On the hiking trail of the Bories de la Gariguette

Place : Malemort du Comtat (Vaucluse)

Participants: Adults

Workcamp description:

Look more closely at the teetering terraces of the Comtat and you’ll see lots of “bories”, or dry stone huts, sitting proudly among the vines, olive groves and cherry orchards. This workcamp gives you the chance to get to grips with the time-honoured technique of dry stone building. You’ll help restore a retaining wall along a local walking trail called “Les Bories de la Gariguette”. More precisely, you’ll rebuild a 25-metre section of the 1-metre high wall, following the one built in previous years.

Workcamp programme:

• Strip back stones to reveal the wall foundations
• Sort building stone
• Build a dry stone wall

Building technique: Dry stone masonry

Special bonus : Malemort du Comtat is a village far enough off the beaten track that still has an irresistible charm and friendly, welcoming local people.

Accommodation: In tents at the old municipal campsite, right in the centre of the village, with access to toilets/showers. The campsite is 10 minutes’ walk from the workcamp. Bring your own tent if you like.

Workcamp life: Help out, in turn, with daily tasks (cooking, cleaning).
Building work in the mornings, Mon-Fri. Free time in afternoons and weekends, with a choice of group excursions and activities.

Some ideas for excursions: Kayaking on the Sorgue, walking in the Dentelles de Montmirail hills, watching the sunset from Mont Ventoux, local farmers’ markets, all types of festivals and bathing opportunities.

A bit of history:

Malemort-du-Comtat is a classic Provencal village. It’s also in the ideal place for growing fruit, hence the famous Monts de Venasque cherries and succulently sweet AOP Muscat du Ventoux grapes.

Long ago, the village was fortified, but now just a few sections of ramparts and a tower remain. On the other hand, there are many agricultural terraces supported by retaining walls and scattered with dry stone huts, or “bories”. The association, “Les Amis de Malemort” and “Escandihado” both want to restore and promote the village’s heritage and this is why they have created a walking trail through the orchards, vines and olive groves. It is 2 km long and takes in some twenty bories.