Saturday, August 8, 2026
End: Rivels Creek
Kilometers: 19.6
Total: 41.0
During the night I used one of my superpowers, midnight snacking, to eat some baguette. I felt much better.
Early in the morning, Alex and I got up, packed up our stuff, and woke up the kids. We got going just before 8AM, and made our way into Coulzonne, then followed the road.
We enjoyed some time hiking in the woods, still traumatized by the long period directly exposed to the sun the day before. Up to the Fromagère we went, then down. I took a photo of Daniel on a couch someone had set up for hikers.
Next up, we descended further. Much as we appreciate not having to climb, descending calls for caution, especially on potential slippery rocks. Daniel and I caught up with Alex and Miriam, and we talked to a friendly local who recommended the water at the campground. I stopped in there to refill our bottles.
We were looking for a place to stop for lunch, and were thinking about near the river Touyre, but it was too difficult to access.
We hiked up a creek and ended up finding a shady spot near Bordes de Bas. The kids played in the cool creek, and Alex cooked lunch. We wanted to avoid the hot midday sin, so we stayed awhile.
After lunch, we continued our hike up through the forest, appreciating all the shade we were receiving. Dark clouds were gathering overhead as we got on the D9 road.
Climbing uphill on the road, we were anxious to get off the road, not just to stay away from cars, but also because rain looked imminent. Before we could get to the turn off, the rain started. We got into the woods as the rain picked up, and found a spot to set up the tent right on the trail.
The rain didn’t last too long. Soon enough, we jumped back out of the tent, packed up quickly, and started moving, not sure if and when another thunderstorm would hit.
We passed the beautiful Château de Montsegur, as well as the village. Folks were camped out near the village with big canvas tents.
Climbing up and up through the forest, we eventually made it to the top, then started descending again towards Pelail. I had planned on going farther, but Alex didn’t feel comfortable with the descent, so we stopped before reaching the village. The tent was set up in some wet leaves just off the trail.
