swimmers alike. The only bit of the walk in Spain where a head for heights was needed. Montanejos itself is lovely, an ancient centre and a spa town with lots of places to stay. Stayed in the Casa Palacios, a nice hotel built around a Moorish tower next to the church.

Barranco de la Maimona

After what was almost a rest day I got back into the saddle with a walk to Villermosa del Rio. The first half was great, through woodland covering recently abandoned terraces, down a valley and up to the lovely old village of La Artejuela and then onto the small town of San Vicente de Piedrahita. After that the walk was dissappointing, a lot of road or near road walking almost until Villermosa del Rio where the scenary, with Penyagolosa (1815 metres) as a backdrop was once again spectacular. Another lovely old town and Hostal Ruta Aragon another authentic hotel.

Next day was a special stretch of walking spoilt, when I was there, by bad weather. I really want to go back and do it again. You go up a lovely long gorge (lots of wild life), past abandoned villages, high along the side of a cliff, past the old monastery of Sant Joan de Penyalagosa, onto a weird upland plain, before some more rugged country on your approach to Vistabella de Maestrazgo. The rain was pouring down and I missed Penyagolosa but Vistabella de Maestrazgo was a great place to hide out in, another wonderful Spanish mountain town.

Leaving Vistabella de Maestrazgo

The great walking continued next day (despite mixed weather). Initially it's more high flat walking across yesterday's upland plain before heading down a long valley past more abandoned villages down to the dry Rio Manleon (dry when we were there). It's then a steep walk up to Culla. where I think there is accommodation, but I stayed in the lovely little town of Benasal at the Hotel la Piqueta.

Benasal

Two stunning hill top towns in one day, Ares de Maestre and Morella, plus some great walking often along some remarkable ancient and really well preserved caminos. Accommodation at both places and the scenery and stopovers really justify going at a slower pace (particularly if you get better weather than I did). Morella is the number one hill top town in these parts with a lot of tourists.

Ares de Maestre

So the last day in Valencia and the province of Castellon. The GR7 continues north but the E4 heads down into Catalonia and the province of Tarragona. Definitely didn't end with a wimper though and the high quality trail continued through to El Boixar. Leaving Morella you have a bit of road walking to contend with but after that it's a steady climb up over a pass (great views back), along a ridge and down to Vallibona (lunch stop opportunity) before climbing up again to El Boixar where you leave Castellon. There is a casa rural in El Boixar or, if your staying on the GR7 a refuge a bit further along. I went down the E4 into Moli L'Abad (which was much too far).

For a day by day, real time account of the walk go to the following walk diary entries:

3rd April Pinosa to Elba
April 4th Elda to Castalla
5th April Castalla to Alcoi
6th April Alcoi to Bocairent
7th April Bocairent to Vallada
8th April Vallada to Casa Benali
April 9th Casa Benali to Casa de Callado
April 10th Casa de Callado to Cortes de Pallas
April 11th and 12th Cortes de Pallas to Requena
April 13th Requena to Chera
April 14th Chera to Benageber
April 15th Benageber to Chelva
April 16th Chelva to Andilla
April 17th Andilla to Bejis
April 18th Bejis to Montan
April 19th Montan to Montanejos
April 20th Montanejos to Villahermosa del Rio
April 21st Villahermosa del Rio to Vistabella de Maestrazgo
April 22nd Vistabella de Maestrazgo to Benasal
April 23rd Benasal to Morella
April 24th Morella to Moli l'Abad

Stage 3 - The GR7 through Murcia

2011-11-02T12:25:00.000Z

After 26 days walking through Andalucia I had belatedly started to work out just how long the E4 was. The euphoria which had driven me along for the first few weeks was starting to drain away and I was looking for smaller tangible milestones to sustain me. One step at a time didn't quite cut it but ticking off another Spanish province would help and fortunately Murcia was a small one.

Less fashionable as a walking destination than Andalucia, Murcia still looked interesting. Arguably it has an even stronger historical legacy. It was an important part of the Carthagenian empire (Categena on the coast is still a major port), a wealthy part of the Roman empire and for a time an independent taifi (kingdom) within the Arab world. The northern part of Murcia, where the E4/G7 route crosses the region, contains a number places of particular significance to Catholics with Caravaca de la Cruz designated as one of the five most important places in the catholic world.

Unlike the GR7 in Andalucia there is no English language guide for the GR7 in Murcia so I was now relying on my own research efforts (something I would have to do for the rest of the E4). My key piece of information was a GPS route from Wikiloc published by a cyclist. As a matter of interest "Bornem", whose route I was to use for the rest of the GR7, has now completed the walk through Murcia and the route is now available via his website on Wikiloc.

The route through Murcia is about 200 kilometres long. There is a variant to the GR7 which takes you to the south side of the Sierra de Moratalla mountain range to Caravaca de la Cruz, I stuck with the main route.

GR7 through Murcia

The first challenge was to get to Canada de la Cruz, until I got there I didn't have a GPS route. The route is not clear and a large hunting estate just outside Puebla de Don Fadrique acts as a barrier. Essentially went cross country (which involved climbing over fences) and, without the aid of a route, got horribly lost. As often happened my luck eventually turned and signs suddenly reappeared just a few miles from the village. Shame about the route way marking because it's nice countryside. There is some casa rurale accommodation at Canada de la Cruz but it not available when I was there and the cheapest option was a return taxi trip to Puebla de Don Fadrique.

Next day to El Sabinar was excellent. The route takes you up and then along a valley between the Sierra de Taibilla to the north and the Sierra de Mortella to south, dropping into a gorge lined with rocks in stunning colours and then into wild windy upland plain - huge views. I think there is a pension in El Sabinar, a tiny village, but I stayed just down the road in the wonderful boutique hotel at Casa Pernias.

View across the plain from El Sabinar

Lavender fields on the way into the Rio Alharaba gorge

The walk to Moratalla was another good one. Starting in the high level plain from yesterday, you go past a huge reservoir near the small village at la Risca then dive down another dramatic gorge, with more colourful cliffs, with the Rio Alharaba at the bottom. When I went through it new growth on the pine trees gave everything a clean fresh look. Moratalla is an interesting town, a bit shabby, but with a lovely historic centre. There is a hotel on the outskirts but I chose to stay in a cheap and cheerful town centre pension.

Spring growth on the trees in the Rio Alharaba gorge

Another short easy day mainly across an agricultural plain to the lovely town of Calasparra. Calasparra is the home of a particular type of paella rice and the town has its own rice trail and museum. Compared to Moratalla it had a prosperous feel but with a similar historic centre. I stayed in the Hospederia Rural Constiticion, excellent and right in the middle of town.

Looking back to Moratalla

Next day's walk is excellent taking you along an east west ridge with wide plains to the north and south. To the north runs the Segura river which I guess provides the water for the rice which makes the area famous. You never get to climb to top of the ridge but contour along its side. Half way along you cross the dam holding the water back at the Alfonso X111 reservoir before going around the Sierra del Almarchion the shape of which is particularly dramatic. The Segura river flows around the ancient town of Cieza which surprisingly doesn't have any accommodation. I stayed at La Linda Tapada which was lovely but a bit a trek out of town - the owner will pick you up on request.

Sierra del Almarchion

There is no accommodation on the next stretch of the walk and it's not that pleasant either. A long stretch through the industrial suburbs to the north of Cieza, then through some dry scrub land and then huge fruit tree estates before hitting the motorway at Venta Roman. I got a lift back to La Linda Tapada and staying there two nights.

The last day in Murcia is a bit better, the trail is good following an ancient camino across wide open and empty spaces and if you like big skies it's a nice walk. You cross the boundary into the region of Valencia just before you get to Pinosa, a small village with a big expat population and which has been speculatively over developed.

If you want to know what it felt like on a daily basis than have a look at the walk diary

Canada de la Cruz to El Sabinar
El Sabinar to Moratalla
Moratalla to Calasparra
Calasparra to Cieza
Cieza to Venta Roman
Venta Roman to Pinosa

Stage 2 Villanueva de Cauche to Puebla de Don Fadrique

2011-10-27T17:31:00.000+01:00

From Villanueva de Cauche you have a northern and a southern option for the GR7/E4. I chose the northern option, which is generally described as the less developed route, because, and without a lot of evidence, I thought there might be snow on the southern route in March. I now know better and could definitely have walked either route.

In total my Stage 2 is 443 kilometres long, involves around 112 hours walking, and goes from Villanueva del Rosario through the Malaga and Jaen provinces and joins up with the southern option at Puebla de Don Fadrique where both options join before heading into Murcia.

A sea of olive trees

There are a lot of olive trees along this part of the walk. Spain is the world's largest producer of olive oil and this part of Andalucia (Jaen in particular) is where much of it happens. To be honest I got a bit fed up with olive trees.

Day one was mixed arable, not yet 100 per cent olive trees, and while it wasn't brilliant walking the trail was nearly all off-road. I stayed at the wonderful Hotel Rural Paloma which is just off the route and couple of kilometres before you get to Villanueva de Tapia (near where the route crosses the main road) - don't miss it!

The next day, a short 20 kilometre walk but now 100 per cent olives. Pleasant open countryside but olives as far as the eye can see. Villanueva de Algaidas, the day's destination looked a pretty dull town, although it was pouring with rain when I arrived. The Hotel Algaidas is at the southern end of the high street.

After the rain the walk from Villanueva de Algaidas to Rute was tricky and sticky (with argillaceous mud sticky to everything). Streams which needed to be crossed were in full flood and the route was at times very difficult to follow. This was a shame because, despite the olive trees, this is pretty countryside with the route taking you through the lovely villages of Cuevas Bajas and Vadofresno. Rute the final destination is also interesting, a centre for the production of anis, the whole town seemed to smell just slightly from the drink. I stayed at the Hotel el Mirador which was OK but lacked any Spanish soul.

Spanish breakfast at Hostal Rafi

Nice walk to the lovely town of Priego de Cordoba the route takes you along two linked valleys. Hard to find the route leaving Rute but important that you do as the route takes high up the side of the first valley and away from the road. In the second valley it's along a quiet road still annoying because there is a lovely green lane running parallel to it nearly all the way. Preigo de Cordoba is a lovely town with some amazing Rococo churches. Stayed at the Hostal Rafi, a really nice hotel with a good restaurant.

Priego de Cordoba

After a 23 kilometre walk to Priego de Cordoba I chose to do a much longer, 35 kilometre walk to Alacala la Real. Could have had a short day by stopping at Almedinilla but to be honest the walking was not that good so not that much to hold you back. Quiet a lot of road walking although at times I may have walked along the road rather than the path because I missed the route.

Alcala la Real

Stopped for half a day in Alcala la Real staying at the Hotel Torrepalma. Impressive castle towering over the town and from the top you can see the line of watch towers that marked an old border with the Moors. A short afternoon stroll took me through the Alcala la Real suburbs to Frailes with accommodation at a wonderful bar in the middle of the village, really friendly, enormous portions of food and great fun.

Frailes to Carchelejo is a big but wonderful walk, 35 kilometres and 1300 metres of ascent. Climbing steadily up from Frailes to the little village of Los Rosales your soon out of olive country and into open moorland where the agriculture is based on sheep. Climbing up over a ridge with brillant views to the north you then into a empty and seemingly never ending valley before, after several hours, climbing up again over a ridge, past some amazing wind blown rock, with brilliant views of the Quiebrajano Reservoir, before getting onto moorland again and heading down to Carchelejo. We stayed at the Mezquita de Magina Rural Apartments, whatever you do don't be tempted to walk onto the Hotel-Restuarant Oasis, its miles away.

GR7 above Frailes

Couldn't find anywhere to stay at Cambil, the walk for the next day, but the owner of the Mezquita in Carchelejo was happy to act as taxi driver. Easy walk to Cambil, a very pleasant little town, although you do have to go underneath a motorway. Recent comments on the blog suggest that the route may have got washed away in places so it might be necessary to make some local enquiries, as it was, even when we were there, the river along the valley looked a bit treacherous.

After a slightly dull walk to Cambil, the walk to Torres next day was much better. Again you get to climb up out of the olive trees, this time into the Sierra Magina Natural Park, over a pass a 1600 metres with some amazing views back to the Sierra Nevadas, and then a long meandering walk down through trees to Torres. A good walk. Stayed at the Hotel-Restaurante Jurinea which was excellent.

Albanchez de Ubeda with castle above

The walk to Jodar is a good one going through some nice countryside and visiting the lovely towns of Albanchez de Ubeda and Bedmar both of which are stop-over options. Jodar is an "interesting" place, nice town centre but the rest of the place feels poor and slightly oppressive. There are two hotels and we probably stayed at the wrong one - would try the Hotel los Molinos which is much better positioned than the Hotel Cuidad de Jodar.

Would give the walk to Quesada a miss unless you're desperate to do the whole of the GR7/E4. A lot of road walking through boring olive tree country. Gets better from Hornos de Peal to Quesada and Quesada is a lovely village with good accommodation options. We stayed at the excellent Hotel Sierra de Quesada.

Limestone cliffs in the Sierras de Cazorla, Segura y las Villas Natural Park

After Quesada you enter the Sierras de Cazorla, Segura y las Villas Natural Park, a magical place full of wild life but with a total absence of people when I went there in March. This was one of the best parts of the whole E4 as far as I was concerned and as well as deer, huge numbers of birds of prey and vultures, I got to see my first wild boar and either a wild cat or a lynx. Definitely want to go back there.

You cross into the Park somewhere between Quesada and Cazorla after you have climbed up along a forest trail. The scenery changes quickly with huge limestone cliffs looking into the park and huge views across the plain looking out. Along the way you pass ancient churches and castles before getting to Cazorla which itself is an absolute gem of a town. We stayed at the Hotel Guadalquivir which was a success.

Sticking with the route there is no accommodation on the route into the park so I walked to and from Vadillo de Castril and the hotel gave me a lift back there the following day. I'm sure there are better options if your not a GR7/E4 purist. The paths through the park were excellent, a combination of paved mule trails and more recent forest trails.

It was on the second day into the park that the wild life started to reveal itself in numbers. Usually walking high up, contouring around valleys, you're often looking down at the hovering Griffon vultures and birds of prey. It was on the second day I saw my family of wild boar.

I stayed in an apartment in Cotos Rios, a small village on the edge of the park, although I'm sure the Hotel la Hortizuela is close by but on the road on the other side of the river from the trail.

Sheep country around Pontones

Although you're out of the park the quality of walking is more than sustained next day on the trip to Pontones. It was pretty wild when I did it with snow falling going over the pass. It was at this point I saw what was either a Lynx or a Wild Cat. Pontones itself is very much a mountain town, very remote and in an area where making a living looks especially hard. The Hotel Restaurant Ruta del Segura was a authentic, old fashioned good fun place to stay.

Last decent day's walking on the northern variant of the GR7, a walk across dry open limestone countryside followed by a long descent down a valley to Santiago de la Espada. Stayed at another mountain hotel, the Hotel San Francisco.

Although I walked to Puebla de Don Fadrique there was little pleasure in it. Mostly along a sometimes busy road and a long way - would definitely recommend catching the bus. The Hotel Puerta de Andalucia is a good place to spend a last day in Andalucia (or a first day if you're walking the other way).

If you want to know what the walk felt like on a daily basis then have a look at the walk diary.

Villanueva de Rosario to Villanueva de Tapia
Villanueva de Tapia to Villanueva de Algaidas
Villanueva de Algaidas to Rute
Rute to Priego de Cordoba
Priego de Cordoba to Alcala la Real
Alcala la Real to Frailes
Frailes to Carchelejo
Carchelejo to Cambils
Cambil to Torres
Torres to Jodar
Jodar to Quesada
Quesada to Cazorla
Cazorla to Vadillo de Castril
Vadillo de Castril to Cotos-Rios
Cotos-Rios to Pontones
Pontones to Santiago de la Espada
Santiago de la Espada to Puebla de Don Fadrique

Posada de los Arrieros to Granada

2011-10-26T09:38:00.001+01:00

We did feel that it was a bit of a cheat getting the taxi from Mairena to Posada de los Arrieros and it also meant that we missed out of what is supposed to be a lovely gorge walk just north of Bayarcal. On the other hand the weather was definitely on the turn and getting to La Calahorra early meant we could spend the night in Granada and enjoy a stress free trip to Malaga and back to London. The hotel at Pasada de los Arrieros was also excellent and the generator breaking down half way through dinner added to the remote in the mountains feeling.

Hotel at Posada de los Arrieros

It was cold in the morning, over 1600 metres high and a clear sky was enough to produce a frost on the ground, the first one on this trip. Still the climb up to the pass was a nice steady and easy climb and we soon warmed up.

Early morning sun below Puerto La Ragua

Just over the 2000 metre pass the weather really turned and short shower, with a bit of hail, turned out to be a harbinger of worse things to come. Got some final views down the mountain to Ferreira and, on the other side of a wide flat valley bottom, to Charches, which is at the foot of the Sierra de Baza, before the clouds finally dropped. To be honest the walk down the mountain wasn't that pleasant. Firstly we following a fire break down along a ridge and then an old, overgrown and badly eroded path along the side of a stream. About two kilometres from Ferriera heavy rain started to fall and we dived into the first bar we saw once we got into the town.

The weekly bull fighting update was on the television, a programme we had endured a week ago in Arenas del Rey, but the food here much better. Between us we had six lots of tapas (hot roast pork on toasted bread), six glasses of local wine and three expressos all for 12 euros 50. Excellent value.

The rain had stopped by the time we left for bar and fortified with food and drink, and celebrating the end of the walk we were rewarded with great views of both La Calahorra and its amazing hill top castle and the Sierra Nevada. The rain below had fallen as snow above and when the sun broke through the clouds you could clearly see the white tops of the mountains, the first snow of the year.

Fresh Snow on the Sierra Nevada

La Calahorra

Got to Granada by 8 on the excellent Alsa bus. Have been there before but just to see, briefly the Alhambra and the Cathedral. This time we got to wander around the city centre streets in the evening and eat one final Spanish meal, it really is a lovely place and an excellent way to round of the trip.

Berchules to Posada de Los Arrieros

2011-10-24T08:12:00.001+01:00

Left our hotel at dawn to avoid the rush with a party of Germans at breakfast and walked through a silent Berchules. Good news, a tiny bar was open, full of local men having their constitutional brandy, but we made do were with coffee and cake.

Climbing over the dam

We set off down the hillside into a gorge, passing a gaggle of barking dogs. Got to the bottom to find no trail and no way marks. Followed Juan up the valley bottom we had to climb over a dam, on the other side of which we found a surprised family of mountain goats who shot up the hillside. Eventually the found the right path, an ancient paved path which climbed back up the side of the valley opposite to Berchules.

Up the valley from Berchules

Looking back to the other side we saw the path we should have taken, just behind the gaggle of barking dogs, and renewed barks signalled the arrival of the party of Germans at the same point. They went down the hill making the same mistake as us, although one late German went in the right direction. Surprisingly poor group discipline soon had the party in three parts, one person going in the right direction, one halfway down the hill and eight marching off in the wrong direction. Eventually the eight returned, joined the one left in the middle but they missed the path again and returned to the village. We spent the rest of the day wondering if they would ever see their colleague who actually found the right path again.

It then started to rain and for the first time we had to get our waterproofs out. Pressing on to Mecina Bombaron we stopped for another coffee and had Jamon on Toast which Juan proclaimed the best he had had in southern Spain.

Walking down the valley through the tiny hamlet of Golco over the next ridge to Montenegro we stopped at the site of the last stand by a group of Moors attempting to resist the conquest by the Roman Catholics. A lovely new house stood near the spot, a quirky Spanish cross between Gaudi and Salvador Dali.

House at Golco

On into the lovely town of Yegen and past the home of the famous British writer and lover of all things Andalucian, Gerald Brenan.

5 kilometres later in the village of Valor, Juan insists that we stop in a bar to try the local delicacy of partridge pate. Unfortunately the bar he wanted to visit was shut but we found another one enlivened by the presence of some 50 huntsmen just down from the mountain (apparently having shot 5 wild boar). Three glasses each of rosada, tapas, a racione of grandmother's croquets, an Andalucian sardine and fish dumpling stew followed by cheese, honey and walnuts, all wrapped up with a local liqueur to completely refuel us. The bar was a brilliant place to be on a wet autumn afternoon.

Final stretch was a 6 kilometre walk to Mairena via Nechite. The light was fading and although we had not had any sun all day, for the first time on this trip to Spain, this sort of weather has made a nice change.

We decided to get a taxi from Mairena to Posada de Los Arriernos as this means we can get to La Calahorra in time to get to Granada tomorrow night. It's also a really nice hotel, a beautifully restored stone and wood construction with warm comfy rooms and good food.

Trevelez to Berchules

2011-10-21T19:24:00.001+01:00

Seven days of walking and seven days of perfect weather - after the dodgy weather I had walking the E4 this summer I can hardly believe my luck. Another great day's walking although slightly longer than anticipated and, shock horror, with Juan in charge it's still possible to go the wrong way.

After the threatening clouds of yesterday afternoon the morning sun came up again exactly to order and we were soon marching through Trevelez and well ready for the climb up the side of the valley to the south and east of the town. In the shade of the mountain it was a lovely walk, up the through abandoned terraces and ancient farmsteads. Interesting to see how, high on the hill, the old farmstead was surrounded by sweet chestnuts which were such an important source of food for man and pig alike.

Travelez

John & Juan

The views back to Trevelez were just brilliant but the promised view of Mulhacen, the highest mountain in Spain, was a long time coming and it wasn't until we got to the highest point on the path, about 1750 metres, that we finally got to see it.

The gentle descent on the other side towards Juviles was across a huge expanse of open moorland. Wonderful views even if the humidity in the air made things just a little hazy.

Above Juviles

After the little town of Juviles we dropped into a craggy gorge on the way to Timar. Half way along, a particular crag projects out into the gorge dropping vertically several hundred feet. In the interests of dramatic photography I tried to persuade Christine and Juan to stand on the edge but they claimed it was too windy. The photo below shows the two of them as tiny people on top of a rock.

In the gorge between Juviles and Timar

Stopped at Timar hoping to buy some fruit-juice, a new midday habit, but no shops. It was getting quite hot, Christine has a blister, and our early morning pace had burned out. Started to discuss short-cuts to Berchules but in the end decided to stick with the original schudule. The usual mid-day blues were then compounded when we missed the trail and had to retrace our steps up a horrible concrete road.

Actually the E4 route between Timar and Lobras is just mad. Lots of money has been spent restoring an ancient waterway which contours between the two settlements and has a good footpath running along it's side. Ignoring this obvious route the E4 plunges down steeply into the gorge and then climbs it's way out again on the other side.

By the time we got to Lobras, yet another pretty white village, we were on a roll again and made great progress through a complete change of scenery on the route to Cadiar. We entered a fertile valley with a stream cutting through an alluvial flood plain, and the path took us through little fields of beans and tomatoes. Met a man on mule, or an ass, not sure which is which, on the way to his fields.

Approaching Cadiar

Stopped at a bar in Cadiar and fortified ourselves before the usual sting in the tail end of day walk, this time a savage climb out of the valley up to Berchules. Great views across the valley looking backwards with the late afternoon sun and even better views in the bar as Christine and I consumed two beers each, Juan only had one but he's Spanish and we are from northern beer drinking Europe!

Evening sun looking back to Cadiar

Great day's walking.

Bubion to Trevelez

2011-10-20T19:02:00.001+01:00

Mountain towns seem to have a common feel wherever they are. It's the sense of being away from things at the end of the road, and not on the way to anywhere else. This late in the season the little towns are quite empty, and cold at the end of the day - you can feel the seasons changing.

I wanted to come to Bubion and stay at the Hostal las Terrazas because Christine and I stayed there about 15 years ago. It wasn't exactly how we remembered it but even nicer and had great views.

The weather is still excellent but starting feel unsettled, so we had clear blue sky the first half of the day but cloud in the afternoon - it is threatening to rain and indeed the forecast is not so good for the day after tomorrow.

Perhaps the best view of the day was the early morning view, following the climb up over the pass to the east of Bubion, looking up the Poqueria valley to the top of Velata (3394m).

Bubion

After this first climb the path went down and through, in rapid succession, a series of traditional immaculately kept white villages - Capilerilla, Pitres, Atalbeitar, Portugas and Busquistar.

With navigation now in Juan's super- capable hands, Christine and I were not paying that much attention to the big unresolved navigational issue, could we get through to Trevelez without a long walk along the road? Juan had heard that a land slip had destroyed the original path but was not sure whether an alternative had been constructed. Of course asking locals whether a long walk through the countryside was intact or not does not always produce a sensible answer, and people who live and work in the countryside seem to think that people who walk for pleasure are mad. After asking the question to a dozen or so people, two answers which seemed for once to accord with each other gave us confidence and we pressed on.

At Portugas we stopped for lunch (fruit juice and salami) sitting around an 'outdoor fitness centre' which every village around here seems to have (sponsored by a local bank). Then we walked down the hill to the Agua Agria de Portugas, a famous mineral water spa. Coach loads of tourists were stopping to sample the orange tinted water which is supposed to be healthy, it tasted disgusting, like drinking rusty nails. When it comes to health giving qualities I'm a rusty nail water drinking sceptic.

Agua Agria

After the white villages we set off on the final 10 kilometre stretch up the valley to Travelez. The clouds were beginning to gather but the views were wonderful. These mountains are not Alpine despite rising to well over 3,000 metres. If anything they resemble the Pennine moors but on an absolutely massive scale.

Up the valley to Trevelez

Eventually we found out what the landslip had done to the route - a new 300 metre drop into a gorge to by pass it, and the inevitable 300 metre climb out the other side. At the bottom of the gorge there was an interesting little footbridge which everyone crossed safely, despite the attention of the cameras.

Under the Landslip

Arrived at Trevelez just after 5. Lovely old town and the hotel we are staying in, the Hotel la Fragua, is excellent, nice room with views down the valley. Trevelez has a claim to be the highest town in Spain and is famous for its 'jamon' which, no doubt, we will be sampling later on this evening.

Lanjaron to Bubion

2011-10-19T19:33:00.001+01:00

The big news today is that first there were two and now there are three. We are walking with Juan Holgado. I met Juan in March, between Los Barrios and Castillo de Castellar, and he became a constant source of advice and guidance for the rest of walk. He has kindly agreed to join us for the rest of the this trip despite the fact that it turns out I have been spelling his name wrong for months (Holgado not Holdago). Juan is an expert in all things walking in Spain so I won't be doing anymore navigation.

Another brilliant walk, high up above the valley but today heading east rather than south. Better still we have left the dust vehicle trails which have been standard over the last four days and are walking along ancient Moorish tracks, often parallel with old irrigation canals, which this part of Spain is famous for. We are now in the Alpujarras and the Sierra Nevada Natural Park, spectacular walking.

Climbing up and looking back to Lanjaron we saw the first of a series of towns and villages, all perched up on the side of the mountains, and all white. Lanjaron, by far the largest, overlooks for ancient Moorish route from Granada to the coast, its strategic position is crowned with a castle and the designation "gateway to the Alpujarras".

Lanjaron from the east

After Lanjaron you visit the villages of Canar, Sopurtujar before the final and perhaps most famous trio of white villages, Pampeneira, Bubion and Capileira (above Bubion but not on the GR7).

These tiny, intensely compact villages with their ancient street patterns are lovely but for me the star of the show was the path itself. This is genuine contour walking and contour walking with huge views. For once you don't have to consume huge amounts of energy to see huge amounts of scenery.

Trail towards Canar

The trail from Lanjaron was a fairly steep climb up to a col and then a gentle descent through almonds and figs to Canar. From Canar the path countered round the sides of a spectacular valley to Sopurtujar, where we bought fruit juice and sat in the shade for 10minutes. Then we followed an old moorish irrigation channel which meant the path was completely flat but high up the valley side so the views were fantastic. We could see the Mediterranean in the south, and the gorge we walked down 2 days ago in the west. At one point we spotted 3 mountain goats.

Mountain Goat

Then down to cross the valley over a road bridge before the final climb up first to Pampeneira and finally to Bubion, both gorgeous beautifully preserved White villages. Staying in Hostal des Terraces which has wonderful views across the valley. Christine and I stayed here 15 years ago and have good memories.

Pampaneira and Bubion