From Esquino d'Aze to Chemin des Fleisses via the hamlet of La Fage

From Hérépian, head towards Colombières-sur-Orb on the D908. Once in Colombières, cross the bridge over the Ruisseau d'Arles and continue for a few metres before turning right onto the narrow tarmac road that leads to the village cemetery. Park in the car park below the church and cemetery.

(S/E) Leave the car park by returning to the road, turn right, and after the next left-hand bend, take the track that branches off to the right towards the north-north-east. The track climbs steadily to an intersection of stone tracks.

(1) Turn left towards the west until you see a square tower.

(2) Shortly before the esplanade in front of this tower, turn right onto the path that climbs through the woods, marked in yellow and red (GRP® du Haut Languedoc et des Vignobles), and follow it for about 250 metres.

(3) Leave the GRP® (elevation 343) and continue right towards Esquino d'Aze via a very demanding climb with numerous "steps" towards Col de la Baume de Roucayrol. Red paint circles mark this route, which has little or no signage.

(4) Shortly before the pass (elevation 774), turn right and follow the blue paint circles and a few cairns on a challenging climb towards the Tour Verte. The route is constantly over boulders and rocks, making it difficult to progress. Two magnificent stone buildings with slate roofs mark the route, offering welcome shelter in case of bad weather.

(5) Leave the ascending path marked with yellow paint circles on your left and continue to follow the blue paint circles: they are increasingly spaced out, doubled with a few cairns, so you have to search a little for your "route" in passages overgrown with dead trees that have fallen to the ground. The path now descends to join the yellow marked path (PR®) of the Gorges de Colombières. Here too, a few shelters made of stone walls exploiting cavities formed by rocky outcrops provide shelter if needed.

Yellow markings

(6) Climb up to the left (elevation 529) following the yellow markings. The climb is now less steep. The trail passes under the troglodytic shelters (stone walls have been built to close off the large rock shelters visible above on the left). The trail then approaches the Ruisseau d'Arles, which has carved out the Colombières Gorges, to reach the hamlet of La Fage (before which you will see numerous potholes that are a delight for swimmers in summer). Cross the hamlet, taking care not to disturb the occupants of these pretty houses , which have retained their authenticity. On leaving the hamlet, ignore the GR®7 on the left, which climbs up to the Caroux plateau, cross the stream and climb up the concrete road of Moulin de la Fage on the left bank to the barrier that protects the inhabitants of the hamlet.

(7) Take the track on the right (elevation 802) and, 30 metres further on, take the stony track on the right again. Ignore the start of the GR®7 on the left and continue along the track until the next track intersection.

(8) Leave the track and take the path on the right (still marked in yellow), noting the Auberge des Avels below. Continue on the opposite slope to the one you took on the way up, heading towards Les Estrets and then Roc de Brétouyre, which marks the highest point of the hike. The path turns 90° to the left and the descent begins.

(9) Ignore the path on the left (elevation 774) that leads to the Col de Madale and begin the descent on the winding path that branches off to the right (towards the Chemin des Fleisses). The long descent, first through a forest of holm oaks and then chestnut trees, passes by a spring marked as drinkable before reaching a track at Borie du Gardien (the entire descent is on an old paved slanting street, parts of which remain intact, unlike other sections that have been damaged by erosion over the centuries)..

(10) Continue down the path opposite, which leads to the pretty hamlet of Les Seilhols (another fine example of architectural conservation of stone houses). There is now a long descent down steps that cross the buildings , one of which is remarkable for its grandiose vaults above a terrace with dry stone walls. You will arrive on the D908 after descending the last steps leading to a residential house.

(11) Follow the district road to the right, cross the bridge over the Ruisseau d'Arles (note the waterfalls on the right) and continue along the road taken by car to reach the cemetery and the car park (S/E).

Several shelters are available between points (3) and (7). There is a source of drinking water just before point 10, but it does not always flow.