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Departure from the stopover lodge in Douch. Cars must be parked at the entrance to the village.
Red and yellow markings. Follow the route: Le Tour du Vialaïs.
(S/E) Opposite the lodge, turn right towards the wash house in the centre of the hamlet and continue for 30 m.
Go up to the left with the bread oven and the mouflon statue on your left. Head south-west up this good stony path. You will come out into a relatively flat open area (Col de l'Airole or Col de Douch).
(1) Then descend towards Héric.
Alternative route: before the pass, to avoid the descent to Héric and the climb back up, turn right directly towards the Col de Salis.
(2) Take the footbridge over the Ruisseau du Soumal and you will quickly reach the hamlet of Héric.
Yellow markings. The Tour du Vialaïs.
(3) Do not descend on the restricted track. Turn right at the stopover lodge, heading north-west. Sentier du Vialaïs. The path passes through the ruins of houses. It then turns north. Ford the Ruisseau du Salis at an altitude of 720 m. Then climb up to a clearing that has recently been grazed.
(4) Col du Salis. Sentier du Vialaïs.
Leave the path leading back to the Col de l'Airole or Douch on your right.
Continue north-east, climbing slightly, until you reach a flat area at the Mayne ravine. Descend into the forest and continue on almost flat ground. Continue north-east, on the left bank of the Ruisseau du Vialaïs. You will reach the Pont du Vialais.
(5) Do not cross the bridge, but turn right onto a good path that climbs steeply into the forest: Sentier de l'Ourtiguas. After a few hairpin bends in the forest, you will reach a road.
Red and yellow markings
(6) Col de l'Ourtigas. There is a bench and information panels. There is a viewpoint on the left side of the road. This is a good place to take a break and enjoy the beautiful landscape of the Haut-Languedoc.
Turn right onto the road (D180) and continue for 40 m until you reach the junction (track - road - paths) at an altitude of 990 m.
Red and yellow markings.
(7) Leave the road and climb up to the right along the concrete track. GRP®.
(8) Continue along the track, which is actually the GRP®®. Sentier de la Serre d'Aret.
The view opens up and you are treated to a spectacular 360° panorama. It is essential to stay on the stony track.
Go around a few peaks on the left, enjoying the scenery to the full.
(9) At Coulet d'Estrets (altitude 1032), the very stony track turns south. Leave a track that branches off to the right at around 960m.
(10) Col du Tirondel (altitude 988). The track turns south-east. Continue straight ahead.
Caution: carefully locate and follow the GRP®®. Leave the Sentier de la Serre d'Aret trail on your right.
The descent to the hamlet is via theGRP®®, which is not maintained (16 July 2019). Caution: the path is very stony under the tall grass.
Return to the stopover lodge (S/E).
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