Circular Thurins via Grand-Croix, Les Bruyères and Croix des Barons

This lovely hike takes you through the valleys of the Garon and Artilla rivers. From Thurins, the circular route passes through the hamlet of Jaricot and La Grand-Croix before descending to Les Bruyères. It crosses the hamlet of Julin, then crosses the Garon before climbing up the opposite slope. On the ridge, at the Croix des Barons, it swings over to La Burlière, crosses the Artilla and, via the Bois du Bacha, reaches the hamlet of La Grande Côte and then the village of Thurins.

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 17.27 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 6h 35 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 584 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 583 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 686 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 335 m

Photos

Description of the walk

By car: park in the large car park at Thurins Town Hall, Rue du Rampeau.

(S/E) Return to the car park entrance and walk up Rue du Rampeau on the left, following the yellow markings. Pass two streets on the left and continue to a crossroads where the slope becomes less steep.

(1) Leave the road that turns right and take the marked path opposite. Walk along an orchard, then descend to cross the Ruisseau de Vallière stream and, immediately afterwards, turn left, climbing into the woods and then onto open ground to reach a road at the Matillon farm.

(2) On this road, go around the farm on the left and continue straight on for 100 m until you reach a crossroads. At the unmarked sign, ignore the road opposite and the one on the left. Go up to the right for 300 m, towards Le Jaricot.

(3) At the "Le Jaricot" sign on the hill, leave the path to La Picolette on your left. Continue towards La Croisée des Chemins. At the start of the hamlet of Le Jaricot, turn right onto the lower path, which soon joins the upper path, and continue straight ahead. After 100 metres, ignore the road climbing left towards Le Rat and continue to a fork. Take the left fork; the right fork leads to Servigny. The road continues along a path that leads to a crossroads.

(4) At the "La Croisée des Chemins" sign, go up to the left towards Plat Saint-Romain. After a left-hand bend, at the fork (elevation 545), leave the path on the right. Join a road and follow it to the right until you reach an X-shaped crossroads (elevation 601).

(5) At the "Plat Saint-Romain" sign, take the road on the left towards Grand-Croix. Walk along the edge of a wood for 60 metres and climb the path on the left in the opposite direction. At the edge of the wood, make a wide right turn and continue climbing through the wood (west). Pass a high point (altitude 690) and descend to a crossroads (elevation 657).

(6) At the "Grand-Croix" sign, turn left (south) towards La Picolette. After 50 m, at the "La Picolette" sign, continue south towards Les Granges. At La Picolette, continue down the road and reach an intersection in the hamlet of Les Granges (elevation 526).

(7) At the "Les Granges" sign, turn right towards Les Pins. In the woods, at the fork, continue straight ahead. At the fork in the fields, keep to the right and you will come out onto the D25 road.

(8) At the "Les Pins" sign, go down the D25 to the left towards Les Bruyères. After 250 m, at the end of the left-hand bend, leave the road and go down the path on the right. Ignore the side paths. At the bottom of a small valley, cross the Goutte de Pié Froid stream. You will come to an X-shaped crossroads.

(9) At the "Les Bruyères" sign, take the path in the opposite direction to the left towards Le Julin. Cross the stream again and, at the edge of the woods, ignore the path ascending to the left (elevation 473). In the wide right-hand bend, ignore the path on the right. At the edge of the hamlet of Le Julin, you will come to a fork in the road.

(10) At the "Le Julin" sign, follow the direction of Plat du Mont opposite. After 50 m, leave the road as it curves to the left and take the path downhill to the right. Join a road, follow it to the left for 20 m, then ignore the road on the left and turn right after 200 m.

(11) At the unmarked sign, cross the bridge over the Garon. Ignore the road on the right and continue climbing straight ahead. At the hairpin bend, take the steep path on the right. Immediately, ignore the path on the right and, after 200 m, turn left at the intersection and you will come out onto a road.

(12) At the "Plat du Mont" sign, take the Croix des Barons direction on the right. Go to the crossroads just after the cross.

(13) At the "Croix des Barons" sign, turn left through the orchards towards La Burlière. At the bottom, after the house, turn right to reach a fork.

(14) At the "La Burlière" sign, continue left towards Bois du Grand Bacha. Cross Route D311 with caution, then cross the Artilla stream. Follow the old C.R.L. railway line. At a bend, ignore the path ascending to the right, cross two small streams in succession, and ignore a path branching off to the left towards greenhouses to reach a fork. Leave the path and take the path on the left. After crossing a small valley and its stream, you will reach an intersection.

(15) At the "Le Bois du Grand Bacha" sign, leave the path opposite and turn onto the path climbing in the opposite direction to the right towards Le Violet. At the top left, rejoin the old railway line and connect with the GR® 765.

(16) At the "Le Violet" sign, continue straight ahead for 50 m until you reach the "Le Pin des Meules" sign (elevation 472). Continue straight ahead towards Croix Faroussa, ignoring the side paths. You will reach a crossroads (elevation 414).

(17) At the "La Croix Faroussa" sign, follow the direction of Maison Familiale opposite via Chemin de La Varizelle. After 50 m, at the fork, stay on the path. Ignore the side paths and continue to a road.

(18) At the "Maison Familiale" sign, descend to the left towards Thurins, le Bourg. Cross the bridge over the Garon. In the left-hand bend, leave the road and climb the steep slope opposite. Cross the D311 with caution. Go up the stairs and continue straight ahead on the ascending street, Chemin du Mathy. Pass Rue Barthélemy Delorme and arrive at the intersection with Rue de la Poste.

(19) At the "Thurins, Le Bourg" sign, take Rue de la Poste on the right, then, 30 metres further on, leave it to cross an arched passageway on the right. Pass the narrow Place de Verdun, which leads to Rue du 8 Mai 1945.

(20) Go up to the left, cross Rue du 19 Mars 1962 and, on Place Dugas, walk along the main façade of the church. Follow a footpath on the right that passes in front of the town hall and leads back to the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 373 m - Town hall car park. Rue du Rampeau
  2. 1 : km 0.23 - alt. 399 m - Crossroads
  3. 2 : km 1.37 - alt. 472 m - Matillon Farm
  4. 3 : km 1.76 - alt. 494 m - Intersection. Le Jaricot
  5. 4 : km 2.91 - alt. 517 m - Crossroads. La Croisée des Chemins
  6. 5 : km 4 - alt. 601 m - X-shaped crossroads. Plat St-Romain
  7. 6 : km 5.8 - alt. 660 m - Intersection
  8. 7 : km 6.76 - alt. 527 m - Intersection. Les Granges
  9. 8 : km 7.7 - alt. 580 m - Intersection. Les Pins
  10. 9 : km 8.91 - alt. 500 m - X-shaped crossroads. Les Bruyères
  11. 10 : km 10.1 - alt. 447 m - Fork in the road. Le Julin
  12. 11 : km 10.61 - alt. 384 m - Intersection
  13. 12 : km 11.27 - alt. 487 m - Intersection. Plat du Mont
  14. 13 : km 11.51 - alt. 488 m - Crossroads. Croix des Barons - Croix des Barons (Thurins)
  15. 14 : km 12.65 - alt. 416 m - Fork. La Burlière
  16. 15 : km 14.39 - alt. 441 m - Intersection. Le Bois du Grand Bacha
  17. 16 : km 14.92 - alt. 476 m - Intersection. Le Violet
  18. 17 : km 15.62 - alt. 413 m - Crossroads. La Croix Faroussa
  19. 18 : km 16.26 - alt. 361 m - Crossroads. Family home
  20. 19 : km 16.91 - alt. 374 m - Intersection with Rue de la Poste. Thurins le Bourg
  21. 20 : km 17.01 - alt. 375 m - Intersection. Rue du 8 Mai 1945
  22. S/E : km 17.27 - alt. 373 m - Town hall car park. Rue du Rampeau

Notes

Route marking
The route is marked in yellow along its entire length.

Always be cautious and plan ahead when you're outdoors. Visorando and the author of this route cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurring on this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

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