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Parking is available in the car park in front of the post office on Place de la Motte in Saint-Jean-de-Maruéjols.
(S/E) Head towards the church, then take Rue de la Mairie on the left, which quickly becomes Place de l'Horloge.
(1) Leave the alleyway on your left, which you will take on the way back, and continue straight ahead on Rue Pavée, following the yellow markings for almost the entire hike, except for two very short sections where you will join another set of yellow markings.
(2) Take Chemin des Olivettes on the right, marked in yellow, and follow it until you reach the junction with Chemin des Baux.
(3) Turn left.
(4) Take Chemin des Blaches on the left and continue to follow this yellow-marked path. Pass the "Valen" marker and continue straight ahead towards Barjac for a good hundred metres until you reach the "Pan Perdu" marker.
(5) Turn right towards Avéjan. Follow the path to the "Beauséjour" signpost.
(6) Turn left towards Avéjan. You will cross paths that branch off to the right and left, but continue to follow the yellow markings in the same direction until you reach the "Chemin de Galinier" signpost.
(7) Continue straight ahead, cross the road and follow the path opposite which climbs up to Avéjan. After 130 m, take Rue des Aires on the left which leads to a square where you will find the "Avéjan" signpost.
(8) Head towards Barjac via Rue du Porche, then turn right at the cross towards the church and water tower. Pass between the two to reach a very shady path that leaves Avéjan and is called Chemin de Fontcouverte. You will come out onto Route de Barjac (D979) at the "Fontcouverte" signpost.
(9) Head towards Barjac on the right, carefully following the departmental road for about 500 m. Cross the bridge over the Malaygue stream and arrive at the "Le Bastidon" signpost.
(10) Turn right towards Barjac, following the yellow markings. You will reach the ford over the Roméjac stream.
(11) Cross the ford and make the first turn right then left to join the tarmac road that climbs uphill. Please note that if there has been heavy rain in the previous days, the ford may have turned into a real river: in this case, you will have no choice but to take off your shoes and get your feet, or even your calves, wet. Arrive at the hamlet of Cabiac and the signpost of the same name.
(12) Head towards Serre de Barri on the right-hand hairpin bend. At the bottom of the path, take the uphill path (yellow markings), slightly to the left, which leads to the "Croix du Barri" signpost.
(13) Turn sharp right towards Serre de Barri.
(14) Go around the oppidum, of which only the remains of a section of wall remain, and return to the fork.
(13) Take the route on the right and continue to the "Saint-Ferréol" signpost.
(15) Continue straight ahead on the path to reach Saint-Ferréol just after the next bend: a beautiful picnic spot with the banks of the Cèze below. Take the path that passes below the hermitage and branches off to the left, temporarily leaving the yellow markings for a short distance. After about 350 m, take the path that branches off to the left for a steep climb with lots of stones, leading to the "Combe de Roland" signpost.
(16) Continue to the right, towards Lac du Mas. This is a fairly steep climb, but not very long.
(17) At this crossroads, go straight ahead and you will arrive at the "Lac du Mas" marker.
(18) Head towards the "Give Way" sign, then turn left onto the road towards Mas de la Cabane. Cross the hamlet, continuing straight ahead and following the yellow markings. After passing a vineyard on your left, turn right onto a path leading to Route de Jauzargues.
(19) Leave the yellow markings that branch off to the right, turn left then right onto the downhill road that passes between the chapel and the cemetery. Join another yellow-marked path a little further on, at a cross.
(20) Take Chemin des Vignes on the right, which leads to Russargues.
(21) At the junction with the RD266, follow Chemin des Lavandes, which enters the hamlet opposite on the right. Follow the yellow markings to cross it and reach the "Russargues" signpost.
(22) Head towards Barjac opposite and continue straight ahead on this yellow-marked path, ignoring the various trails and paths that branch off to the left or right. You will arrive within sight of the first houses in the village.
(23) Turn left onto Chemin du Cornier Bas and arrive at Route de Bagnols, or RD901.
(24) Turn left, follow the road carefully for 200 metres, then turn right between the two squares and car parks and continue to the "Charles de Gaulle" signpost.
(25) Turn left towards Saint-Jean-de-Maruéjols. At the bottom, take Rue du Lavoir on the right, then Rue Basse and continue to the roundabout below.
(26) Go around the roundabout on the right, crossing at the pedestrian crossing on the right. Then follow the signs for Bessas, turning right onto Rue des Magnaous: yellow markings. Walk carefully along the road for just under 400 m until you reach the silo and the cross.
(27) Take the path on the left and arrive at the "Les Cauquières" signpost.
(28) Turn right to follow the RD384 towards La Borie. You will arrive at the signpost of the same name.
(29) Head left towards Mas de Reboul and reach the signpost of the same name.
(30) Head towards Cabane Vieille on the left, following the yellow markings, which take you first left then right. If it has been raining, the path may be very muddy. You will arrive at the junction marked "Cabane Vieille".
(31) Turn right and arrive at the "Maricant" signpost.
(32) Head towards Saint-Jean-de-Maruéjols on the left via Chemin de la Grange des Prés, named after the farm on the left.
(33) Just after passing this building, the yellow markings lead you to a path on the right that goes straight to the RD901.
(34) Turn right and cross the bridge. Immediately after the bridge, take the first road on the left at the sign for "Le Malibaud". Turn right immediately, then left at the three-way junction to reach the farm. The path to follow runs along a low stone wall that veers slightly to the left just after the buildings: there is also a yellow trail marker. Walk along a sheep pen and then fields until you reach a tarmac road at the "Chemin des Prés" signpost.
(35) Turn right towards Saint-Jean-de-Maruéjols.
(36) When you reach the junction with the RD550, Route de Cauviac, turn left, then immediately right onto Chemin de Bessas: yellow markings.
(37) Continue along Chemin de Bessas, which veers slightly to the right, pass the old Berry Well and continue to the next junction, where you should turn left.
(38) At the next junction, head towards the old Goldney Well on the right and, a few dozen metres further on, take Chemin de l'Estrade on the left.
(39) Turn left onto Chemin du Mas de Jandon towards the village centre. After about 300 metres, cross the RD979 and follow the street opposite to enter the old village. At the end of the street, after a few dozen metres, take Rue des Annels on the right, then the first alley on the left, which joins the circular street that goes around the church district.
(1) Head right to return to the post office car park (S/E).
ford (make sure you bring spare socks and a small towel – we were warned). Some superb spots. Thank you. Please note that there is no mobile signal along the banks of the Cèze (remember to download the map or print it out). For the more adventurous, after spot 15, before heading back up to 16, continue along the path that runs alongside the river to the east after the spring. A few hundred metres on, there is a small cave on the left within the rocky outcrop. Just after that, climb the small scree slope on the ridge side (50 metres max) and you’ll find the entrance to a modest cave (a 1-metre crawl). On the walls, you’ll see drawings worthy of Lascaux (but fake: created by an artist for a film – there’s an explanatory note inside). Return to the path that climbs to the 16. It took me 9 hours / refreshment available at the start and in Barjac (no need to carry water in summer...). A mix of tarmac and paths. Well done again!!!
Visorando member
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