From Roc du Caroux to Tour du Caroux via the orientation table

From Béziers, take the D909 towards Bédarieux to Hérépian, turn off onto the D908, turn right and enter Lamalou-les-Bains. Take the D180 towards Rosis, pass the Col de Madale and at the hamlet of Cabaret, continue on the D180E5 towards Douch. Parking is compulsory in the car park at the entrance to the village, which is closed to cars, on the left.

Yellow markings

(S/E) From the car park, return to the road and turn left towards the village. Follow the road on the left to reach a picnic area with a monumental stone table and a bronze statue of a mouflon.

(1) Follow the white and red marked trail on the left for a few metres, then leave it on the left towards the south. Continue straight ahead towards the Col de l'Airole. Cross the pass and, as the path descends towards the hamlet of Héric, turn left onto the path that climbs south-southeast to reach a grassy track.

No markings

(2) Turn right onto this horizontal track and follow it for about 400 metres.

(3) A vague path now branches off to the right. Follow it, keeping your eyes on the Roc du Caroux overlooking the Gorges d'Héric. The landscape is composed of a mineral world, made up of granite blocks and cliffs, which is extraordinarily beautiful. Following the trail, the path runs along the top of the cliffs and offers impressive views over the Gorges d'Héric and the hamlet of the same name. Return to the faint path as you approach Roc du Caroux, which you can climb by following the cairns. The view from the top is spectacular.

(4) Summit of Roc de Caroux (altitude 1,034 m). Turn around and descend, veering slightly to the right and following the cairns that lead to a slightly better-marked path, heading east then north-east.

(5) At the next trail junction, head southeast and cross the Rieu Tort, which has very little water in the summer. The trail, which is now well marked, climbs through a pine forest to Plo de la Morelle. It leads to the Font Salesse Refuge, but cut diagonally to the right instead.

(6) There is no trail for this section, but the low vegetation and flat terrain make it easy to reach the trail that leads to Rochet de Lucet. The view from this spot is also spectacular. A wide 180° panorama opens up to the south towards the sea.

(7) Trail intersection. Signs indicating the Sentier des Gardes trail, which descends to the village of Mons, the refuge and the orientation table. Follow the path on the left, which descends and then climbs back up to the orientation table located on a belvedere overlooking the villages of Saint-Martin-de-l'Arçon, Mons-la-Trivalle and the Orb valley. More breathtaking views await us in this extraordinary mountain range.

White and red markings

From the viewpoint, head east, descend the steps carved into a large block on the ground and climb northwards, following the GR®7 to the next intersection.

No markings

(8) Turn 90° to the right to reach Peyre Grosse and Roc du Boutou. A sign indicating the difficulty of progressing on this trail does not apply to the section we will be using (it concerns the descent to Saint-Martin-de-l'Arçon, which we will not be taking). Arrive at the top of the Roc de Boutou ravine at a huge pyramidal cairn.

(9) Turn left, then right, leaving the path that heads north-northwest, descend and cross the Albine stream, then the Combe Gairou stream, to continue southeast and reach elevation 953 after going around the entire ravine.

(10) Ignore the path branching off to the right (south-east) and turn left (cairns) towards the north-east. Also ignore the next path on the left. The path, mostly through the woods, joins a plateau offering beautiful views of the eastern part of the massif. Turn north to reach a small pine grove (Les Clapasses) where you will find the GR®7.

White and red markings

(11) Turn left and follow the more or less grassy track westwards for 450 metres.

Yellow markings

(12) Turn right and follow the path leading to the Tour du Caroux, the highest point in the massif (1,091 metres). 360° panoramic view. Continue following the yellow markings to reach a gravel track that descends, turn right, go around two hairpin bends to reach the Douch car park (S/E).