From Naves to Cazalet via the PR®5

de fr

Imagine you’ve been invited on a transhumance; the journey begins in the beautiful village of Naves d’Aubrac. We follow the drovers' roads that will lead us towards the mountains—the name given to these vast grassy expanses. Up there, the air is crisp and the views are magnificent. Cazalet dominates the ascent, then we reach the highest point, the Celtic cross of La Rhode. We begin the descent, gazing out at the vast and infinitely deep horizons.

Details

n°44932
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 23.71 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 8h 35 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Difficult
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 634 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 643 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 1,406 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 875 m
Downloads
Open in the mobile app
Download GPX GPX
Download PDF PDF

Photos

Path surrounded by meadows
Viewpoint over the Aubrac valley
Between waypoints 5 and 6
View of Le Knoll

Description of the walk

Park at the entrance to Naves, opposite the old school.

(S/E) Set off left onto the track, passing in front of a large building. Take a wide left-hand bend and continue along this track. Pass directly below the Puech du Bouissou. Reach the junction with the D95.

(1) Take this road and stay on it until you reach the hamlet of Les Cats.

(2) Carry on straight ahead, taking in the fabulous views. Reach theGR®6(Trélan–Saint-Chely-d'Aubrac section).

(3) Turn left onto it, winding your way along the edge of the woods to reach the edge of a wood at Les Cazalets.

(4) Enter the woods, still following theGR®6, and at the exit reach the junction with theGR®60and theGRP® Tour des Monts d'Aubrac. Keep left to quickly reach the Croix de la Rode.

(5) Head south, reach a crossroads, turn left (elevation 1270m) then right to reach the hamlet of Les Vergnes.

(6) Continue left and reach the edge of the woods.

(7) Enter the woods and continue. Reach the hamlet of Groupatache. Continue south, crossing the Del Saltou stream. Further on, leave the track on your left to cross the woods. Shortly after leaving the woods, you will rejoin the Route de la Trans Aubrac.

(8) Turn left onto it and head downhill until you reach a junction with a path.

(9) Take this path to the right. Follow the right bank of the Mardonenque stream until you reach a footpath.

(10) Leave the track and turn left onto a path that leads back to the stream. Cross the stream at the ford and turn right to follow the left bank. Walk past the hamlet of Reganés. Then cross the Ravin de Levers and you will reach a clearing.

(11) Continue along this path to return to the Naves car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 979 m - Naves car park
  2. 1 : km 1.76 - alt. 1,055 m - D95 junction
  3. 2 : km 4.3 - alt. 1,131 m - Les Cats
  4. 3 : km 7.04 - alt. 1,349 m - GR6 junction
  5. 4 : km 8.82 - alt. 1,403 m - Cazalets
  6. 5 : km 10.07 - alt. 1,373 m - Croix de la Rode
  7. 6 : km 13.46 - alt. 1,220 m - Vergnes
  8. 7 : km 13.97 - alt. 1,204 m - Edge of the woods
  9. 8 : km 17.43 - alt. 1,103 m - The Trans Aubrac
  10. 9 : km 18 - alt. 1,065 m - Crossroads by the stream
  11. 10 : km 19.71 - alt. 973 m - Crossroads at the ford
  12. 11 : km 21.65 - alt. 888 m - Clearing
  13. S/E : km 23.71 - alt. 979 m - Naves car park

Notes

Make sure you bring water with you; there is no drinking water in the area.
Shelters at Les Cats and Les Vergnes.
Wear sturdy boots, a hat, carry a walking stick and a windbreaker.
Take a packed lunch.
Signposting: FFRP.

Worth a visit

(4) See the buron and Cazalet, the highest point in the Aveyron.
Set off from Naves d’Aubrac, a village typical of the upper Rouergue Aubracien region. With its church and adjoining cemetery, its well-restored presbytery and its convent currently undergoing renovation. Note also its well-maintained houses, some of which are very beautiful, its carefully tended gardens benefiting from abundant springs and, already, a breathtaking panorama.
From this haven of peace, let’s imagine we’re setting off with the cattle towards the Cazalet mountain, 600 metres higher up. This is what thePR®5offers us, inviting us on this imaginary transhumance. We won’t have to watch over the herd, but can instead feast our eyes on the successive panoramic views.
The return journey, past the Croix de la Rode and Les Vergnes, winds gradually through the forest alongside a most pleasant boralde (a stream that becomes a river) known first as Ferrières, then Mardonenque. A final climb towards Naves brings a truly beautiful day to a close.
At the junction (5) on theGR®60, you can head to the Refuge des Rajals (approx. 2.5 km) or the Mailhebiau orientation point (approx. 2 km).

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.

Downloads
Open in the mobile app
Download GPX GPX
Download PDF PDF

Reviews and comments

4.5 / 5
Based on 5 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.8 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.2 / 5
Route interest
4.4 / 5
Mathias Soulhol
Mathias Soulhol

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 01, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant and easy walk to follow when the Visorando app is nearby. Without the app, I think it would be difficult to stay on the right track.

We were able to camp almost at the summit (just past the Croix de la Rode) with a lovely view of the Aubrac.

The second part of the hike, once you’ve passed checkpoint no. 5, is more enjoyable, particularly the section through the woods.

A previous comment (from 2020) noted that waypoint no. 10 seems incorrect; I can confirm this – there is a sign indicating a different path, and it’s best to follow that sign. The path across the stream isn’t clear, but it’s doable without too much trouble.

The first part is mainly along roads or tracks surrounded by meadows: pretty but nothing out of the ordinary.

This was our first camping trip with a friend who was joining my wife and me, and the hike was suitable for him. The elevation gain is gentle and fairly consistent; it was a manageable trip with 10–12kg rucksacks.

I recommend the hike; it was enjoyable.

Mathias.

Machine-translated

Aveyronnais
Aveyronnais
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 21, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Everything is fine apart from checkpoint 10, which is no longer valid (the route hasn’t been updated). You must not go there, as it is not possible to cross the stream at that point because the slope is too steep to descend. You must definitely head down towards the stream and cross it well before checkpoint 10 (a sign is normally visible beforehand) and find the path that runs along the left bank of the stream. A GPS will be very useful in this section to find the route again afterwards.

Otherwise, it’s a fantastic hike; we recommend climbing up to the Knoll du Suc at midday to enjoy a picnic with a 180-degree view of the entire Lot valley.

Machine-translated

denis_81
denis_81

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 23, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average

The problem with this walk concerns the signposting on the second section. Up to the Rode cross, it is marked by a yellow trail (the PR) and a white and red trail (a GR). After that, the route follows a long stretch of tarmac road, turns right, passes by a farm, and that is where the difficulties begin. The colour of the markings is too faint and there isn’t enough contrast where they are present. Then the path winds through a forest; you take a left off a track to descend towards the river (not a stream), which is difficult to cross. There is no signposting at all during this descent, and it is only by luck that you find the markings again on the other bank. Once across, you have to rely on instinct (thank goodness for the PDF map!!) and the rest of the route is much the same. You’re likely to get lost more than once.
I spoke to a local from Naves d’Aubrac who admitted that this area is indeed tricky; she said that even at the start of the season, when the trail hasn’t been marked out yet, she had difficulties.
It’s a shame and makes this hike tricky, when it could really be enjoyable (despite the road being too prominent for my liking).
Thank you for the route descriptions and for making them available via Visorando.

Machine-translated

Anne12
Anne12

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 06, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

We love the Aubrac; we really enjoyed this route, which offers magnificent views into the distance.
We highly recommend it.

Machine-translated

Yves_Remord
Yves_Remord

Thank you for this lovely route.

Machine-translated

bibi
bibi ★

Thank you, Pierre, for your commitment and for keeping us updated on your hikes.
Best regards

Machine-translated

brousse
brousse

Thank you for your input... The crossing is marked at point 10; there you’ll find a signpost for Naves and Mazes, so you leave the track to the left and head down to the stream...Crossing it isn’t necessarily easy; I hope to soon secure the help of the Saint-Gêniez recycling centre to build a footbridge... It’s under discussion.... With the same recycling centre, we’re due to go and clear the weeds on this side this week; I’ll take the opportunity to add another marker once we’ve crossed the river.
Looking forward to seeing you again in the area

Pierre Brousse

Machine-translated

Yves_Remord
Yves_Remord

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 26, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A very beautiful route that allows you to appreciate the diversity of the Aubrac landscape. A small correction to the GPX track: the turn-off towards Naves between points 7 and 8 (“further on, leave the track on your left to cross the woods”) is located a few hundred metres before the point indicated on the track, more precisely at the following coordinates: Lat 4453494 Lon 3.04115. The path that descends through the forest is also marked by a wooden sign pointing towards Naves. Crossing the stream at the bottom of the path is quite tricky and it is rather difficult to find the path again once on the other side (GPS recommended for this section of the route). Furthermore, the building of the former Naves convent is quite remarkable, with its beautiful stone colour, slate roof and dormer windows.

Machine-translated

Other walks in the area

Walking The Escoudats woods

Visorando member
Le bois des Escoudats
↔7.78 km ↗+219 m ↘-216 m ◔2h 50 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Aurelle-Verlac (Aveyron)
In Verlac, three circularPR®1,PR®2andPR®3loops all pass through Aurelle and follow the same route up to that point. These three hikes will dazzle you in spring with the extremely rich flora of the Aubrac meadows and in autumn with the combinations of brown, yellow and orange in its forests.

Walking Le Mandialou from Verlac

Visorando member
Le Mandialou au départ de Verlac
↔9.34 km ↗+240 m ↘-234 m ◔3h 20 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Aurelle-Verlac (Aveyron)
Aurelle is a sanctuary of rural life. It has a 13th-century chapel, a communal bread oven, a few houses, a garden and a mill. This village offers threePR®1,PR®2andPR®3hikes. This description applies toPR®2.

Walking The Bois des Hourciéres by Aurelle

Visorando member
Le Bois des Hourciéres par Aurelle
↔16.18 km ↗+587 m ↘-578 m ◔6h 20 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Aurelle-Verlac (Aveyron)
In Verlac, three circular routes (PR®1,PR®2andPR®3) all pass through Aurelle and follow the same path up to that point. These three hikes will dazzle you in spring with the extremely rich flora of the Aubrac meadows and in autumn with the combination of brown, yellow and orange colours of its forests.

Walking The Grandes Solitudes circular starting from Les Mazes.

Visorando member
La boucle des Grandes Solitudes au départ des Mazes
↔17.63 km ↗+563 m ↘-566 m ◔6h 40 ▲Difficult
⚑Departure from Aurelle-Verlac (Aveyron)
Grandes Solitudes is in fact a continuation of the PR®6 "Solitudes" route in the Chamina guidebook, but with an extension. The lower part of Solitude in the Chamina guidebook is impassable. The route starts from Les Mazes heading north, then gradually follows the drovers' road and soon, with your head increasingly in the sky, you will gain 300 metres in altitude and enjoy sumptuous panoramic views. The return journey follows the Mardonenque boralde (small river).

Walking In the woods of Combetalade

Visorando member
↔10.84 km ↗+451 m ↘-452 m ◔4h 25 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Saint-Geniez-d'Olt (Aveyron)
This walk through the woods offers panoramic views of the Lot valley and the villages of Saint-Geniez-d'Olt, Pomayrols and its castle. In fact, it's the Aveyron as we love it.

Walking In the woods of Combetalade (short version)

Visorando member
↔6.94 km ↗+304 m ↘-304 m ◔2h 50 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Saint-Geniez-d'Olt (Aveyron)
This walk through the woods offers panoramic views of the Lot valley and the foothills of the Aubrac.

Walking Les Pessoles

Visorando member
↔7.22 km ↗+207 m ↘-216 m ◔2h 40 ▲Easy
⚑Departure from Saint-Geniez-d'Olt (Aveyron)
A family hike that combines a bit of mountain climbing with a descent into a pleasant valley with a magnificent boralde (large stream), from which the town draws its water. Note the passage over a bridge said to be Roman...

Walking Le Barribès

Visorando member
Le Barribès
↔3.55 km ↗+143 m ↘-137 m ◔1h 25 ▲Easy
⚑Departure from Saint-Geniez-d'Olt (Aveyron)
Leave the bustling town centre behind and discover the cool, peaceful shade of the woods. Along the Barribès stream, tanneries were once set up: test your fitness with friends or family. A glimpse of the foothills of the Aubrac, to be avoided in case of rising water levels.

For more walks, use our search engine .

The GPS track and description are the property of this route's author. Please do not copy them without permission.