In the Aigoual National Forest, starting from L'Espérou

^GR®® White and Red markings

(S) At the Hommes de la Route crossroads in L'Espérou, head up the D548a (Grande Drovers' Road of Languedoc) towards Col de Montals. After the hill, descend to a Fork in the road.

(1) At La Bascule (GR® 7 signpost “Col de Montals 5.1 km”), head down to the right into a small valley on the edge of the Aigoual National Forest. At the Fork in the road, continue the descent straight ahead and reach a T-junction.

(2) At Les Douzes (GR® 7 signpost “Pueylong 2.2 km”), continue straight ahead down the valley. Enter the Aigoual National Forest. Reach the Ruisseau de Pueylong and cross it via a footbridge on the left.

(3) At Font des Douzes (GR® 7 signpost “Pueylong 1.3 km”), take the forest track on the left. Follow the Ruisseau de Pueylong and reach the D548.

(4) Follow it to the right for 50 m. Before the left-hand bend (GR® 7 signpost “Bois de Montals 1.3 km”), head up the path to the right. At the crossroads, first turn left then right and continue climbing due south along the path. Go round the Serre de Ginestous to the east and reach a crossroads.

(5) At Bois de Montals (GR® 7 signpost “Pont Double 0.8 km”), head down the path opposite, still heading due south. You’ll reach a junction with a forest track: a marker indicates that you’re in Bréau on the old Aulas path.

(6) Head down the wide stony path opposite (the Hombre forest track) to reach Pont Double.

(7) Cross the Dourbie. At the fork in the road (GR® 7 signpost “Le Camping 1.4 km”), leave the Hombre forest road on your right and follow the path on the left, continuing due south. Pass the Serre de la Crémade on your right (west) and reach a crossroads.

(8) At the campsite (GR® 7 signpost “Puechagut 3.9 km”, “Col de la Broue 1.5 km”), head down the path opposite. After a few hairpin bends, reach the D48n at the Col de la Broue.

(9) Take it to the left for 50 m. At the picnic area (GR® 7 signpost “Puechagut 2.4 km”), turn right onto the wide stony track and follow the road. At the T-junction, continue straight ahead. Go round the Rocher de Bonnetier to the west, then to the south. A few metres before a fork in the road, look out for a narrow path on the right that descends steeply (signpost indicating Puechagut 0 h 15 and Le Vigan 3 h).

(10) Descend along this path to the right.

(11) At the fork in the road (signpost for the GR® 7 “Puechagut 0.3 km”), head down to the right and reach the Maison des Cévennes in Puechagut (E).

Hike completed by the author on 26/08/2020.

This route follows the GR® 7. A description of it can be found in the TopoGuides published by the French Hiking Federation:
- ‘La Traversée du Massif central par les Parcs: de La Bastide-Puylaurent à Castelnaudary’, reference 7002,
- “The Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert Trail”, reference 4834,
- “Traversée du Haut-Languedoc”, reference 716.

L'Espérou (S): stopover lodge, hotels, cafés, restaurants, guesthouses, grocery shop.

Pueylong: picnic area, tables.

Col de la Broue: picnic area, tables.

Puéchagut - Maison des Cévennes (E): former forest lodge, water, guest rooms, refuge, restaurant.

The Causses and the Cévennes, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Cévennes National Park.

Aigoual State Forest: over-exploited for centuries, it was restored from the 1870s onwards through the planting of millions of conifer seedlings.

Panoramic views over the Arre Valley and the Causse de Blandas.