Country:
District:
Access: On Route 118 from Carcassonne to Mazamet. Leaving Carcassonne, you will pass the village of Villegailhenc and continue climbing towards Mazamet. On your right, you will find the Route de Salsigne (D411) which branches off at an angle. Take this road and, after about 100 metres, you will find a large car park on the left-hand side of the road where you can leave your cars. This is the starting (and finishing) point.
(S/E) You will start the walk by crossing the road to the east and taking a white limestone gravel track opposite, which is wide enough for vehicles. Continue along this track, ignoring all the tracks branching off to the right or left, until you reach the first crossroads.
(1) Continue straight ahead in the same direction for about 800 metres until you reach a major five-way crossroads.
(2) To continue on your way, turn slightly left and then straight ahead again. This main road is the largest and least overgrown with grass. A little further on, you will see a high power line. Continue until you pass under this power line.
(3) Once you have passed the power line, leave the main road on the left and take a smaller road that is still passable by vehicle. Follow the power line along this road for a few dozen metres until you reach the ridge. All along the way, you will have a splendid view of a valley with the village of Villanière and the castles of Lastours in the distance. You will descend via wide bends along dry stone walls to a drystone shelter.
(4) You will be halfway through the hike. You can spend a few minutes visiting the two drystone shelters located here. Passing between the two drystone shelters, take one of the two paths heading west, which rejoin a little further on.
Continue along this path and you will soon cross a much wider track, which is the one you took at the start. After crossing this track, continue straight ahead on the path, leaving a path on your right, until you reach a crossroads.
(5) Take the path on the right that branches off at a right angle and follow it, ignoring the other paths on the right and left, until you reach a crossroads where a large green water tank awaits the fire brigade.
(6) Pass the tank and continue along the same path. At a fork, turn right until you reach the main road you followed at the beginning.
(1) Turn left and follow this main road to your cars (S/E).
Visorando member
Moderate 
