You leave Cahors over the Pont Valentré, with its three towers the finest way out of a town you could wish for. After that, the city is quickly behind you. The road curves out of the valley and heads straight uphill, while your legs are still waking up.
Up top lies the plateau: low stone walls, oak woods and quiet paths. It’s not a hard day, but with more than 400 metres of climbing and almost 7 hours of walking, you will feel it. The terrain rolls gently on, and it’s the sheer length that makes the day. At the end you arrive in Lascabanes, a small village where there’s little else to do but take off your boots. Take that first climb easy, and the rest will follow naturally.