It’s still half-light as you leave Figeac. The path is quiet and dry between low stone walls and clumps of oak, and somewhere a dog barks behind a gate. This is the causse: a limestone plateau with little shade and few villages.
It’s a long day, but not a steep one. You climb and descend a little at a time, just over 500 metres in total, and the highest point stays below 400 metres. It’s the kilometres that count: almost 9 hours of walking, and even longer once you add your rest stops. The final stretch slopes gently down to the Lot, and Cajarc sits just ahead of you on the river. Pick up your lunch and water in a village along the way, because there’s very little to be had on the plateau.