Today we hiked 10.4 miles (16 km) in 4.5 hours from Espagnac to Marcilhac-sur-Cele. You will notice that our average speed today (25:43/mile) was much slower than yesterday (22:34/ mile). This was due to the very hilly terrain on this leg. My Apple watch says that I climbed 79 flights of stairs today, more than 50% more than yesterday. (There were 3 climbs, each about .6 to .9 miles long.) My watch also says that I took 23,906 steps and burned 1,766 calories.
Although the climbs were tough, they did have a positive outcome – the views. Our path today was skirting the sides of the Cele River. There are steep cliffs on each side, with rock faces and green trees.
Our path took us along the edge of these cliffs, where a fall would mean instant death (250 ft below) or at least a major concussion.
You could only get to this trail by breaking the rules. Before entering the hazardous area, there was a big sign saying “don’t go this way, there is danger of falling rocks”. The sign instructed the hikers to take an alternate route, which added another 2 kms to the trip. Now, maybe we are too old, too stubborn, too tired, or too stupid to follow this safety message, but we proceeded into the hazardous area without any trepidation.
Later in the day, Stephen asked me, what kind of people like to test the boundaries of social, cultural, or human norms? Who are these people who “live on the edge”? My quick answer was people who think they have nothing to lose. So I guess, as guys in their 60s, we must feel like we can throw caution to the wind, and bet the farm on a risky adventure.
The trip into the hazardous zone was well worth the risk. We hiked under huge boulders and giant slabs of rock.
We saw breathtaking views of stone houses built into the cliffs.
We saw the remnants of ancient structures that once guarded this river valley.
All of these amazing sights that we got to experience because we were willing to “live on the edge”.
A few miles later, while JP was sharing an energy bar from Colombia with us, our fellow-hiker, Ariane, came walking by. We were shocked to see her because she started the day about 10 kms behind us. (I guess that just shows how slow we must be walking.) We have not seen many people on this trail, so it is always good to see a familiar face.
We hiked 3 miles together and then we all stopped for lunch ( at around 1:30 pm). Our first choice was a boulangerie (bakery) in the center of town. But it was closed. JP, our Chief Restaurant Officer, quickly located a local restaurant about 300 yards away. The menu was limited, but I decided to “live on the edge” and try the grilled shrimp plate. (Not something that I would normally do.) It was fabulous!
At dinner tonight, I again tried something “on the edge” for me – Oeuf Parfait. It was an appetizer with a poached egg in a cream sauce filled with pieces of onion, pickle, croutons, and lardon (bacon). Wow! Another delightful surprise by “living on the edge”.
I learned today that I usually don’t take chances. Probably because I feel like I have too much to lose if I’m wrong. But “hiking on the edge” today has proven to provide some wonderful and surprising advantages. Hopefully this lesson follows me home to Kentucky.
Pierre, with some new perspective.
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