Circular Les Ilhes route via Picarot and Roquefère

From Conques-sur-Orbiel, take the D101 northwards to the village of Les Ilhes-Cabardès. Park in the large car park on the left as you enter the village, directly opposite the road leading to the bridge over the Orbiel.

Local signposting (yellow-green)

(S/E) From the car park,return to the D101, cross the road carefully, and take the bridge over the Orbiel opposite, then enter the village and turn immediately left into the lane heading north-west. The path begins to climb just before the last house, passes a wayside cross and joins a stony track.

(1) Take the track on the left, pass a ruined house and, after about 300 m, take the high steps on the right which mark the start of the path that crosses, further on, the dry stream bed of the Abessenc.

(2) Turn left and follow the path which ends as it reaches the pebble-strewn bed of the Ruisseau de La Grave (often dry). Cross it to reach a stony track (elevation 277).

(3) Turn right onto the track that runs along the right bank of the stream bed and leads to a monument dedicated to the Resistance. Turn right at a 90° angle, cross the stream bed again to take a path that climbs generally north-eastwards in a series of hairpin bends. Ignore the path branching off to the right towards "Les Esparzines" and Fournes-Cabardès and continue straight on towards the ruins of Piquotalen.

No signposting

(4) You arrive at a flat ridge where a steep, straight climb begins. This steep slope of over 110 m leads onto a grassy track. Follow it for a few metres to find a cairn marking the start of a section we created entirely to enable a circular route.

(5) From this point, follow the Visorando GPX track closely, using the cairns and Yellow Circles that we have placed along the entire length of the route to reach a large flat rock that we have named "le Mirador". A very beautiful view of the northern part of the massif. From there, you’ll find a path that existed but is not shown on the map. A few cairns at the start ensure you don’t miss it. The descent leads down to the La Grave stream, which flows through this section.

(6) Walk through the stream, which is sometimes cluttered with branches and a fallen tree, crossing it twice to find the start of a path on the left bank. Follow it for a few metres, ignore the path that branches off to the right, cross the Ruisseau de Montredon to rejoin the previous stream, which you will follow along the left bank on a lovely path. Cross the Ruisseau de La Grave one last time and head uphill in the opposite direction. The fairly steady climb leads to a stony track.

(7) Turn left onto this track, cross another stream and follow the track past the Croix de Viallèle.

(8) Head down to the right on the other side for about 500 m. Leave the track and take the path that branches off to the left, runs alongside the cemetery and Saint-André Church, and joins a tarmac road leading to the cemetery; turn right. At the wash house (entrance to the village of La Bastide Esparbaïrenque), take the D9 on the left to head down towards Roquefère. A few metres further down, just before a wayside cross, look out for a path branching off to the right.

(9) Take this path which descends and joins a stony track. First turn right then left and step over a chain blocking the way to cars. At the bottom of the track, a wide wooden footbridge allows you to cross the Rieutort.

(10) Walk along the right bank before crossing it again via another wide wooden footbridge. Follow the grassy track that continues between the stream and the road, emerging onto the road at a barrier.

(11)Carefully walk down the D9 towards Roquefère.

(12) Take the bridge on the right over the Rieutort and head up a short stretch of road followed by a path that climbs steeply, emerging a little further up onto a tarmac road, the D8005. Cross it carefully to continue along a path that climbs just as steeply to the hamlet of Les Houstals Nauts.

(13) Pass under a house and past two garages to rejoin the path that heads right towards Cubserviès. Follow this path, which runs alongside the Coumo Roussal stream, to reach the village of Roquefère.

Yellow markings

After a few dozen metres, ignore the path on the right leading to Cubserviès and take the one straight ahead signposted “Roquefère” (signs). Enter the village of Roquefère (view of a huge building: Château de Roquefère). Head left, cross the D9 between a shop selling chestnut products and a restaurant opposite the bridge over the Rieutort.

(12) Take a pretty flight of steps on the right, at the foot of the church built on the rock. Climb the long steps, ignore the first turn-off to the right and take the second one, which leads out of the village and offers a full view of the huge building on the right. The path climbs steadily, crosses a path leading off to the left (ignore it) and descends towards the hamlet of Le Vigné.

(14) Pass beneath the houses under construction and head down the tarmac road leading to the Ruisseau de La Grave.

Local signposting (yellow-green)

(3) Return along the path in the opposite direction to the start of the walk to reach Les Ilhes and return to the car park (S/E).

The wash house, at the entrance to La Bastide d'Esparbaïrenque, can provide a pleasant shelter with a water source.