Hiking in the Pyrenees may be a serious business for the properly trained and equipped, but walking in the Aude is child’s play. At least, that’s what I hoped when I signed Mr 5 up for a Saturday afternoon walk with the local hiking club.
The regular Saturday half-day walks tend to be less ‘sportif’ than the Monday full-day hikes, and at lower altitudes, so when Nicholas indicated he would like to join me for one, I thought this was a good chance to test the principle. Being here on my own with him at the moment, I couldn’t join a weekend walk unless he came with me, so I was also keen to make it work so as to be able to get out and about.
Being the first walk of the new year, the organisers had chosen a pretty straightforward, largely flat, riverside walk, so I thought there was a good chance Nicholas could cope. But at 10km and an estimated three hours of walking with few stops, it would be a stretch for the five-year-old little legs, and concentration span.
Friends dropped down from St Julia to collect us and we headed off to Alet-les-Bains, meeting the other walkers in the car park by the swimming pool (summer only). There were some surprised looks at the sight of a five year old joining us. I suspect most people were thinking, in their kindly and entirely reasonable way: what on earth is she thinking? This little guy’s never going to cope with a 10km walk. I was pretty sure he would, but the stakes were high!
This is a walk I’ve done before, at least one way, returning from a hike that took us up from Alet through St Salvayre, down through the blanquette vines at Les Payroulies and back along the river. You can read more about that in my book. Today’s walk would be a ‘there and back’ amble past Les Payroulies and back, following the river all the way, with a gentle gradient, and not too much to trip you up.
Nicholas made a strong start, and amused himself easily finding sticks and stones, chatting to me and others, mostly in English but with the odd snippet of French. It is definitely another great way for him to be immersed in French, with adult chatter all around him, soaking up the language without even realising it. Periodically he would ask me what a word meant, so I knew he was half listening and picking up bits and pieces.
Stopping at occasional intervals for people to catch up, Nicholas occupied himself with shadow play in the afternoon winter sunlight, and by making artworks in the ground with found pieces of leaf litter and stones, something I’ve not seen him do before.
On the return trip, as the temperature dropped, Nicholas started to tire, his legs beginning to feel the effort, and we dropped towards the back of the group. These walks are well organised and there is always a guide at the back to bring up the rear at the pace of the slowest walker. In fact, on recently receiving a copy of the walking group by-laws, I was interested to see it is written into the rules that walkers must go at the pace of the slowest. With the organiser Gilbert bringing up the rear with encouraging words and the occasional prompt, we were only a few minutes behind at the finish, and I can’t honestly say Nicholas slowed us substantially at all.
This is an easy, well sign-posted walk, with interesting views, that you can follow along the river and the railway line for as long a distance as you wish – potentially all the way to Limoux. Suitable for all ages.
A promised restaurant meal was well-earned by the time we got there. Nicholas was suitably excited about the kids’ menu of bolognaise, drink and ice cream, and had worked up enough appetite to chow through it easily!
