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Col du Salis (754m) walks
The Col de l'Ourtigas
In a varied landscape of rocks, broom, old farms and ruined hamlets. A discovery on the plateau: mouflon traps (not for hunting, but for monitoring populations).
Caroux, Espinouse, Heric
Located in the Haut Languedoc Natural Park, the two massifs of Caroux and Espinouse offer a multitude of hikes. I suggest a two-day circuit that allows you to explore a variety of landscapes and admire the abundant wildlife (including mouflons).
The hike starts from the car park below the church in Colombières sur Orb. The bivouac area is located around the summit of Espinouse. The second day is spent returning via the Heric Gorges, with the option of a final detour to the old chestnut groves on the mountainside.
Colombières sur Orb - Espinouse
Day one: Climb up the Colombières Gorges towards the Caroux massif. Cross the Caroux massif towards Douch, then follow the Vialais stream before climbing back up to the Espinouse massif and settling down for the night.
The Douch - Héric loop
This very pleasant loop allows you to discover the work of our ancestors who, in order to communicate, cultivate and live, had created paths that hikers are now delighted to walk along. For our ancestors, sustainable development had not yet been imagined, they had simply created it. They were all a bit like Monsieur Jourdain.
Vialaïs circuit from Douch
This is the second day of the Haut Languedoc trip.Loop hike around the Montagne d'Aret.Depending on how much time you have, the hike can be shortened from (1) directly to (4).
Updated by the author on 10 June 2025, as the OFB reports that after (6) it is a Caroux-Espinouse hunting and wildlife reserve. Unauthorised entry is a 4th class offence punishable by a €135 fine. The route and description have therefore been modified.
The Héric Gorges at all levels
This is a lovely route that criss-crosses the Gorges d'Héric at all altitudes. You will enjoy superb panoramic views and mineral walls, while immersing yourself in the aquatic world of the torrent. The route is challenging and technical, without being difficult or dangerous.
Walks near Col du Salis (754m)
From Bardou to Saint-Geniès-de-Varensal via the summit of Espinouse
Ascent of Espinouse starting from the car park before the hamlet of Bardou to Saint-Geniès-de-Varensal via the GR®7 and GRP® Tours des Monts et Lacs en Haut Languedoc. This hike is the first part of a two-day circular, completed by the ascent of Caroux, from Saint-Geniès-de-Varensal to the car park before the hamlet of Bardou.
Espinouse - Colombières
On the second day, you can return to Colombières sur Orb from the summit of Espinouse via the Héric gorges.
From Mons to Douch via Héric
This is the first day of the Haut Languedoc trip. It will take at least 5 hours to reach Douch. The climb to the Col de la Maure is unmarked but follows a well-marked, safe path. See § Practical information (¹).The access to the Col du Bardou is beautiful. The descent to the Ruisseau d'Héric and the climb back up to Douch via the hamlet of Héric are very varied.
Crossing the Monts du Somail via Lac de Vesoles
In the Haut-Languedoc Regional Nature Park, you cross the Plateau du Somail at an altitude ranging between 900 and 1,000 metres, passing through forests and moorland. The balcony-like sections offer panoramic views of the valleys below and the other peaks of the Haut-Languedoc. After a break at Lac de Vesoles, a cliff-top descent overlooks the Saut de Vesoles and the Gorges du Ruisseau du Buraut, offering a bird’s-eye view of the Gulf of Lion.
In the Écrivains Combattants National Forest
This route runs entirely through the Haut-Languedoc Regional Nature Park. It passes through two typical villages and offers numerous panoramic views of the Orb Valley, the Monts d’Orb, the Montagne de l’Espinouse and the Caroux Plateau. Charles Péguy, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Paul Nizan (Les chiens de garde), Robert Desnos and hundreds of others await us in the Forêt Domaniale des Écrivains Combattants.
The Maison de Peyrac - Lacaune
This final stage takes place, for the most part, in the undergrowth, on wide paths lined with wild strawberries and various fruit bushes.The path winds its way up and down until it reaches the foot of the Roc de Montalet.From there, it is the final descent towards Lacaune.