From the Orb to the Escandorgue via Tibet

This hike starts in Roqueredonde and takes you to the Orb river and the Tibetan Buddhist temple Lerab Ling, where you can take a short meditation break. The route then enters the Escandorgue National Forest, where the charm of the forest paths contrasts with the chaotic dolomitic landscape of the Causse. Finally, the route follows ancient paths worn by passing flocks of sheep.

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 10.46 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 6h 15 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 1,670 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 1,644 ft

  • ▲
    Highest point: 2,733 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 1,703 ft

Photos

Description of the walk

(S/E) At the car park, take the road that runs through Roqueredonde to leave the village via the north, then turn right onto the D142E2, heading towards Autignaguet.

(1) At the stream, turn left onto a path lined with boxwood. Descend into a small valley, ignoring several paths branching off to the right and left, then cross the stream to reach the hamlet of Le Furou.

(2) Go round the large building, following the yellow markings, then climb a steep slope (east). At Autignaguet, turn left onto the D142E2, pass the church and continue along the road

(3) At the junction, turn right and, a little further on to the left, ignore the entrance to the cemetery.

(4) At a three-way junction, head up to the right and walk past a stup (a Buddhist and Jain architectural structure; it is both a non-iconic representation of the Buddha and a monument commemorating his death). Then make your way to the Tibetan Buddhist centre of Lérab Ling (stay on the marked path: please respect private property).

(5) Continue straight on until the next junction.

(6) Carry on straight ahead until you reach the D142 (viewpoint overlooking the Buddhist centre, the Caroux plateau and the Espinouse in the distance). Head to the right and, after about 400 metres, turn left onto a track that enters the Escandorgue State Forest.

(7) Stay on the main track, which turns left, heading north. You’ll join another track. Follow it to the left for about a hundred metres, then leave it by turning right. Pass several paths branching off to the left and right until you reach a junction.

(8) Head right, cross a clearing, climb uphill and reach a junction with a path on the left.

(9) Do not take the path on the left; continue straight on, staying on the main track, to reach the Roquet Escu picnic area. Carry on straight ahead, climb up a path that winds through the conifers and reach a junction (metal gate).

(10) Here, turn right to zigzag your way through the dolomite rocks and box trees (viewpoint over the Cirque de Labeil and the Larzac plateau). After climbing over the fence via the wooden ladder, you’ll reach the D902 road.

(11) Cross the road (take care). Head straight ahead onto a track through a cedar plantation and climb up through the meadows (view of the Lodévois valley). Turn right onto the D142, which you follow for a short while.

(12) Turn left onto a wide track crossing the plateau. Descend through the meadows, passing a first path on the left and then a second on the right.

(13) At the fork in the road, keep left.

(14) At the junction, turn right to reach the stream. Ford the stream and head straight up the opposite bank, walking alongside the buildings of the Mas de Grèzes. Turn right onto the access road to the farm. A little further on, ignore a small road on the left and continue for about fifty metres.

(15) Turn left onto an old grassy path through the woodland, which leads to the D902. Cross the road and head straight on to reach the Roqueremonde car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 2,231 ft - Roqueredonde car park
  2. 1 : mi 0.26 - alt. 2,172 ft - At the stream, turn left
  3. 2 : mi 1.09 - alt. 1,703 ft - Le Furou, near the - Orb (fleuve)
  4. 3 : mi 1.91 - alt. 2,090 ft - Leave the D142E2, turning right
  5. 4 : mi 2.3 - alt. 2,178 ft - Three-way junction, on the right
  6. 5 : mi 3.12 - alt. 2,638 ft - Crossroads, entrance to the Tibetan Buddhist centre
  7. 6 : mi 3.32 - alt. 2,687 ft - Crossroads, go straight on
  8. 7 : mi 4.18 - alt. 2,703 ft - Crossroads, turn left
  9. 8 : mi 5.25 - alt. 2,418 ft - At the junction, turn right towards the clearing
  10. 9 : mi 5.63 - alt. 2,425 ft - At the junction, go straight on towards Roquet Escu
  11. 10 : mi 6.67 - alt. 2,474 ft - Crossroads, turn right
  12. 11 : mi 7.44 - alt. 2,474 ft - D902, opposite
  13. 12 : mi 8.08 - alt. 2,684 ft - Leave the road, turning left
  14. 13 : mi 8.71 - alt. 2,402 ft - Fork in the road, turn left
  15. 14 : mi 9.32 - alt. 2,119 ft - Crossroads, turn right
  16. 15 : mi 9.89 - alt. 2,195 ft - Turn left onto the grassy path
  17. S/E : mi 10.46 - alt. 2,231 ft - Roqueredonde car park

Notes

Car park: on the right, at the entrance to the village via the RD 902.
Signposting: YellowPR®®

(5) You can take a round trip to visit the Tibetan Buddhist temple. To do this, turn left and then left again to reach the temple.

(6) You can take a short alternative route (8 km – 2 hours 30 minutes – moderate difficulty). To do this, just before the large pine trees, turn right into the ferns. Pass under the bungalows and continue along the ridge. Head downhill to the Roqueredonde car park.

Worth a visit

Always be cautious and plan ahead when you're outdoors. Visorando and the author of this route cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurring on this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

Reviews and comments

4.7 / 5
Based on 57 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.7 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.6 / 5
Route interest
4.7 / 5
Nadège12
Nadège12

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 06, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant hike, but nothing more.

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pasacl
pasacl

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 02, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant and well-marked hike.
No particular difficulties, beautiful views and the passage near the Hindu temple is a welcome curiosity.

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saint victor
saint victor

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 14, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Lovely walk with beautiful views. No particular difficulty. Thank you for this beautiful route.

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Philippe3478
Philippe3478

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 14, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very beautiful hike
Breathtaking views
A bit demanding in terms of distance

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Mahjong Lyonnais
Mahjong Lyonnais

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 17, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike with a pleasant, varied route and some great views.
We decided at the start to go directly to Autignaguet via a beautiful little road. This saved us a 130-metre climb, which is not insignificant on this route.
Between points 9 and 11, the trail is marked, but could be more visible in places.

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sabinelagardeval
sabinelagardeval

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 28, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike with stunning views! No difficulty at all.

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Joss23
Joss23

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 09, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Thank you for sharing this MAGNIFICENT hike. We did it on 1 April, and it wasn't an April Fool's joke... Throughout this incredibly varied route, we were blown away by the diversity of the landscapes. It was like walking through a fairy tale. The whole group I accompanied would like to thank you.

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AndrieuP
AndrieuP

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 17, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful route to follow in the suggested direction. The final section through the Escandorgue forest is a little tricky to navigate as the leaves cover the path (between points 10 and 11), but it's definitely worth doing. It's magical!
The landscapes and flora change constantly along the route, and it's really beautiful in autumn. Single track in the first part up to (2), then wider forest trails. The first climb is steep (2) up to Antignaguet. I didn't do the loop (7-8-9) as I already knew it. It's a relatively flat forest track. I cut through Roquet Escu to go straight down to point (10) and the picnic area. I think this saves more than 30 minutes on the route, which is good in winter when the days are shorter.

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chasqui
chasqui

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 19, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A variety of shaded, wide agricultural and forest paths that are easy to walk in a group. The first climb is quite steep, so take it slowly, but the rest of the route is easy. The walk through the woods after the picnic area is particularly impressive.

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Fmadaille
Fmadaille

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 17, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Caution: rocky path

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randoloire42
randoloire42

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 19, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Well-described tour, lots of flowers, and the visit to the Buddhist temple site was enjoyable.

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SergeB
SergeB

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 01, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk with the added bonus of a visit to a Buddhist temple.

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VArmelle
VArmelle

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 06, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

An extraordinary hike: between Tibet, Broceliande and the Dolomites. A complete change of scenery!

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darwin72
darwin72

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 18, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

MAGNIFICENT!!! Five or six different environments and perfect signposting make this a superb hike. A complete change of scenery. To be done again and again. Great in March as there is no foliage yet, so you can enjoy the views. To be repeated in summer or autumn for a new perspective. Thank you to the association that created this trail.

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MaJo1+
MaJo1+

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 21, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hi
A very beautiful and varied hike.
Part of it is a good hour before the picnic area on the trail, which is a bit long, but the reward comes after the meal... you feel like you're in the setting of a fantasy film.
Well done, definitely worth doing!

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