To Espéraza

June 17, 2025

I woke up feeling refreshed and eager for another day – the wind speeds were predicted to drop to 10-14 mph and though the temperature was creeping higher it was an overall mprovement in my book. An added bonus was today’s ride through the Gorges de Galamus.

The Galamus Gorge was formed by the Agly River, which carved through the limestone rock to a depth of more than 500 feet on its way to the Mediterranean. In the 19th century, workers suspended on ropes used crowbars build a road through the gorge, a feat completed in 1892. This product of human ambition and technology was immortalized in a quatrain by the poet Léonce Rives, whose words are engraved above the tunnel at the entrance to the gorge.

In this bare rock that the sabine pierces

Where the eagle in its flight dared to come alone

Hanged by a rope with the crowbar

Man, like the bird, has found a path

Unfortunately, I didn’t read up on the gorge beforehand and so have no pictures of the quatrain, or even the tunnel for that matter. I might have stopped for a tunnel picture but the area at the gorge entrance was quite crowded due to the presence of a nearby parking lot. In fact, pedestrians roamed the very narrow one-lane road through the gorge, often stopping in the middle of the road for pictures. Adding to that were vehicle and motorcycle traffic and wind, a combination that contributed to the gorge road being listed as a “wild ride” on the dangerous roads website. Needless to say, there were few photo stops during my passage through the gorge.

The gorge itself was striking, especially the limestone formations that soared above the river. Other than the “wild ride” and the road itself, however, I would say it lacked the wow factor of some other gorges I’ve cycled through, such as the Ardèche or Bourne gorges.

A look back towards Saint-Paul-de-Fenouillet

What I imagine is a layer cake of mountains with room for a big dollop of ice cream

Saint-Paul-de-Fenouillet from a higher vantage point

This got my heart pumping. In fact, I encountered such a strong gust rounding one blind curve that it forced me off my bike for about 50 yards.

A look back to a section of the balcony road I've just traversed

There were some interesting limestone formations, but lighting wasn't the best for pictures

The Gorge officially continues to the town of Cubières-sur-Cinoble where I took a short break before beginning the big climb of the day. The climb was quite manageable - the winds had lessened considerably since yesterday and there were only a couple of spots where the grade became briefly uncomfortable. I hadn’t excepted to find a Col marker at the top of the hill and so was quite stoked to see that I’d just conquered Col du Linus. Two cyclists reached the top from the other side just as I was maneuvering Vivien George for our photo-op. Naturally we all passed around the cameras to document everyone’s achievement and then spent quite a bit of time exchanging stories and tips for the road. I wished them luck and headed down the hill to Bugarach where I’d just learned there was source of potable water in the church yard.

Soon after passing through Bugarach, I turned north on D14 toward the spa town of Rennes-les-Bains. I ignored the Route Barrée sign posted on the outskirts of town but in fact there was major work being done to refurbish the town square and all traffic was blocked. I was able to walk my bike along plywood pedestrian walkways and a kind worker hoisted Vivien George down a set of stairs. I continued walking through the narrow streets in search of a way to cross the Le Sais river and get back on course. I eventually came to the detour route, where large campers and trucks towing construction gear were trying to navigate the tight corners of town. It was a bit of comic relief, with one young man running point to ensure safe passage and keep the vehicles and buildings damage free.

For scale, check out the group of horses in the lower right

Stefan and Veronique enjoying their moment at the top

The Sais River runs through the spa town of Rennes-les-Bains, so named for the nearby natural hot springs

Temperatures had reached into the 90s by the time I rolled into Couiza, just a few miles before Espéraza. Hot, hungry and early for my 4 pm check-in, I found a corner bar and took a long break, one fortified with Schweppes, ice cream and cheese to accompany some leftover bread. I’d been there about a half-hour when a van pulled up and started moving tables and chairs into nearby parking spaces. I chatted them up and learned that they were musicians setting up for a gig on the terrace where I was sitting. Break over.

I checked into my lodging in Espéraza at the appointed time, a riverside B&B run by a delightful couple. My weekly French class had been moved to rescheduled due to a poor internet connection last night so after class I took a late dinner and then went for a stroll along the river. Too tired for journaling, I was asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.

My lodging is the pink building, La Maison de la Riviere B&B

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Today's ride: 27 miles (43 km)
Total: 777 miles (1,250 km)

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