Hexishtrek Day 53 — From Chateau de Castelnau to the Final Pitch

Waking next to a chateau set a calm tone for the day. With about 25 kilometres to the bus stop that serves as the Hexishtrek terminus, the hiker felt little urgency. The main planning need was straightforward: locate one last bivouac between the castle and the bus stop. Maps indicated a heavily farmed landscape, which raised concerns about finding suitable, discreet ground to pitch for the night.

Packing was slow and methodical. Before leaving camp the hiker shelled blackberries along the route, stuffing some fresh fruit into a ziplock and using the rest as a snack. The route back to the marked trail led through farms, and the character of the walk changed: the path narrowed into a chute bounded by fences, producing a claustrophobic contrast to the wide-open sections of the earlier days.

A small morale boost came when the hiker spotted the last Hexishtrek badge attached to a fence post. That tangible marker helped break up the otherwise monotonous farm-to-farm walking. Interaction with other hikers was minimal — only one northbound Hexatrekker was seen during the morning.

Midday presented a different atmosphere. La Couvertoirade, a fortified medieval town, arrived as a welcome diversion. The town drew many French tourists, a reminder that while the hiker had been living in a long-distance bubble, these regions also attract steady visitor traffic for their historical sites. The hiker spent about an hour exploring the medieval castle and later ate lunch on a park bench, attracting curious stares due to a scruffy appearance typical of long-distance hikers.

Research during the stop focused on logistics for the days after the hike and options near the bus stop. The map did not reveal an obvious flat, private bivouac site before the terminus, but a paid campground a few kilometres beyond the bus stop appeared as a fallback. The prospect of walking extra distance just to pay for camping was unappealing, so the priority remained finding an acceptable free pitch between the chateau and the bus stop.

The afternoon offered time for low-effort recovery. The hiker hung a hammock in the shade of some trees and read, conserving energy through the heat. Later, the bivouac hunt resumed. After another hour of farm maze navigation, a suitable spot was found: flat, soft grass, no need to climb fences, and good enough to serve as the final pitch for the Hexishtrek.

As night fell the hiker lay in the tent and listened to the surrounding sounds of rural France. Sheepdogs barked in the distance. There was a quiet concern about the possibility of sheep moving nearby and the presence of the patou, a protective livestock dog whose nighttime encounter the hiker preferred to avoid on the last night of the hike.

The day mixed slow, low-stress walking with small moments of discovery — a medieval town visit, berry foraging, and eventually the relief of finding a final campsite. The Hexishtrek neared its end with a practical, low-drama last pitch that kept the finish within easy reach.