Loop south of Mont Lozère via Vialas

The hike starts from the car park located on the road above Saint-Maurice-de-Ventalon.

(S/E) Walk up the road to the^first bend to the left, where there is a shed. Follow the path on the right, which winds its way upwards. When you reach the^first crossroads, continue straight ahead, ignoring the path that branches off to the right and another slightly to the left. At the second crossroads, continue straight ahead until you reach a wide path with a sign for Plo de la Nassette.

(1) You are now on the GR®7 and GR®68 trails, which you follow to the right towards Vialas and Gourdouze. Very quickly, the GR® trails leave the main path and take a wide firebreak that climbs to the left. You can follow either the right or left side of this firebreak. The path oscillates between the two sides. Then you arrive at the Plo de l'Estrade marker.

(2) Continue straight ahead, still heading towards Gourdouze and Vialas, following the red and white markings. You will cross a few paths along this section, but continue to follow the red and white GR® markings until you reach the stone bridge just before the hamlet of Aubaret.

(3) Just before the stone bridge, you will find the Pont de l'Aubaret marker. Follow the path that branches off to the right towards Gourdouze and Vialas, leaving the GR®7, which continues north. You are now on the GR®68. This path joins the road, which you follow on the right until you reach a fork with the Boulade marker.

(4) At this signpost, take the path on the left towards Gourdouze, marked in red and white. Cross the hamlet of La Vialasse, then Pierre Froide, staying on this path.

(5) 800 m after the hamlet of Pierre Froide, leave the road and follow the path that branches off slightly to the right. A little further on, you will see a stone structure that is difficult to identify until you get closer and see a small bridge, which you cross. The path leads to the road you left earlier, cutting across fields. Follow it to the right until you reach Gourdouze.

(6) In the hamlet, you will find the Gourdouze signpost. Turn right towards Vialas. Head towards a house with a "Private Property" sign in front of a field, but follow the path that branches off to the left just before the sign. Here, leave the GR®68 and follow the GR® de Pays de la Vallée de Luech, marked in red and yellow. There are a few short-lived paths, but continue to follow the main path, which is clearly visible and well marked in red and yellow. You will reach a tarmac road.

(7) Follow it straight ahead until you come to a barrier, then a bridge. Then take the path that branches off slightly to the left, marked in red and yellow. Follow this path until you reach a crossroads.

(8) Turn right, then you will soon come to a fork and follow the path on the left, marked in red and yellow. You will come to a tarmac road, cross it and follow the path opposite which leads to the Le Rompidou signpost.

(9) Follow the signs for Vialas on the left.

(10) At the Vialas signpost, Place de l'Ancienne Gendarmerie, turn right towards Saint-Maurice-de-Ventalon.

(11) When you reach the RD998, Route du Pont-de-Monvert, cross it carefully and follow Chemin de la Vigne below. Walk alongside the cemetery, then shortly afterwards you will arrive at the La Vigne signpost.

(12) Follow the path on the left. You will arrive at La Planche, cross the bridge and, immediately after, turn right. There is another signpost, La Plagette.

(13) Head towards Saint-Maurice-de-Ventalon, taking the path on the left that goes uphill. You will soon arrive at Route de Castagnols, signposted Lou Devez.

(14) Follow the signs for Castagnols. The path is on the other side of the road and starts on the left, marked in yellow.

(15) At the La Tranchée marker, turn left towards Castagnols and you will come to a fork.

(16) Take the path on the left. Cross a small section of land (where donkeys are resting). Immediately afterwards, you will reach the tarmac road to Castagnols. Follow it until you reach a hairpin bend on the right.

(17) Leave the road and take the path that continues straight ahead. Just after the houses on the left, there is a fork. Follow the path on the right, Traverse de la Fontaine. At another fork, take the path on the right that goes uphill. Between several houses, you will reach the Route de Castagnols. Follow it to the left until you reach the Castagnols signpost.

(18) Do not continue on the road opposite, nor on the road that branches off to the right, but follow the path between the two, towards Col de Chalsio. You will rejoin the GR® de Pays de la Vallée de Luech. You will soon reach the Pradiguas signpost.

(19) Follow the direction of Col de Chalsio, the path that heads south-west, not the one that heads completely south.

(20) At the crossroads, do not follow the path that heads completely to the left, but the next one, slightly to the left, still heading south-west, marked in yellow. During the steep climb, there is a path that branches off to the right, ignore it and continue to Col de Chalsio.

(21) At the Col de Chalsio signpost, take the path completely to the right, towards Col de la Baraquette.

(22) At the next junction, take the path that climbs to the left. Then, a little over 100 m further on, turn left again and continue to the junction before the road.

(23) At Col de la Baraquette, take the path, which is not very visible, that branches off to the right between the two tarmac roads. Ignore the paths that branch off to the left and right and continue straight ahead to the antenna.

(24) Just before the antenna, take the path that branches off to the left.

(25) At the Col de Malpertus marker, take the path that branches off to the right before the road towards Saint-Maurice-de-Ventalon.

(26) When you reach the tarmac road, follow it to the left towards the village. Cross the village and climb up towards Route de Vialas. Once on the D998 (Route de Vialas), turn left and you will find the car park (S/E).

You can fill your water bottles in Vialas, which has numerous fountains that flow even in summer. I did this hike on 31/07/2025 and the water was flowing. There is also a café.

Otherwise, make sure you have good footwear because the descent from Gourdouze to Vialas is full of stones, as is often the case in the Cévennes.

This hike can be challenging because, in addition to being long, it has a very long climb from Vialas to the antenna points (13) at (24) after already walking 15 km. But it is very doable if you are fit enough, as there are no particular obstacles.