From Poujol-sur-Orb to the Forêt Domaniale des Écrivains Combattants

Date of your route : May 18, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk through the woodlands and forests of the Haut-Languedoc. Everything is green and the countryside is magnificent. Two steady climbs without too much difficulty. Passes through three picturesque hamlets. It is heartbreaking to see all these trees uprooted by this winter’s storm. The route is well signposted up to point 6. A GPS with the Visorando app is essential and even a must due to the numerous paths branching off into the woods. Easy return via the greenway.
PERHAPS THE SIGNPOSTING NEEDS REVIEWING.

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Date of your route : Mar 03, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Hello, I went astray about 20 minutes into the climb from Poujols, at a point where the path crossed a forestry track. I couldn’t find the start of the path leading to the Croix de Baussels. I found the path again further on, past the Croix de Baussels, after crossing a clear-cut area, thanks to the GPS route on Visorando.

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Date of your route : May 13, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Poujol-sur-Orb State Forest

A gloomy week prompted me to make the most of this lovely day to go for a hike above Poujol-sur-Orb, tackling a route of moderate difficulty.
But I hadn’t reckoned with a non-existent route on the second half and a few wrong turns that added to the original distance… thanks, Mr GPS!
We set off straight away with a steady climb, first on tarmac, then on a path through the woods with a few steeper sections but no significant difficulty.
A 45-minute climb takes us to La Croix des Baussels (450 m) and a local road, which we leave immediately, continuing along our path to the left.
Our path, lined with low stone walls, takes us to the charming little hamlet of Torteillan, which we cross in a jiffy.
We then tackle the most beautiful but also the most physically demanding section (lasting 30 minutes).
The forest thickens and the ground becomes uneven and strewn with stones. The birdsong accompanies us, soon joined by the babbling of several streams that have come back to life after the recent heavy rainfall. Everything is green and majestic in a natural landscape that seems to have stood still for centuries. This section is truly magical and leads us to the delightful hamlet of Combes and its picturesque narrow streets. What follows is just as wild and magnificent, leading to a forest road and a fitness route lost at the end of the world. A short detour takes us to a promontory covered in large slabs, perfect for a contemplative break overlooking the valley.
The rest of the route follows a downhill forest track where the total lack of markings caused us to miss a small path on the right. A quick glance at the GPS revealed that the route had been extended by 2 km, but it allowed us to discover a lovely little waterfall.
We rejoined the route at the charming little village of Le Vernet, nestled on the hillside with its narrow, cobbled streets.
The rest of the route, on tarmac and then a path, led us astray twice more… notably at the greenway crossing over a bridge, where it took me nearly 15 minutes to find a tiny passage partly overgrown with spring vegetation (50 metres after the bridge on the right).
The greenway is uninteresting but short (fortunately, as it’s in full sun)

In summary, a magical first half and a rather uninteresting return leg, extended by 3 km for a total of 15 km with a 500-metre elevation gain over 5 hours. Suitable for families.

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Date of your route : Nov 13, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk amidst the autumn colours

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Date of your route : Sep 11, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant walk through the forest and past some pretty villages. As it had been mentioned that the signposting was lacking, we just used the app. It took us an hour less.

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