From Puech Bouissou to the Cirque de l'Infernet via Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert

From Béziers, take the A75 motorway then the A750 towards Montpellier. Leave the motorway at the first exit towards Saint-Félix-de-Lodez and Saint-Saturnin-de-Lucian via the D130E4. Continue on the D130 towards Arboras and, after the exit on the right, take the narrow D122 road towards Pégairolles-de-Buèges. When you reach La Font du Griffé, continue for 500 m (elevation 449 m), ignoring the two tracks branching off to the right. Continue for a further 200 m along the tarmac road and park on a descending track to the right. Leave the passage clear for any fire engines.

White-red markings

(S/E) Head down the track until you reach a junction on the left.

No markings

(1) Continue along the track, ignoring the turn-off on the left, which you will take on the way back. At the three-way junction ahead, keep left, go past a DFCI water tank, go round the hillock and arrive at a hairpin bend to the right.

White-red markings

(2) Turn right to continue descending along the track.

No markings

(3) Pass a path on the right (GR®74) that is closed off by a barrier to motor vehicles. This will be the turning point of the walk. Continue left along the stony track.

(4) At the track junction, turn right and continue to another track junction. Turn left, heading east, onto a new stony track.

Yellow markings

(5) Leave this track to take the path (at last!) which heads off opposite, eastwards to the left (motor vehicle barrier). Pass Cap de la Pousterle and begin the descent on a yellow-marked path to a T-junction. Turn onto the path on the left. It continues to climb steadily until it reaches the Notre Dame de Belle Grâce Hermitage. You can enter the enclosure, which is closed by a metal gate, to visit the site. Return to the path and continue climbing up to Cap du Ginestet (elevation 532m). The path descends rather steeply behind the pass and ends on a stony track. Follow this straight ahead in a north-north-westerly direction for about a hundred metres.

No signposting

(6) Take the path that heads off to the right, towards Puech Bouissou. It winds its way through relatively flat terrain, amongst Mediterranean vegetation and pines with striking shapes.

(7) At the next three-way junction in the path, take the right-hand track to begin the descent towards the Combe de la Blande. The path runs close to beautiful cliffs before joining the GR® 74.

White-red markings

(8) Head down to the left on the GR® 74, which leads to the northern entrance of Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert (listed among the most beautiful villages in France), but not before admiring the ruins of a castle perched on an impressive rocky outcrop (visible from afar throughout the descent). A visit to the village is a must: its narrow streets, stone houses, church with its cloister, as well as the remarkable central square and its plane tree, over a century old, make it a magnificent village (the busy paid car park bears witness to this).

(9) But you must continue the hike, as the rest of the route is quite challenging, since you will need to tackle the ascent of the Cirque de l’Infernet, initially following the Verdus as it flows through the valley. Once past the car park, leave the track to begin the climb along a very beautiful, well-used path. After the^fifth hairpin bend, there is a junction of paths.

(10) Take the path on the right, which takes you right along the cliffs; note the retaining wall, which was built to allow passage at this steep spot. After this exposed section (which is safe), the path branches off to the west and continues on level ground. At the next three-way junction, ignore the path leading down to the left and, a few metres further on, the one branching off to the right. Stay on the GR®74, which you will follow. Pass the barrier for motor vehicles, come out onto the stony track, and return to the original three-way junction

(3) Turn left and return to the hairpin bend on the left

(2) Take the path on the right (GR®) and, further on, join the track you have already used.

(1) Turn right and continue along the track to return to the car park on the D122 (S/E).

This hiking route starting from the D122 means you avoid parking amidst large crowds all year round, thus avoiding the exorbitant parking fees at Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert, where the payment options are not particularly suited to hikers.

A visit to the village of Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert and the Hermitage of Notre Dame de Belle Grâce is a must.