11 November 2024 – Parcent to Col de Rates

 

16 of us on today’s walk

Which is more difficult than our usual walks

Most of our walks are gentle valley walks

But once a month we try something more challenging

This is by far the most difficult so far

But it is the most iconic walk in the Jalon valley

And most of the group wanted to do it, at least once

I wanted to have good weather for this one

Not only because the track is more difficult than usual

But also because I wanted them to enjoy the view at the top

No point in all of that hard work if you can’t enjoy the view

The weather forecast had been poor all week

So I arranged to confirm on Sunday whether we would do it or not

The alternative was a valley walk from Parcent to Alcalali

Fortunately the forecast was good on Sunday

It was sunny but cool, ideal for hill walking

I was pleased that everyone reached the mirador without any real trouble

The improved mirador area is a good place to rest and recover after the climb

 But there were mixed feelings when I explained we were not having our picnic there

We stopped so everyone could admire the view and identify our many valley walks using the original stone map

And it was only a short climb to the restaurant

And an opportunity for another group photo

Then a picnic at our seculded  area

With spectacular views of the Jalon and Orba valleys

It was too chilly to sit for long

And we were soon making our way downhill to Parcent

This is a great walk for photo opportunities

Including this old favourite

And I would like to give credit to Martin, Maureen, Tina and Pierre for their lovely photos

It was good to see that the newer information stands now include an English version

Including this history of the “Raisin Trail”

I had so many good photos, including 70 I took, that it was difficult to select those to appear on the blog

 

I try to restrict it to about 20, but there are 38 on this one

We completed our walk with a well deserved drink at the Cooperativa in Parcent

Where Jan joined us for a drink

She was not able to do this one due to hip problems

But hopefully she will be able to walk again soon

It was a very enjoyable walk, and I am sure that everyone will sleep well tonight

Temperature – 11-19c

Time Taken – 5 hours

Distance – 9 km