Cabano Naouto and Mourel des Garouilles

From the small village of Pradelles-En-Val, it is hard to miss the rocky outcrop of Cabano Naouto, which rises to the south with its sides eroded by weathering. The proposed route first crosses vineyards and broom before reaching the ridge, which offers beautiful views of the village and the valley. After Mourel des Garouilles, the return journey takes you through heath where a few vineyards dot the landscape here and there before becoming ubiquitous over the last kilometre.

Details

561803
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 8.36 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 55 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 190 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 190 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 359 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 199 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Park in the small square by the church in Pradelles-en-Val, where there are four to five parking spaces available.

There are no markings along the entire hike.

(S/E) Walk down to the D3 via Rue du Château. Cross carefully and continue opposite on a wide, partially tarmaced path lined with plane trees. Continue to the cemetery.

(1) Continue straight ahead on the path that winds between the broom and vineyards. Ignore the paths branching off to the left and right. The slope gradually becomes steeper, then flattens out as the path runs alongside a vineyard on the left, curving slightly to the right.

(2) Look for the path, half grass, half stones, which starts on the right at the beginning of a hedge and do not continue along the vineyard (be careful at this junction, which is not obvious as there are no markings).

The path quickly becomes much narrower. Further on, it crosses a passage blocked by overgrown branches and then turns 90° to the left. The hillside path offers beautiful views of the village of Pradelles-en-Val and the vineyards that cover the valley. You will come to a Y-shaped crossroads marked by the ruins of a stone hut and an old rusty sign with an inscription that is almost completely faded.

(3) Turn left onto a narrower path that begins the climb to Cabano Naouto, surrounded by flowering bushes and dead, emaciated shrubs bleached by the weather. Enjoy the view to the left and right as you walk along the edge of the cliff, pass a solitary pine tree that marks the highest point of the ridge, then turn right at a right angle. Begin a gentle descent where the trail disappears in places. Keep heading south-southwest, aiming for a solitary tree 3 to 4 metres high, which is easily spotted.

Leave a narrow path on the left that is not shown on the IGN map and continue straight ahead (south), passing just to the right of the tree in question. Follow the trail, which is not very visible at first but becomes clearer after about 50 metres, leading to a wide grassy path.

(4) Turn left and continue straight ahead to a large flat grassy area where you will come across another wide path coming from the right. Continue straight ahead for about 30 metres, walking alongside a cultivated field on your right, until you reach the start of a slight uphill bend to the right.

(5) Turn left and follow a multi-track path for the first hundred metres, which then becomes clearer. Walk alongside the Mourel des Garouilles, a series of small peaks on your right. Pass a wooden hunting hut with a tin roof and begin the descent to the D18.

(6) Cross the road (take care) and turn right to follow it. Cross a small bridge and, about twenty metres further on, turn left onto a wide stony path. Immediately turn right at the fork, ignore a path on the left and pass a building on your left which is used, among other things, as a hay barn. Keep left at the next fork.

(7) In the right-hand bend that follows, do not miss the start of this uphill path on the left (marked by a single small stone when I passed) as it is very tempting to continue right on the wide path you have been following until now.

The route continues through a heath landscape. Stay on this wide, stony path, which alternates between gentle ascents and small descents, ignoring any tracks, wide or narrow, on either side. A few vineyards on the right add a pleasant touch to the landscape before you reach a partially tarmaced track.

(8) Turn left, ignore a small road on the right (there was a sign for Château de Roquenegade on the ground when I passed) and continue straight on until you reach a triangular crossroads.

(9) Leave the left-hand lanes and continue straight ahead on the road, using either the grassy verges or the paths along the vineyards if you want to avoid the tarmac. Continue to the entrance to the village.

Where the road turns left to join the D18, at a shed, take the grassy path on the right that starts at the foot of the concrete electricity pylon. Join a road 100 metres further on.

Turn left and then immediately right to return to the church and the starting point (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 210 m - Church square
  2. 1 : km 0.57 - alt. 207 m - Cemetery - straight ahead
  3. 2 : km 1.34 - alt. 253 m - Junction - right
  4. 3 : km 1.98 - alt. 317 m - Y-junction - left
  5. 4 : km 2.92 - alt. 337 m - Wide grassy path junction - on the left
  6. 5 : km 3.23 - alt. 312 m - Junction - left
  7. 6 : km 4.73 - alt. 247 m - D18 - right
  8. 7 : km 5.25 - alt. 264 m - Junction - left
  9. 8 : km 6.4 - alt. 253 m - Carriageway - on the left
  10. 9 : km 7.09 - alt. 225 m - Triangular junction - straight ahead
  11. S/E : km 8.36 - alt. 210 m - Church square

Notes

There are no markings along the entire hike, so a good sense of direction is required.

I would like to draw your attention to several junctions, which are not necessarily very visible on the ground but which you must not miss. The Visorando app is very useful here, as there are many tracks and paths that are not shown on the map and could be misleading.

(2) Vineyard on the left, start of hedge opposite.
Between (3) and (4), the solitary shrub (see photo).
(5) Flat area, cultivated field on the right, start of an uphill right-hand bend (see photo).
(7) Path on the left uphill (see photo).

These various points requiring attention justify the Medium rating.

No shelter: the hunters' hut before the D18 is double-locked.

No water on the route. Bring sufficient supplies as the entire hike takes place in open space with no shade.

Due to the numerous rocky sections, good hiking boots are recommended.

Worth a visit

Reviews and comments

4.4 / 5
Based on 10 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.5 / 5
Ease of following the route
4 / 5
Route interest
4.7 / 5
Aigle noir
Aigle noir

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 03, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Beautiful hike, the ridge crossing with 360-degree views is superb, no difficulty following the route with the GPS track, well marked, the only downside being the last few kilometres on uninteresting tarmac.

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larrigole georges
larrigole georges

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 17, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Due to lack of shade, this should not be done during the hottest months.

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mireillebbln2
mireillebbln2

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 12, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk with beautiful scenery.
The description is good, but not easy to follow without a GPS.
This trail would benefit from being marked.

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TROUVE Jean-Jacques
TROUVE Jean-Jacques ★

Thank you for your review. Could you please explain why you found the accuracy of the map to be very disappointing? Where exactly? What is the discrepancy between the description, which you rated as 'Very good', and the map?
Thank you in advance.

Jean-Jacques TROUVE

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FURBY68
FURBY68
• Edited:

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 28, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Hike completed on 14 January 2019
The description of the hike is clear. A beautiful hike with stunning views, but best done in spring or autumn as there is no shade.

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VeroCat
VeroCat

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 10, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Beautiful views but the route is not signposted and sometimes a bit difficult to find.

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SEGUY_MIC
SEGUY_MIC

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 30, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Superb views, easy hiking and perfectly marked despite some sections where the trails are barely visible.
Thanks to the designers.

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licianus
licianus

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 16, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Very good hike. The GPS track is accurate and we had no difficulty following the route despite the trails sometimes being barely marked. Beautiful panoramic views. No trees but a pleasant path. We did the hike after a day of rain and encountered a few muddy sections, but nothing that hindered our progress. You just need to clean your shoes when you arrive. The landmarks are useful and complement the track well. The final stretch on tarmac is a little long, but this does not detract from the appeal of this circular. Thank you.

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berry6971
berry6971

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 13, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Well done to those who discovered and described it.

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njafrica
njafrica

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 16, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

The description is accurate and reliable. You have to follow it carefully, otherwise you'll quickly get lost shortly after starting the hike.

A route full of magnificent views.

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randonnéeaude
randonnéeaude

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 15, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Excellent and essential description, as the network is inaccessible until point 4. Wide views, easy paths, great silence.
Best avoided in summer, as the route has no shade.

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