Walking in France’s Garrigue in Autumn
Friday, November 28th, 2008
St-Maurice from Lascours just before dusk
The French Garrigue is the name given to undulating Mediterranean lowland areas found just inland from the coast. Those of us who live here, and who are walking France regularly, are lucky enough to be able to hike it from September to late June. After that, in my opinion, it becomes too hot and dry to hike in comfort.
My favourite Garrigue is the region lying to the south of the Ardeche River, delineated to the west by the Cevennes foothills and the east by the Rhone valley. It offers many benefits to the hiking enthusiast. Firstly, it provides less physically-challenging terrain, perfect for the occasional hiker or ‘flaneur,’ with lots of interesting hamlets and villages en route. No endless climbs or lengthy and steep descents are to be found in topography that ranges from about 50 to 600 metres in altitude.
Equally as important is the intensely human nature of the Garrigue – it’s where we live and so is never far from sources of food, shelter and help. There are thus ample opportunities to replenish stocks, take sustenance in a bar or café or seek assistance if needed. For the inveterate socialite or the overtly gregarious, walking France means walking in the Garrigue. And access by air, rail and road is simple.
Mont Bouquet from Cruviers
We French are perhaps the greatest hiking nation on earth – where else does over thirty per cent of a country’s population practise hiking regularly? That also means we are generally more accustomed to hiking in isolated areas, are not frightened by this fact and prepare ourselves thoroughly for it. Your pharmaceutical provisions must amount to more than just a few plasters and a toilet role!
When walking in France we are, of course, on home territory, and one always knows one’s own patch better. And it is only natural for non-French to feel a little apprehensive about walking alone in a foreign country. Nevertheless, don’t forget that the levels of crime in France are far below those of the UK or the US and muggings don’t tend to be associated with countryside life. Moreover, French civil society protects and empowers the innocent in ways that other European countries do not, and so you need not feel guilty about carrying a pepper spray as a means of self-protection. But I digress…
The Garrigue and charming villages - an embarrassment of choice
Walking the Garrigue in Autumn is my preference. Why? The early mornings are crisp for these parts, anything from 3 to 8 celcius when we start off. This is a perfect temperature to kick-start the body’s engines, and guaranteed to install that ‘better get going’ feeling. As long as you avoid the seasonal rainy period (difficult to predict, but normally late October to mid-November) then the skies are lightly speckled with wisps of cotton wool and the sun soon burns off the residual dawn moisture, so paths are dry and there are no wet feet to contend with.
By midday you will be undressing and the afternoon is warm and sun-drenched, with cloudless skies thanks to our beloved Mistral. The distances you can cover under such propitious meteorological and topographical conditions will surprise you, with 20 to 25 kms a day being our average day’s walking in France. Of course distance is optional and there is always plenty to see and do along the way that can make arrival almost an afterthought, as opposed to the over-riding role it tends to play in many a mid-summer’s mountain trek.
Most of the vines have been well trimmed by now in anticipation of the winter season that arrives with almost clockwork precision the day the French start back to work after New Year. Of course, when you are walking France’s most important wine-making region, the vines are never monotone nor monotonous – so you will see the omnipresent yellow and red hues interspersed with leafless vines, that have a character all of their own, reminiscent of the ranks of invading Roman armies of yore.
The ubiquitous Mt-Bouquet from near Russan
The birdlife that remains in residence seems to thrive in this season, especially the birds of prey that make up such a high percentage of Garrigue wildlife – Peregrine Falcon, buzzards and Sparrow-hawks being the most popular.
Whilst it is thankfully very rare to see either a viper or an adder in the Garrigue, la couleuvre de Montpellier is quite frequent and loves the high incidence of dry stone walls on offer in The Gard. Whilst it looks menacing, at about a third of a metre in length, four centimeters wide and a colour to match its favourite habitat, it is harmless. My father used to chop them up and fry them as a remedy for ill health!
I will finish by highlighting three problems – two all-year-round and growing, and one definitely linked to autumn and winter, about which we can do little. Man’s presence has always been writ large in the landscapes of the Garrigue, and the current proclivity to overbuild and burden the landscape with the most ugly of breeze-block constructions masquerading as attractive Mediterranean villas is distressing, especially given the rich resources of stone in the region. This is something to note when buying in the Garrigue.
Enchanting paths through vine and village
Where man resides, pollution follows; and we see many a hiker, foreign or French, discarding rubbish on the open trails of the Garrigue that they would never dream of jettisoning whilst walking in the Cevennes. Strange but true!
Finally, beware of late starts as you may find yourself running the last hour of the day to get to the next village before dusk hits. The light at the end of an autumn day in Garrigue is special, as the sun shines its remaining energy like a golden torch over the sun-kissed limestone hills and valleys. But these visual delights are relatively short-lived and soon forgotten if you are half way between villages without a headlamp.
Such problems are commonplace, amongst poorly-prepared hikers flying in from around Europe and beyond, so do make sure that your walking tours in France are well planned - which should mean using locally-based hiking specialists to organize your walking. If you want to get the best out of your limited stay, don’t cut corners and put yourself at risk. It’s just not worth it. Despite 30 years experience of walking in France, I wouldn’t dream of arranging a trip to the Scottish Highlands by myself and would always use a Scottish-based firm to book my accommodation and plan my itinerary.
Bonne marche!
Marcel Germain