Circular route between Vernazoubres and Brenas

Start from the car park on the right, 200 m past the ‘Vernazoubres’ sign at the entrance to the hamlet. (Picnic area and drinking water to the left of the road).

(S/E) Head towards the centre of the hamlet, then take Rue des Maurelles on the right, which leads down towards the stream. Cross the stream and continue to the right until you reach the last wooden house on the left.

(1) Immediately afterwards, take the track running alongside the row of walnut trees, ignoring a path that climbs up to the left. Continue to a three-way junction 100 m further on and take the left-hand path which climbs into the chestnut woodland.
Carry on for 1.3 km until you reach the edge of the woods.

(2) Take the path on the left and, after 300 m and a sharp bend uphill, you’ll come out into a field. Follow the edge to the right, then along a fence.

(3) Almost directly opposite, follow the path on the right, ignoring a less clearly marked path on the left, and continue through the woods towards Brenas for 600 m.

(4) At the crossroads near the mobile phone mast (visible amongst the trees 40 metres below), turn left onto the Travers de Reboul track; after 700 metres, ignore a path on the left that climbs and head towards the field at the Col de la Croix de Vernazoubres. (The cross is on the ridge, about a hundred metres to the left of the field. It is accessible via a barely visible and very overgrown path 20 metres from the left-hand corner of the field.) Cross the field diagonally to the right-hand corner.

(5) At the opposite corner, take the path that descends towards Vernazoubres for 600 m.

(1) Join the track you took on the way there. Continue to the right and return to the car park where you started (S/E).

This walk is easy in the direction indicated.
In the opposite direction, the climb at the start is a bit steep.
For the more adventurous, from point (4) and the mobile phone mast, head down towards Brenas for a walk round the village to the church.
There is a water point at the start.

The view over the Salagou Valley between (3) and (4).
The view from the Col de la Croix de Vernazoubres all the way to the sea, weather permitting.