The Cathar Way - A Walker's Guidebook

• Location
• Description
• Contents
• Introduction
• Sample Route
• Maps
• Updates
• Reviews
• Further Reading

January 2012

Significant amendments to the route of the trail have been made recently in Stages 1 and 4. A few relatively minor amendments have been made elsewhere. Policy on waymarking is also evolving. The accommodation section (Appendix 1) has been re-written. Useful new publications in French have recently appeared. These developments are described below.

Pages 21 & 23 – Waymarking and Route-finding

The Sentier Cathare is still well waymarked throughout its length, but the system of waymarking is evolving, and is likely to change further in the years ahead.

Where the trail coincides with a national GR path, its route is indicated by the red and white waymarks of such paths. This applies to certain sections on Stages 4 and 5 (GR36); to a section on Stage 7 (the GR7); and to the whole of Stages 10, 11 and 12 (GR107), nearly all in Ariège.

In due course, the Sentier Cathare may itself be designated as a GR path. In that case, the whole of its route will be indicated by red and white waymarks. But, for the moment, the first nine stages of the trail are mostly indicated by blue and yellow (supposedly ochre) waymarks.

Where the trail coincides with a GR path, the blue and yellow waymarks sometimes still appear along with the GR path's red and white waymarks. But it is to be expected that this will be the case less and less in the future.

On one short section of Stage 5 (Main Route), the trail is indicated by red and yellow waymarks, where the Sentier Cathare coincides with a regional path, the Tour du Fenouillèdes.

Page 39 – Maps

The sketch maps in this book offer only an indication of the key features along the trail. It is strongly recommended that you also equip yourself with a very useful 1:55,000 map called Le Sentier Cathare, published in 2011 by rando édition. It covers the whole trail. Further information on the map is given here: www.editions-sudouest.com.

Page 52 – Port-la-Nouvelle

The route has been amended between the wind turbines at point (5) and an underpass at point (7). This is the new route description:

Go straight ahead at a crossing of tracks by the wind turbines (5) and start to descend. After a short distance, take a left fork (ie, go straight ahead). Red and yellow waymarks indicate a right turn here, but that is for a different route, so ignore those waymarks. Stay with the blue and yellow waymarks of the Sentier Cathare. You are descending in the direction of another group of wind turbines. Pass a ruined building, come to a fork and go right there.

After nearly a kilometre, a track joins on the left. You are very close to one of the wind turbines, on the left. Here, the trail chinks slightly to the right then continues in the same direction. Not very long after that, look out carefully for a T-junction of tracks and turn right there.

The trail bears round to the right, seemingly turning back on itself. The edge of the plateau, on the left, is approached. You reach the top of a steep slope with cliffs to the right and left (6). Directly below on the left is a stony path going down between the cliffs. Scramble down that path.

The path leads to the edge of a vineyard. Continue downhill, in the same direction. On meeting a track at the bottom of the vineyard, turn left, along that track. This track leads you to a narrow tunnel under the N9 road (7).

Page 54

More wind turbines have been installed. The route of the trail remains essentially as explained in the book, but the section between points (12) and (14) is now better described as follows:

Cross the road and climb the track directly opposite. On reaching the top of the rise, emerge onto another limestone plateau and go under a large power line. More wind turbines come into view, almost straight ahead. You are on an access track leading to them. The track terraces along the side of a hill called the Estrons de la Vieille. At a fork with a less well-made track (13), keep to the main track and descend to the right.

From the bottom of this hill the route takes a number of twists and turns, so follow the waymarking carefully. Opposite a hunters' wooden poste, turn left, off the main track. Almost immediately turn left again, onto a footpath that winds through the undergrowth. Turn left again on meeting another track. On reaching the corner of a formerly cultivated field, turn right and pass, on your right, a ruined stone building. The track bears to the left around the edge of the open patch, climbs a little and reaches a point where it bears left. At that point, take a path going off to the right, and very soon reach the top of some impressive limestone cliffs (14), looking down into the valley below.

Page 66 – approaching Padern

Between the Grau de Padern and Padern (4), the trail has been moved off the road. This is the new route description:

As you approach the Grau de Padern, the path, now quite stony, descends to meet the D14. Follow the road for a short distance through the gorge. Where the road turns left to cross the river, continue straight ahead, down an unsurfaced track. The track bears to the left and reaches a fork, with open ground on the right. Go right at the fork. Where the open area ends, a little further along, continue straight ahead. At a junction with a better-made lane, turn left. Follow that lane, alongside the river, towards Padern. Cross the river on a low footbridge and turn right into the village.

(If the river is in spate, it is better to keep to the D14 road from the Grau de Padern, as far as the village.)

Page 71

Near point (8) there has been a minor route amendment (again, to take the trail off a road):

After a short distance along this lane, you come to a fork. Go right, then follow the lane ahead for over a kilometre, as it passes through an area covered mostly by vineyards. Eventually this lane approaches the D14 (8) again. But, just before that point, go right, then immediately take a footpath on the left. Descend to meet a rough track and turn right there. Ahead, Duilhac-sous-Peyrepertuse, and behind and above it Peyrepertuse Castle, form a highly photogenic landscape.

Page 76

Shortly after the start of this stage, there has been a minor route amendment:

Climb up through Duilhac-sous-Peyrepertuse (1) and emerge onto the tarmacked access road to Peyrepertuse Castle. Turn right and follow the road to just past a left bend. The trail then follows a stony path on the right. It climbs steadily, then reaches a large open area. Here the trail rejoins the road. At point (2) the road to the castle swings to the right, while the Sentier Cathare continues straight on, along a jeep track. (To visit the castle, turn right here, and return to this point later.)

Pages 77–79 – between Duilhac-sous-Peyrepertuse and the Galamus Gorge

From the Pla de Brézou to the Agly river at point (6), there has been a major change to the route of the trail. This is the amended route description:

The trail enters woodland and climbs stiffly beneath limestone crags, finally emerging onto an open plateau, the Pla de Brézou. Here, the GR36 (and the former route of the Sentier Cathare) goes left, while your trail goes right, just below the northern edge of the plateau.

There follows a very steep climb. Take care at a couple of points where the path approaches a cliff edge on the right.

You ascend to over 900m altitude. You then descend into the upper part of a ravine, climb again and arrive at a stretch of open ground. This affords one of the finest viewpoints on the whole trail. On a clear day, there is a stunning panorama stretching from the coast to the Ariège mountains, with the rugged Fenouillèdes hills to the south.

The path descends and enters woodland. At a path junction, turn right and climb for ten minutes or so. There follows a splendid section of "balcony" path, where the slopes on the left plunge into the Galamus Gorge. At a small clearing, the trail is joined, on the right, by an alternative route for horseriders. Go straight across there. The trail then winds down a long way through woodland, eventually reaching the D10 road opposite a former mill (10).

The "Main Route" of the Sentier Cathare now turns left and follows the D10 (later D7) road through the whole length of the Galamus Gorge. At the southern end of the gorge, there is a car park from where you have a magnificent view up the gorge. You will also see a celebrated "hermitage", perched on the cliffs.

About 300 metres further along the road, the trail rejoins the GR36 (5).

(If you want to go to St-Paul-de-Fenouillet from here, continue down the D7. To return to the trail from St-Paul, follow one of the various possible routes by road, track or path that are marked on the 1:25,000 map. Small sections of 1:25,000 maps can be consulted on www.geoportail.fr.)

The trail turns right to descend steeply towards the Agly river. After some zigzags, go right at a path fork. Eventually, you arrive at the bottom of the valley, by a small canal. A large building (la Tirounère) can be seen on the other side of the wide River Agly. Cross the river here by a wooden footbridge (6).

However, in bad weather, especially in strong wind, it is best to keep to the GR36 from the Pla de Brézou, following the route description in the book as first published, to point (5).

Pages 83 & 85 – the "North Variant" to Camps-sur-l'Agly

The whole route description in this chapter should now read as follows:

Follow Stage 4 of the Main Route of the trail from Duilhac-sous-Peyrepertuse (1) as far as the former mill on the D10 road (10). There, part company with the Main Route, and turn right, along the road.

The official route of the trail, duly indicated by blue-and-yellow waymarks, follows the D10 road north for about a kilometre. Then it turns sharp left. (But, if you are heading for Cubières-sur-Cinoble (11), stay on the road for another 300 metres.) Follow a track that crosses a stream by a bridge. The track climbs, then descends, a semi-open hillside. Near the bottom, the Sentier Cathare turns sharp left, takes a right fork, crosses the River Agly by a new footbridge and turns right. Very soon afterwards, fork left, away from the river.

There is then a long climb, mainly in woodland. Near the top of the slope, go right at a path fork. Beyond, at a col on open ground, go straight ahead and follow the grass track opposite. It descends, goes past a small lake on the left, then rises to meet a jeep track. Turn right and follow that track. It descends, crosses a stream, then rises to enter Camps-sur-l’Agly (12).

The gîte d’étape, La Ferme de Camps, is at the far end of the village. But if you are staying overnight at the gîte d’étape in la Bastide, you must carry on for another 2.5km, on Stage 5 of this North Variant.

Alternative Route to Camps-sur-l’Agly from just beyond former mill on D10 road

Where the road bends to the right, about 200m after the former mill, there is a path going down on the left. Follow this path, which crosses an irrigation canal and then a stream.

After crossing a small meadow, the path reaches the River Agly. Cross the river there if you can (if not, go upstream to a footbridge), and turn right to follow the path on the other side of the river.

After walking for about a kilometre through woodland on the riverbank, you meet the Sentier Cathare.

Page 88

The section of the trail through and for a little distance beyond Caudiès-de-Fenouilloèdes is now better described as follows:

Join the D20 from Prugnanes again. Not long afterwards, cross a bridge over the Boulzane river and enter Caudiès (3). Here the trail meets the GR36 and red and white waymarks take over for a while. Turn left, climb up the eastern edge of the town (the centre is on the right) and reach the D117.

Cross the busy D117 into the Avenue de l’Ermitage. It soon crosses a railway line and takes you out of Caudiès. After a short distance, fork right onto a lane heading south. After a pair of stone pillars, bear left, then right. On the left is probably the last vineyard you will see on the trail. The track becomes a footpath, enters low woodland and climbs a little.

Page 91 – Fenouillet Castles

Please note that the section of the trail from where you emerge onto a road at the southern end of the St-Jaume Gorge up to Les Bordes is indicated by the red and yellow waymarks of the Tour du Fenouillèdes.

There has been a route change between points (5) and (6), as follows:

There is then a steep, winding climb up a lane to another col at 689m (5). On the way up there are fine views back down the valley. Here, the Sentier Cathare leaves the track and goes straight ahead, into the forest. It climbs a slope, meets another track, turns right, then immediately goes right again to re-enter the forest. There follows a long descent. Lower down, in more open country, Puilaurens Castle suddenly appears across the valley, perched on an isolated hill. The trail bears right, becomes a farm track and re-joins the lane from Aigues-Bonnes. Finally, the trail enters Puilaurens (6).

Page 105

Here is suggestion for cutting across to Quillan from this stage of the trail, on foot:

If, after visiting Puilaurens castle, you want to cut across from this section of the Main Route to the town of Quillan, on the North Variant, you could leave the trail at Col Campérie and follow jeep tracks across the Fanges forest to the north, via the Col del Fraiche. Descend to Cavirac, by the River Aude, then follow a riverside path to La Forge and Quillan. The tracks are clear, but the route is not waymarked. So you will need to carry extracts from the relevant 1:25,000 maps (see www.geoportail.fr).

Page 106 – Map Stage 6 
Puilaurens village should be shown at 460m, not 560m

Page 110

The El Cadet gîte d’étape has closed, but there is still accommodation in Quirbajou (see Appendix 1).

Page 122

There has been a route change at the start of this stage, as follows:

From the church, the Sentier Cathare heads west out of Quirbajou (4) along the Rue de la Piale (later the Chemin du Puits). Just beyond some allotment gardens, the "puits" (well) is in a cabin on the right. On reaching an iron cross at a small col, go left. Descend to join a well-made track that is coming up on the left. Go right and follow that track for just over a kilometre to reach a track fork (3). Go right there.

Page 155

The text in the Navigation box should now read as follows:

From Montségur (1) up to the col (2) at the foot of the rock pinnacle on which Montségur Castle is situated, the Sentier Cathare coincides with the GR7B and the GR107. Beyond that it coincides only with the GR107.

Waymarking from Montségur, all the way to Foix, is now red and white, not red and yellow.

Page 157

The GR107, which you have been following since Comus, once had its terminus at Montségur (2), but it now continues to Foix, along the Sentier Cathare.

Page 163

This stage carries red and white waymarks (not red and yellow) along its whole length.

Pages 175–181 Appendix 1 – Accommodation and further information

The whole of Appendix 1 has been rewritten for a forthcoming reprint of "The Cathar Way".

You can find the new version here: www.alanmattingly.eu/catharwayaccomm.pdf.

Page 182 – Appendix 2 – Useful Addresses and Websites, Taxi Services

The département of Aude, which is the main organisation behind the Cathar Way, now has a website dedicated to the trail: www.lesentiercathare.com.

In particular, it is possible to download free from this website the useful "Sentier Cathare - Carnet de Voyage": www.lesentiercathare.com/documents/carnet-sentier-cathare-2011.pdf.

Page 184 – Appendix 3 – Other Long-Distance Paths in the Cathar Region

The website of the FFRP is now: www.ffrandonnee.fr.

Page 185

The GR 107, le Chemin des Bonshommes, now starts at Foix, not Montségur. A new edition of the topo-guide for the path was published in 2010.

Page 188 – Appendix 3 – Useful Publications

In 2011, rando éditions brought out a new version of their French guidebook to the Sentier Cathare ("Guide du Sentier Cathare"). The guidebook appears to be available via the websites of Stanfords and amazon.co.uk.

Also in 2011, rando éditions published an indispensable 1:55,000 map ("Le Sentier Cathare") covering the whole length of the trail. The map appears to be available via the amazon.co.uk website.

Details of the French guidebook and the 1:55,000 map are available on the publisher's website here: www.editions-sudouest.com/nos-editions/rando-editions.