GR653 Via Tolosana Day 6: Joncels - Serviès

Joncels - Serviès 26.5 km

Left the quiet little village of Joncels at 7:15 to get an early start on the steep climb into the Monts d'Orb. 

We passed through the still-sleeping village of Lunas and climbed to Saint-Martin-d'Orb, the last settlement before heading into the mountains. Here I asked a woman out on her balcony where the nearest shops were, for supplies for the next two days' lunches, and discovered we would have to go back downhill to Bousquet d'Orb. So Jiheun and I left our backpacks with Mariella and went down to the village, a 10-15 minute walk. Luckily, the bakery and the Saturday market offered everything we needed: cheese, fruit and vegetables, bread - and some cakes for energy to climb the hill! There was also a fountain in which to wash the fruit and fill our water bottles, for there would be no more water sources until the end of the day. With three litres of water and enough food for two meals added to the weight of our backpacks, we set off up the hill.

The trail soon began to climb... and climb... and climb... very steeply indeed. We proceeded slowly, in parallel with a group of ten hikers from a fitness club in Arles who were spending a weekend walking three sections of the Way. We have in fact been encountering them from time to time all across the Orb mountains - a place where it's good to have company! There are no towns and no people around... I definitely wouldn't have wanted to do this part alone!  The group's instructor and guide has also been able to offer us plenty of useful hints, in very good English.

We passed the group and stopped in a picnic area under the pines at the top to enjoy all the local produce and cheeses we had bought at the market far down in the valley.

For the rest of the day we followed forestry roads - complete with occasional logging trucks - sometimes losing elevation only to gain it again.

Finally we came to Col de Serviès, where we left the GR653 to descend to the village of Serviès and our gîte d'étape. We shared it - and the dinner our hostess had left for us to heat up - with the group from Arles. This evening in company also included a surprise birthday party!