Jonte Balcony Circular Route

Start from the village of Le Rozier. Several car parks are available in the village.

(S/E) From your car park, follow the main road (D996) to the junction by the bridge over the Jonte

(1) Turn right to cross the bridge, then take the first road on the left. Keep left at the three-way junction and continue along this small road to the end.

(2) When the road ends, continue straight on along a path (marked^PR® Yellow), ignoring other paths on the left. Follow this path, which climbs steeply through the forest until it emerges near the ridge, where the path crosses a larger track. Take this track to the left (IGN map incorrect here) until you reach a pylon on the ridge.

(3) Continue along this track, keeping to the left at the next junction. Further on, pass the rock known as “the Prehistoric Mushroom”, which is easily recognisable, and take a path that descends to the left. This path follows the top of the cliff for a good distance, offering a succession of magnificent views, until you come within sight of the ruins of the Saint-Michel Hermitage.

(4) Once directly opposite the ruins, ignore the first path leading uphill to the right. At the next junction, the signposted route branches off to the left towards the hermitage: leave this (you can make a short detour to the ruins) and keep to the right on a path that is no longer signposted but remains clearly visible on the ground, although it is not shown on the IGN map. Follow this path as it climbs up to the Causse Noir plateau until it joins a wider track.

(5) Take the track to the left, then immediately right at the first junction. Pass the few houses of the hamlet of Espaliés, then turn right at the next junction.

(6) When you reach a multi-way junction, head slightly to the right; then, when the track begins to curve more sharply to the right, leave it and cut left (heading east) across the junction. The path is barely visible at this point. When you reach the track running perpendicular to it, look for a small path that branches off to the right between two box hedges. Follow this path until you come to another larger track.

(7) Take this track to the left, then turn right at the next junction about a hundred metres further on. Follow the track, keeping to the left at the next junction, which is shaped like an inverted Y. You will reach the entrance to the hamlet of Villaret.

(8) Continue straight on along the track which skirts the hamlet on the left. After the hamlet, the track joins a small road: continue along this road. Ignore the tracks branching off on either side until you reach a junction with another road. Go straight on again and continue until you find a path (^PR® Yellow markings) which branches off to the left just before a hairpin bend at a place called Les Molières.

(9) Take this path and keep right at a three-way junction shortly afterwards. The path descends to the Jonte (incorrect IGN route): follow it until you reach a small bridge opposite an old mill.

(10) Cross the river and immediately turn left along the bank. Continue to the hamlet of Les Douzes, where the path climbs back up to join the road (D996). Turn right and walk past the restaurant.

(11) Take the path climbing to the left (^PR® yellow markings) to the Chapelle Saint-Gervais: a detour to the chapel is possible. Otherwise, continue along this path until it joins the RD63.

(12) Follow the road to the right for 300 m until you reach a hairpin bend where a track branches off to the left. Turn onto this track and follow it to a junction where another track (unmarked) branches off diagonally to the left, 20 m before a signposted crossroads where the^GR®6joins.

(13) Follow the unmarked track to the left, and continue straight on until you reach another junction with the^GR®6. Then turn left at the hairpin bend to follow the^GR® to Saint-Pierre-des-Tripiers.

(14) When you reach the road at the entrance to the village, turn right and then immediately take the first road on the left. Pass a first lane on the left leading to a few buildings, then, immediately afterwards, take a second lane (still on the left) which runs behind them.

(15) The lane is soon blocked by a ‘private’ sign, and at this point a path branches off to the right, passing in front of the last house in the village. Take this path, marked by fairly sporadic yellow markings, until you reach a road.

(16) At this point, the path turns left, still following the yellow markings. Follow it across terrain that becomes rocky until you cross the^GR®6again, which shares this section of the route with the^GRP® Tour du Causse Méjean.

(17) Take the^GR®6to the right. The^GR® passes by the ruins of the ancient Gallo-Roman village of Résiniers and then under the impressive Arcs de Saint-Pierre.

(18) Continue on the^GR® after the arches until you reach a wider track.

(19) Turn right onto this track, which is still signposted^GR®6. At a hairpin bend to the left, a path continuing straight ahead allows you to cut across a circular route. Return to the track on the right at the end of the path and join a small tarmac road.

(20) Continue leftwards to the hamlet of Cassagnes. Walk straight through the hamlet and carry on until you reach the third track on the left.

(21) Take this track, which also serves as a short cut, then at its junction rejoin the original track, which is now signposted^GRP® Tour du Causse Méjean, as this route has branched off from^{the GR®6}. Follow the^GRP® straight ahead, ignoring several tracks or paths branching off on both sides. Further on, the track turns into a path and follows the Jonte riverbank for quite a while, once again offering numerous panoramic views and spectacular rock formations. The IGN route map is partially incorrect on this section. Reach a junction and rejoin the^GR®6.

(22) Turn left towards Le Rozier. Continue to the hamlet of Capluc, at the foot of the rock of the same name.

(23) At Capluc, the^GR® takes two hairpin bends and then continues down towards Le Rozier, becoming a small road a little further down.

(24) At a left-hand hairpin bend, continue on the^GR® which branches off to the right until it rejoins the road at another hairpin bend.

(25) The^GR® continues to the right and below: be careful not to confuse it with another path that branches off to the right just before reaching the hairpin bend on the road. Join the D996 at the entrance to Le Rozier and turn left to reach the starting car park (S/E).

Note: the software seems to overestimate the elevation gain (this is often the case in canyons). In reality, it must be around 1,300 m, so the hike is long but not extreme. It took me 11 hours (including breaks) at a good pace, including the optional climbs to the Rocher de Francbouteille and the Rocher de Capluc.

No particular technical difficulty apart from the length of the hike. Many sections are on ledges, so this hike is not recommended if you suffer from vertigo!

A GPS can be useful, as there are numerous forest tracks in places and it isn’t always easy to find your way. For example, at the points (5) to (7), (16) to (18) or (21).

• Just before the junction at point (17), you can see a clearing on the left featuring a stone mushroom. This is the Grand-Place: if you take a short detour there, you’ll be rewarded with a stone arch (invisible from the path).

• From point (22), it is possible to climb the Rocher de Francbouteille (round trip) with a magnificent view of the Jonte and Tarn gorges. The ascent takes about 30 minutes. At point (22), turn right onto the^GR®6. Upon reaching a pass, the^GR® makes a 90° right-hand bend. A path (unmarked) branches off to the right in the middle of the bend and leads to the top of the rock (and another path branches off to the left and descends towards Le Rozier). The climb is steep and somewhat technical (with cables in some places) and features several vertiginous sections.

• At point (23), it is possible to climb up to the Rocher de Capluc (round trip) for a bird’s-eye view of Le Rozier. Continue straight on where the^GR® makes a hairpin bend: the path climbs directly up to the rock. The climb is short (10 mins) but dizzying, with ladders.

• It is possible to follow the^GR®6between points (14) and (17) instead of the route suggested here. The main advantage is that the^GR® passes through the hamlet of La Viale where there is a lodge, so this detour is not necessary for a circular route.