Circular du Loup from Les Salces

The soul of Aubrac speaks to us on this trail, among dense forests, radals, century-old crosses and singing boraldes.

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 10.00 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 50 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 329 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 321 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 1,231 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 952 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Departure from the car park in the centre of the village of Les Salces

(S/E) From the car park, head towards the war memorial and continue along the D52. Follow it on the left. Pass by the Maison Forestière du Trélat, cross the Taillat stream and continue to the path on the left.

(1) Turn onto the path on the left (GR®60A); pass two paths on the right and turn right at the next fork.

(2) At the next crossroads, before a reservoir, descend to the right to the D52. Follow it to the left, then take the D56 to the Col du Trébatut.

(3) Take the dirt track opposite, then turn left at the edge of the woods.

(4) In the woods, at a hairpin bend, descend to the left to Pierrefiche, crossing the Ruisseau Felgeyre ford and joining the D56.

(5) Turn right and cross the village, then take the small road on the left that climbs to the Col des Quinsous at an altitude of 1021 metres.

(6) Take the path on the left between the pastures. Ignore a path on the left and reach a coniferous forest.

(7) Turn right, then left and continue along the woods in a north-westerly direction to the Croix du Loup.

(8) Follow the track to the right for over 100 metres and turn onto the path on the left that crosses the woods (Bouos de la Gleize). Continue along the path, ignoring two paths on the left.

(9) Cross the Ruisseau du Taillat stream, then descend south towards Les Salces. Continue along the edge of the woods to the car park in the centre of the village of Les Salces (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 1,088 m - Car park in the centre of the village of Les Salces
  2. 1 : km 0.43 - alt. 1,056 m - Fork in the road
  3. 2 : km 1.2 - alt. 1,103 m - Reservoir crossroads
  4. 3 : km 1.65 - alt. 1,075 m - Trébatut Pass
  5. 4 : km 2.53 - alt. 1,008 m - Hairpin bend
  6. 5 : km 3.3 - alt. 990 m - Pierrefiche
  7. 6 : km 3.99 - alt. 1,021 m - Col des Quinsous
  8. 7 : km 5.05 - alt. 1,061 m - Coniferous forest
  9. 8 : km 7.17 - alt. 1,222 m - Croix du Loup
  10. 9 : km 8.51 - alt. 1,218 m - Taillat stream
  11. S/E : km 10 - alt. 1,088 m - Car park in the centre of the village of Les Salces

Worth a visit

Things to discover
It's hard to believe that there was a time when the Aubrac was almost entirely covered by dark forests. Between the dense tangles of black trees, the peat bogs, thick fog that descends without warning in all seasons, thick layers of snow pushed by intense gusts during the long winter months, not to mention the wolves that sometimes prowled near dwellings and, above all, the highwaymen who lay in wait for lone travellers, you had to be very brave to cross the immense solitude of the plateau.

However, it was located in a key region: straddling Gévaudan, Rouergue and Auvergne, it was also a place of passage frequented by many pilgrims travelling to Santiago de Compostela. The Domerie d'Aubrac was founded around 1120 by Adalard to provide hospitality and sometimes assistance to these pilgrims. The monks then embarked on an incredible task of deforestation on the plateau: in a few centuries, the forest became pastureland.

It was not until the 1950s that the beautiful Salces forest was reborn: the human losses of the two World Wars, rural depopulation and the advent of mechanisation led to the gradual abandonment of agricultural land, which was then reforested.

Favourite
After admiring the panorama at Trébatut, stop for a delicious aligot at Le Radal!

Natural and Heritage Attractions on the Route

  • Forests of beech, spruce, black pine and Scots pine,
  • Trébatut orientation table,
  • Croix du Loup located on an old drovers' road,
  • Les Salces: Romanesque church of Saint-Privat, fountain, shoeing machine,
  • Pierrefiche cross carved with a naive Christ.

Reviews and comments

4.7 / 5
Based on 10 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.9 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.8 / 5
Route interest
4.3 / 5
User 7403625

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 05, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Fairly easy hike, no major difficulties

just a section on the road but hardly any cars

there is an inn on the way for those who want to eat there

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montagne35
montagne35

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 12, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Yellow markings (very well-marked trail)

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crijean
crijean

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : May 02, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

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misscath
misscath

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 06, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

very pleasant first part with clear views

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Jph31
Jph31

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 25, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A walk to be done early in the morning. Well signposted. Follow the app. Remember to charge your phone.
On the way, stop at the Auberge du Radal to sample the delicious cuisine of the Aubrac region.
Don't forget to book ahead.

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sofi.tr
sofi.tr

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 30, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

Nice route, there is a bit of tarmac road, but not too much traffic. I'm not very athletic (maybe that's why), but I found the climb between points 7 and 8 quite difficult (although entirely doable: I saw mountain bikers climbing, even if one was pushing his bike! ). The least positive points: few viewpoints. Positive points: a very pleasant shaded route in summer, with a nice little stream towards the end. I didn't see the orientation table illustrating this hike (did I pass by without seeing it? 🤔). In any case, thank you to the tourist office for this hike!

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DaDoRando14
DaDoRando14

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 04, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Superb panoramic views along two-thirds of the route; however, we found the section through the forest a little long.
This hike, recommended by the tourist office, is marked in yellow and these very clear markings are very useful for those who, undoubtedly a minority, prefer not to hike with a smartphone in their hand!

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REY PHILIPPE
REY PHILIPPE

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 13, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Great hike completed in 3 hours

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eric76
eric76

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 09, 2021
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hello

Thank you for sharing. It was a pleasant hike. We did it backwards without using the description, just with the help of the GPX file.
Quite shady, very few people encountered.

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viricel jacques
viricel jacques

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 23, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Beautiful scenery, peaceful and very pleasant hike. Thank you for this suggestion.

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