I tried the hike to Grateloup-Saint-Gayrand!

By Solenn, March 03, 2023

Reading time: 4 min.

Hiking enthusiasts, the Val de Garonne is a lovely playground. It’s a great area to walk with the family. It's pretty, without climbing and without much difficulty.

Mother of two kids aged 5 and 7, I have often restricted myself from going on long hikes in recent years. Indeed, my children are right at the critical age for walking... They are becoming too heavy to be carried, but their little legs still struggle to climb the mountains and the "endurance" aspect is not really their cup of tea. In short, suffice to say that I set myself a small (big?) challenge when I announced last Sunday that we were going for a 14 km hike!

And yet, not without difficulty, they did it (Yes yes, I'm proud!!) With a littleOrganisation and a lot ofimagination, so we did the very nice hike which leaves from the hilltop village of Grateloup-Saint-Gayrand and pass by the magnificent church of Saint-Gayrand which bears witness to what was an impressive stone vessel, originally Romanesque (XNUMXth century) then Gothic (XNUMXth and XNUMXth centuries).

Ce panoramic tour offers superb views of the surrounding countryside and the hills of Guyenne. Passing through wind mill, Lake Rose, palm groves and of course the listed open-air church of Saint-Gayrand which offers a 360° view of the surrounding area.

We sometimes took small roads to very low traffic, sometimes grassy paths sometimes crossing undergrowth. Count a little more than 400 meters of altitude difference accumulated through hilly landscapes. This hike does not present any major difficulty, other than the distance which can be long for the youngest.

My little tips for hiking with young children:

Involve your child in the hike by regularly showing him your progress using a map of the circuit while being cheerful and motivating.
The picnic remains the favorite moment of the little ones. After the effort, comfort. We land on the grass, with a nice view and take the sandwich out of the bag.

Speaking of backpacks, we made the children responsible by offering them the opportunity to carry their picnic! They were so proud to be able to do like the grown-ups! My partner and I, however, kept the water bottles which still represent too much weight for the shoulders of our budding walkers.

Snack breaks : These gourmet stops represent a source of motivation to walk a few more meters. The opportunity also to explore the surrounding nature which offers them a sensory cocktail to flourish.
Games : If the first hour of walking went well (our little ones thought they were real explorers, eager to go on an adventure), the rest of the hike was more... complex! To motivate the troops and keep a good atmosphere we had to imagine a lot of activities, repeated songs, invention of stories of all kinds and various little games to take their minds off things.
We didn't take any for this hike, but generally children love to take sticks. Also remember to wear comfortable sneakers for your children and take enough water.
Finally, be encouraging and caring to make your child(ren) confident, happy and motivated. The goal is to make them want to do it again! 😉

We were unable to avoid a few passes on the shoulders for our 5 year old princess, despite this our two children did well! We left for 5 hours, counting the picnic break and the rest stops to cover nearly 14km. (Without children or with teenagers, you can reduce this walking time). It was a great experience. Personally, I find that hiking contributes to family cohesion. They create a diversity of memories, to remember the small trials that we overcame together.

And you, leaving? Share with us your most beautiful hikes in Val de Garonne!