I started my first day of hiking by taking a break. I had been dropped off close to the starting point in Pointe du Raz, but it was still about 15 min walking uphill. It was early afternoon, the sun was bright, it was hot, my backpack was heavy, my back was sore from a mild sunburn from the previous day, and I was already thirsty by the time I got to the top. I took some pictures with Laetitia, then I put down my backpack in the shade and rested for a few minutes.

There were a few tourists around, taking cliché pictures like the one below:

There was a van taking people back and forth to the tourist shops about 1 km away. I walked to the tourist shops, filled my water bottle and grabbed a bite to eat. I walked back to my backpack and rested for a few more minutes, waiting for the sun to cool down a little.

Eventually, I set off towards the East.

Through the “sentier côtier”, I walked around in the rocks that make up the coastline in Britanny. The vegetation is mostly low brushes. The trails are very well waymarked and easy to follow. There are some big cliffs with an impressive view of the ocean.

After about half an hour walking, I got the Baie des Trespassés, the beach I had been to the previous day, where I got my mild sunburn. I stopped to fill my water bottle (again) and took the opportunity to say goodbye to my old shoes.

I was still carrying them around because I forgot to throw them away, but from now on I would only be using my hiking boots. I salvaged the laces, since they seemed like they could be of use later during the trip, and threw the shoes in a big bin.

I went up the hill again and continued on the trail. For some unknown reason, the trail skips over Pointe du Van, which was fine by me…

Along the way, there are some tiny “criques”, small beaches with big pebbles. The trail goes up and down from cliffs through rivers and criques. This constant up-and-down took a heavy toll on my unprepared legs. I got tired again quite fast.

I stopped frequently to listen to the birds, to the ocean, to the tiny streams, and to admire the view. Actually, I was tired all the time, I just used those reasons as excuses. And so, that way, I went throught Pointe de Castelmeur, and Pointe de Brézellec.

At some point close to Pointe de Castelmeur, there was a resting spot with a picnic table. Continuing the trail after that spot, there was a sign which indicated I was entering a natural reserve, along with the usual “no camping”, and “no fire” warnings. So I decided to go back to the picnic table and prepare my first warm meal.

I was now full of energy and ready to walk to Pointe du Penharn. The sun was now still somewhat bright, it was around 9 pm, but the temperature was much more pleasant. It was much more comfortable and I was walking faster, with fewer stops. I did stop for a while to watch the sun set in the ocean. The view was magnificent.

It didn’t take long before I reached the Pointe de Penharn. I didn’t quite reach the tip of Pointe, but I was tired and decided to go to the tip the next day. It was getting dark and I thought I would have a better of the ocean with sunlight. I found a spot close to the trail next to a field that looked good, so I decided to set up my tent. The guy at the tourist office in Point-Croix said that it was forbidden to camp out anywhere, or “camping sauvage” as they call it, but that in Brittany nobody cared.

I had never set up the new tent before, but the salesman set it very quickly in the store, so it should be easy, right?

Luckily, it was indeed easy. It took me 10 minutes to set it up, and that was it. I was ready to call it a day and happy to have made it through, although I was quite tired. That was a night well-slept.