Monday, October 21, 2024
End: Fallateuf
Kilometers: 19.2
Total: 35.4
During the night, there was some traffic st the Vulcania roundabout, but it was not as bad as I thought it would be. When we got up in the morning, the fields were still covered in fog. We got packed up and set out around 9:30.
I volunteered to take our trash and find a spot to throw it away at Vulcania, rather than carry it up yo Puy-de-Dôme. We had seen the distinct hill the previous day, and it looked like quite a climb.
In the morning, we walked through the forest on our approach to the highest point on the trail. Our walk was enjoyable, if a tad muddy. We made our way to the foot of the hill, then turned to face it and started the climb.
At first we climbed under the cover of trees, but soon enough we were out under the sun. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky, and you would not have been able to tell that it was late October.
Arriving at the stairs, the children took the lead, and Daniel was out in front. He made it all the way up to where the train crossed the trail, and we all waited for the rest of the group to catch up.
It was a tough climb, and not particularly well adapted to the backpack-on-wheels that Isa was using. Alex helped lug it up the stairs, but that was tough. Eventually Isa just carried it on her back, but I’m sure it was not ideal. The whole group made it up to the train line and we rested a bit before finishing the climb to the top.
It was no small feat for our group to arrive at the top of Puy-de-Dôme, and we celebrated with lunch as tourists surrounded us. Daniel and I investigated the very top of the hill and the ancient Temple of Mercury, currently undergoing restoration. I charged my phone for a few minutes, then we began the long descent.
Needless to say, Daniel ran straight down the mountain, slipping and sliding on the gravel path. We arrived at the bottom, and continued on the trail, enjoying the flatness.
The rest of the day, the only real landmark was Laschamps. Previous versions of the guidebook may have noted a store here, but we just found water. I filtered some from a village spout, and Isa got some from a local resident.
We pushed on, tired but wanting to be in a good position to make it to a store the next day before noon. We hiked out of Laschamps and through the forest. It was a pleasant trail, and we went without stopping all the way past a road, approaching La Cassiere.
We set up our tents in the forest well before dark and enjoyed dinner. It had been a successful day, conquering Puy-de-Dôme and covering a lot of ground together.
