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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.
Red and white markings
(S/E) Walk down the track to the junction with another track.
(1) Turn left to continue down the track.
No markings
(2) 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.
(3) At the track junction, turn right and continue to another track junction. Turn left, heading east, onto a new stony track.
Yellow markings
(4) 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
(5) 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.
(6) 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
(7) 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).
(8) 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 thefifth hairpin bend, there is a junction of paths.
(9) 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
(2) Turn left and return to a junction passed on the way out
At the next bend in the track, take the path on the right (GR®). Further on, you’ll come out onto the track; turn right.
Continue along the track to return to the car park (S/E) at the side of the D122.
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