From Larroque to La Grésigne via Mespel

This is a beautiful route combining countryside, valleys and forests.
Nothing but trails in unspoilt countryside.
There are a few challenging climbs, but they are very rewarding and everyone will appreciate them for what they are.

Details

284789
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 13.81 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 5h 25 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 510 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 510 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 467 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 130 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Park in the car park in Larroque, below the town hall and near the Vère river.

(S/E) Find the road, cross it and turn left. Climb the steps on the right. At the top of the street, turn left and then immediately take the hairpin bend to the right. At the crossroads, continue straight ahead for 80 metres.

(1) Take the first dirt track on the left (not very visible). Cross the municipal road and continue straight ahead. Keep heading north/north-east and ignore the paths that branch off.

(2) Before La Trapasse, take theGR®46on the right to reach Mespel.

(3) At the crossroads, make a return trip to the Chapel of Notre Dame des Bois.

(4) Retrace your steps.

(3) Turn left to rejoin the circuit. Stay on theGR® trail heading south-east, ignoring the small paths that branch off.

(5) Leave theGR®46and turn left onto a stony path that climbs up to the Notre-Dame des Bois clearing.

(6) At the clearing, take the dirt path that climbs almost opposite and heads north. At the forest road, turn right.

(7) Go left and back to see the marker (Montoulieu) marking the highest point of the Grésigne. Large trees can be seen around this geodetic point.

(8) Highest point of the Grésigne. After observing, retrace your steps.

(7) Take the track on the left. A few dozen metres further on, there is a picnic table with a beautiful view of Puycelsi.

(9) Take a hairpin turn onto the path on the right to reach the Rond-Point de la Plégade.

(10) Turn right again onto the forest road for 400 metres, then leave it by taking the path that descends to the left and following the yellow markings for the Sentier du Patrimoine. Follow it down to the Audoulou stream, which you will cross. Keep heading south.

(11) An orange dot indicates a spring. Turn right. The Ruines de la Vène are a few steps from the crossroads. Follow the Sentier du Patrimoine signs, which will take you across a stream twice via wooden footbridges. A third footbridge will be over the Audoulou stream. Follow the stream, passing by the waterfall of the same name. At the junction with theGR®46, follow it to the right for 200 metres.

(12) Leave theGR® by taking the path marked "interdit par une croix" (no entry) on the left. At the next junction, go down to the left.

(13) Near the Rouquette archaeological site, turn right towards Larroque (small white sign high up on the right of the picnic table). Follow the yellow markings, ignoring any paths that branch off. At the end, the dirt track gives way to a wide white gravel track that takes you back to the junction you passed at the start of the walk.

(1) Retrace your steps to return to the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 130 m - Larroque car park
  2. 1 : km 0.35 - alt. 163 m - Junction of the loop
  3. 2 : km 1.64 - alt. 230 m - At the crossroads, follow the GR46 to the right
  4. 3 : km 2.4 - alt. 302 m - Trail and road intersection
  5. 4 : km 2.89 - alt. 302 m - Chapel of Notre Dame des Bois
  6. 5 : km 4.02 - alt. 298 m - Leave the GR46, keeping it on your right
  7. 6 : km 4.77 - alt. 325 m - Notre Dame des Bois clearing
  8. 7 : km 5.82 - alt. 444 m - Path on the left
  9. 8 : km 6.1 - alt. 465 m - Geodetic marker
  10. 9 : km 7.41 - alt. 412 m - Pin on the right
  11. 10 : km 7.86 - alt. 348 m - Clearing
  12. 11 : km 9.9 - alt. 293 m - Crossroads
  13. 12 : km 11.31 - alt. 258 m - Crossing to the left
  14. 13 : km 12.13 - alt. 215 m - La Rouquette archaeological site
  15. S/E : km 13.81 - alt. 130 m - Larroque car park

Notes

Hiking equipment.
Long trousers recommended as there are bartas in some places.
There is a water tap in the car park at Larroque.
Bring plenty of water with you before setting off.

Worth a visit

Waterfall, fountain, spring, various ruins.
Village of Mespel.
Viewpoints.

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

4.4 / 5
Based on 27 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.4 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.4 / 5
Route interest
4.5 / 5
SandyFab31
SandyFab31

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : May 05, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

A very beautiful hike, with stunning landscapes at the start featuring red rocks. Fortunately, I had GPS with the app to help me find my way, even though there were a few minor discrepancies.
Most of the hike is in the woods, so it's ideal in the middle of summer!

Be careful on the path from 9 km onwards if it has rained the week before, as there are puddles and mud that are a bit tricky to get through.
According to my step counter, the hike is a little over 14 km.

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jean-michel pomar
jean-michel pomar

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 29, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

a very beautiful hike with lovely views. I recommend following the Viso Rando app, as I found it to be more than average and quite difficult at times... but it's worth doing.

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madydou
madydou ★

Hello,
Thank you for your feedback.
This tour is partly personal.
We recommend using the Visorando app.

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Marcus
Marcus

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 18, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very interesting, hilly route, mainly through forest with beautiful views of the Grésigne forest (Montoulieu) and Puycelsi on its rocky dome. At the start, the village of Larroque and then the hamlet of Mespel with its ND des Bois chapel are well worth a visit.
Unfortunately, the signage is inadequate and the description is confusing, as there are several other trails (Sentier du Patrimoine, Sentier de Mespel rallongé, GR46, etc.), particularly between (11) and (12).
This needs to be improved as the route is really worth the effort.

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madydou
madydou ★
• Edited:

Thanks for the feedback, Michel.
Enjoy your walks.

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TO57207
TO57207

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 17, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely hike that lets you discover the Grésigne forest, which we didn't know about. The route is very well marked, but keeping the app open on your phone during the hike helps you find your way around.
The top of the forest isn't particularly spectacular
We had beautiful weather and the paths under the trees provided welcome shade from the heat in this warm October.
On the lower part of the return route, there may be a muddy section, but it's not very long
Well done for the route description
Michel

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biscardel
biscardel

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 23, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful route that perfectly showcases the Puycelsi region and the Grésigne forest. This route, which includes a few hills, can be extended with a loop around Puycelsi via the Heritage Trail or the GR trail.

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bernhardt
bernhardt

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : May 30, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Outside the Grésigne forest itself, the multitude of paths can sometimes make the route difficult to follow, especially on the map. It is advisable to take the IGN 2141 SB map with you. However, overall, the route is not difficult.
A very beautiful hike, always under the canopy, so recommended in hot weather. I did part of it in early spring a few years ago, and the lower paths are extremely muddy.

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madydou
madydou ★

Hello,
We recommend using our app with its track for unmarked sections, and I have reported this issue.

@ Jacques
Could you tell me exactly where you encountered the problem?

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Jacques Adell
Jacques Adell

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 13, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

On this route, there is only one tricky section, which can be avoided by continuing two hundred metres further on
A very pleasant, mountainous route.

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madydou
madydou ★

Hello,
Thanks for your feedback.
I will review the route as soon as possible.

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Marie-therese arsuffi
Marie-therese arsuffi

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 26, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

the first part of the route has just been revised by the signposting service
however, please note that the last part of the circuit, on the way back to Larroque, is not signposted. Point 12: the path blocked by a cross is on the path that indicates Bruniquel

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Yves 19
Yves 19

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 06, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike with some elevation, mainly on shaded trails.
At 12, the trail marked "closed by a cross" was almost completely overgrown for 300 metres. GPS recommended (to make sure you're on the right track).

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Pierremi
Pierremi

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 25, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike, moderately difficult (quite a few small climbs, especially from point 6 to point 7). Be careful not to get lost between points 12 and 13: the description is unclear, and it's not easy to find the right path (marked "interdit" with a cross), as there is another path 200 metres before the one you actually need to take.

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Philoo82
Philoo82
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 23, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Thanks for sharing.
Very nice hike, with short detours to see points of interest (old church, etc.), and the village of Mespel is adorable.
Most of the route is shaded by trees, which is nice in summer. The first quarter of an hour is quite steep, but then it's fairly gentle.
About 20% of the route is on forest roads in Grésigne towards the end, but it's difficult to avoid them.
At the end of the route, the path that goes back up into the forest is marked with a cross and has been overgrown, which isn't a problem in itself, but make sure you don't miss it on your GPS because it's not easy to find the entrance. Otherwise, you'll take the path downhill and have to turn back and warm up your legs for nothing.

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