Pyrenees walk 1: Quillan – Belvianes-et-Cavirac – Quillan

Quillan - Belvianes-et-Cavirac (click for Google map)
Quillan – Belvianes – Quillan (click for Google map)

In February we went to stay in the Pyrenean town of Quillan for a week.  The holiday was primarily aimed at improving the skiing skills of younger members of our extended family.  I’m not really much of a skier, preferring to walk up a mountains rather than hurtle down down them at breakneck speeds.

However, I can see the appeal and it was great to watch the kids having so much fearless fun on the slopes.

I did manage to sneak off for a couple of days walking.

The first walk was local and circular.  The weather was near-perfect, the sun was out with my big jumper staying in my rucksack the entire hike despite snow on the higher ground.

I started out from Quillan and climbed to the ridge of the first of three hills, ‘Les Trois Quilles’, from which the town derives its name. There are some wonderful views of Quillan  from the ridge.  The hills in the photo are the ones I’d be traversing on the return walk.

Quillan from Les Trois Quilles

By the time I reached the third peak I could see Belvianes-et-Cavirac below me and this is where I began my ascent to  the river Aude at Cavirac.

Looking down towards Belvianes-et-Cavirac
Looking down towards Belvianes-et-Cavirac

On the way to Belvianes-et-Cavirac I passed the ruin of a cottage, I expect some ex-pat will buy it up to convert into a yoga centre or somesuch.

Abandoned cottage
Abandoned cottage

I ate lunch outside the church in Belvianes-et-Cavirac and set off on the second half of the hike.

My next destination was Belvédère du Diable, a viewpoint overlooking the Gorges de Pierre-Lys, carved out by the Aude as it makes its way downstream from the high Pyrenees.

belvédère du diable
belvédère du diable

I admired the view and tried to scout out a track that might follow the entire length of the gorge but couldn’t see anything.

I then headed further uphill.  The higher I walked the more the paths became covered in snow.

Snowy paths
Snowy paths

It was fun walking in the snow, it wasn’t deep enough at this height to need snow shoes.

Looking across the valley I could see the ridge I had traversed earlier on.

The view across the valley
The view across the valley

Finally I began my ascent. I took a steep path down the hill, the snow quickly became quite deep, coming up to my knees at some points.

After wading downhill through the snow I took a break at the Chalet de Carach.

Chalet de Carach
Chalet de Carach

And an hour later a final break at the Palace bar in Quillan.

A very cold beer at the Palace
A very cold beer at the Palace

The perfect end to a fine day’s walk (with many thanks and love to Anne for providing me with the opportunity to enjoy and explore this beautiful region of the world).

4 thoughts on “Pyrenees walk 1: Quillan – Belvianes-et-Cavirac – Quillan

  1. Did you get to speak much French? How did you get on with that? The scenery is breathtaking & I wish I could’ve walked it with you.

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