Canal Du Midi – Part 1

The Canal Du Midi is a 240KM (150 mile) waterway running from the centre of city of Toulouse to the Mediterranean at Sète. The canal was built between 1666 and 1681 to link with the Garonne, thus creating a navigable waterway extending from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean. The canal became a hub for transport and commerce in the region, being used for transportation of goods until as late as the 1970s.

Nowadays, the canal is a World Heritage Site and its main functions are historical and for leisure be that by boat, cycle or in my case, foot. The canal starts in the very centre of Toulouse which makes it very accessible with a direct flight from Edinburgh to Toulouse. My intention was to travel from Toulouse to the sea, ideally in six days. I’ll break the story down into two parts to make it slightly easier to digest.

I have already published the gear list for the trip as I think the rationale behind gear choices for these multi-day trips is quite important for the planning and enjoyment of the trip itself. Too much stuff and your pack can be unnecessarily heavy. Too little and you might compromise comfort and enjoyment at some stage. However, never an exact science.

Anyway, I was packed several days in advance, with a final kit reckoning the evening before departure.

Day 1

It was a super early start; a stroll down for the 0215 bus from Dundee to Edinburgh Airport. The flight was a little late in leaving Edinburgh but made up time in the air and just after 1000, I was on the airport shuttle bus headed into Toulouse.

The weather forecast for the first few days was mixed and there was a good chance of rain on the first day, along with some wind and temperatures in the low single figures at best. Not exactly what I had in mind when I planned the trip but you can only play with the cards you are dealt.

I got off the bus outside the main railway station, which by chance adjoins the canal. The canal actually starts a couple of kilometres earlier, but I wasn’t going to backtrack just for that.

The first Écluse (lock), the Écluse de Bayard, is immediately outside the station and this was my starting point. Having bought water to fill my soft flasks, I changed jackets for my waterproof jacket, got my pack in order and set off.

On one hand, it seemed weird to begin a fastpack in the middle of a big city but once I was going, I simply merged into the urban landscape along with the other runners using the canal for their own local runs.

I stayed to the west side of the canal which soon changed from pavement to surfaced towpath alongside the canal. I was surprised how quickly the environment seemed less urban but I suppose the canal is to some extent its own little microcosm within the city. That said, I was keen to get clear of the city and into more open countryside and as a consequence, I was probably pacing much quicker than I needed to. Nonetheless, I was enjoying the running and within a couple of miles, the city noise abated and I was moving towards the suburbs.

The activity on the canal banks increased as I passed the University of Toulouse and there were a lot of people out walking, cycling and running. I forced myself to take regular walking breaks, but when I was running, I was making good progress.

A number of old barges lined the banks, most appearing to be permanently moored and many being lived on it seemed. After the University, I was pretty much out of the city but some of the peace was spoiled by the continual proximity to the main road. Nonetheless, I was enjoying the running and soon, the path I was on transitioned to a rougher single track which made the experience more like a trail run.

After about 7 miles, the first lock appeared, the Écluse de Castanet. By now, it was after midday.

The main track was actually on the other side of the canal, but I was enjoying the trail so I remained on the west bank for as long as I could. The canal was lined with tall trees, some arching over the water. One could imagine that once the trees were in full leaf, the ‘green tunnel’ effect would be quite impressive.

I continued along the canal, still conscious that I was probably going much quicker than was necessary. Part of the problem was that I did not have a defined plan for that night. I had accommodation booked for nights two and three, but I had always intended to play the first day as it came and to bivy that night if possible. However, although it had remained dry, the skies threatened rain at any point and that was the forecast overnight.

At the planning stage, I had identified a campsite adjacent to the canal around mile 13 but I had ascertained it to be closed. However, there was a Lidl supermarket very nearby and I thought I could re-supply and find somewhere sheltered to bivy. In addition, it was still quite early in the day and with the uncertain weather, I was not sure that I wanted to gamble on the very first night.

So, I plodded on until I reached the Écluse de Montgiscard where I encountered a hitch.

The path on my side of the canal came to an end but the main path on the east side was closed for some kind of maintenance work. I would normally have just ignored this but workers were actually present and they got quite agitated when they saw me about to go past the barriers. I was going to have to follow the detour.

The problem with the detour was that it included the main road and there was no pavement. So, once I reached the road, I would run in the absence of oncoming cars then take to the verge when cars passed. Not ideal and far from enjoyable. However, I was going in the right direction and I soon found myself approaching the road junction near Baziege where the afore-mentioned Lidl was to be found.

It was spitting slightly with rain as I went into Lidl where I bought some Coke, water and bananas. I sat on a bench in the shop lobby in order to refuel and contemplate the plan for the rest of the day. It was only about 1400 so too early to stop for the day with no accommodation or overnight plan, especially considering how unsettled the weather was. As much as I didn’t want to give up on the bivy plan, it just didn’t seem the wisest option, nor was it really necessary given I never intended to bivy every night anyway.

So, I jumped onto a well-known accommodation booking website and found a small hotel in a town (Villefranche-de-Lauragais) close to the canal, about seven to nine miles further on. This would allow me to make more progress, use up more of the day and lessen the mileage for the next day. More importantly, I would have a roof over my head and could at least start the following morning in a dry and orderly manner.

Decision and booking made, I negotiated the last section of road diversion and got back onto the main canal path once more.

This section of the path was paved which made for smooth progress but I was finding things increasingly difficult by this stage. It wasn’t nutrition or hydration, nor was it mileage as I had only done about 13 miles. I had gone more quickly than I needed to and I think I was simply tired from the travel and only about two hours of sleep before I left Dundee in the early hours. Thus, there being no particular rush, I walked plenty and just took my time as the miles slowly ticked by.

The canal was peaceful, I was away from the road and I was still enjoying life.

I paused briefly at the Pont D’En Serny, a local road crossing across an old red brick bridge. All very French really.

I continued on and by now, I was on the last few miles.

Finally, I arrived at Gardouch, where the canal meets the road which leads up into the town of Villefranche-de-Lauragais. I stopped my Garmin and made the conscious decision just to amble up the road and into town. Eventually, I was walking down the main street and passed the little square with the war memorial.

The hotel was just OK, over-priced for what it was, but there was a small supermarket nearby where I could buy provisions and some detergent to hand wash some kit. It is always good to stay on top of kit admin at every opportunity on these multi-day escapades, even on the first day.

By going further, I had significantly shortened the second day. This proved to be beneficial as I did not need to set off early, ensuring I got a good night of rest to set myself up for day two.

To be continued/……