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: 16.83 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 6h 15 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 509 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 501 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 833 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 519 m

Photos

Description of the walk

(S/E) At the car park, take the road that crosses Roqueredonde to leave the village to the north, then follow the D142E2 to the right towards Autignaguet.

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

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

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

(4) At a three-way junction, turn right and pass in front of a stupa (a Buddhist and Jain architectural structure that is both an aniconic representation of Buddha and a monument commemorating his death). Then head for the Tibetan Buddhist centre of Lérab Ling (stay on the marked path and respect private property).

(5) Continue straight ahead until the next crossroads.

(6) Continue straight ahead until you reach the D142 (viewpoint over the Buddhist centre, the Caroux plateau and the Espinouse in the distance). Turn right and, after about 400 metres, turn left onto a track that enters the Escandorgue National Forest.

(7) Stay on the main track, which turns left to the north. Join another track. Follow it to the left for about 100 metres, then leave it on the right. Pass several tracks on the left and right and reach an intersection.

(8) Turn right, cross a clearing, climb uphill and reach an intersection with a path on the left.

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

(10) There, turn right and zigzag between the dolomite rocks and box trees (view of the Cirque de Labeil and the Larzac plateau). After climbing over the fence using the wooden ladder, you will reach the D902 road.

(11) Cross (be careful). Opposite, take a track through a cedar plantation and climb between the meadows (view of the Lodévois valley). Turn right onto the D142 and follow it 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, keep left.

(14) At the crossroads, turn right to reach the stream. Ford the stream and climb up opposite to walk alongside the buildings of Mas de Grèzes. Turn right onto the access road to the farm. Further on, ignore a small road on the left and continue for about 50 metres.

(15) Turn left onto an old grassy path in the woods, which leads to the D902. Cross and continue straight ahead to reach the Roqueremonde car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 680 m - Roqueredonde car park
  2. 1 : km 0.41 - alt. 662 m - At the stream, turn left.
  3. 2 : km 1.75 - alt. 519 m - Le Furou, near the - Orb (fleuve)
  4. 3 : km 3.07 - alt. 637 m - Leave the D142E2 on the right.
  5. 4 : km 3.7 - alt. 664 m - Three-way junction, right
  6. 5 : km 5.03 - alt. 804 m - Crossroads, entrance to the Tibetan Buddhist centre
  7. 6 : km 5.35 - alt. 819 m - At the crossroads, go straight ahead.
  8. 7 : km 6.72 - alt. 824 m - At the crossroads, turn left.
  9. 8 : km 8.45 - alt. 737 m - At the intersection, turn right towards the clearing.
  10. 9 : km 9.07 - alt. 739 m - At the intersection, continue straight ahead towards Roquet Escu.
  11. 10 : km 10.74 - alt. 754 m - At the crossroads, turn right.
  12. 11 : km 11.98 - alt. 754 m - D902, opposite
  13. 12 : km 13.01 - alt. 818 m - Leave the road on the left.
  14. 13 : km 14.02 - alt. 732 m - Fork, left
  15. 14 : km 15 - alt. 646 m - At the crossroads, turn right.
  16. 15 : km 15.91 - alt. 669 m - Turn left onto a grassy path.
  17. S/E : km 16.83 - alt. 680 m - Roqueredonde car park

Notes

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

(5) You can make 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 shorter version of the route (8 km - 2½ hours - moderate difficulty). To do this, just before the tall pine trees, turn right into the ferns. Pass under some bungalows and continue along the ridge. Descend and return 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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