Large loop of Faget-Abbatial

At the start, you can admire the Cistercian church of Saint-Sauveur and, higher up, the abbey house (private property). The rest of the walk is a classic country hike where you will discover the hillsides of the Gers, the Lauze valley, the unmissable duck farm and, if you are lucky, three little donkeys will come to say hello. This route is very well signposted (yellow).

Details

1137853
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 14.95 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 50 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 208 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 211 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 305 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 196 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Access: From Simorre, take the D12 towards Saramon for 5 km and turn left onto the D242 until you reach Faget-Abbatial. Start from the church car park.

(S/E) From the car park, opposite the church, cross the road and take the grassy path opposite, which climbs steeply for 50 m. At the end, turn left, pass under the porch in front of the abbey house and follow the road to the right for 100 m.
Leave the road and take the dirt track on the right, which climbs for 150 metres. At the crossroads, turn right and continue to the road (approximately 500 metres).

(1) Keep right and continue to the intersection with the D242.

(2) At the junction with the D242, continue straight ahead on the paved road for approximately 1.2 km.

(3) At the Cap de Gèle farm, continue straight ahead on the dirt road (yellow markings). You will reach a crossroads after the farm in a place called Pujos.

(4) Keep left on the road going uphill (yellow signs).

(5) At the T-junction, turn left onto the small road for 100 metres and turn right onto the dirt track (yellow signpost). Continue along this track for approximately 1.2 km. Then continue left on the paved/grassy section until the next intersection after the place called La Baraque.

(6) Turn left and follow the road for 300 metres.
At the three-way junction, continue straight ahead on the dirt road for about 2 km.

(7) At the road (D283), turn right for 150 m, then left for 150 m (yellow signpost).
20m after the bridge, follow the path on the left (yellow signpost).

(8) Leave the path that follows the edge of the field and take the one that climbs slightly to the right. Follow it for about 1.5 km until you reach the road and continue straight ahead.

(9) At the crossroads, turn left, cross the bridge and continue to the D283.
Turn right for 50 m and left onto the small road that climbs uphill.

(10) Halfway up, before the place called Le Bosct, turn right onto the dirt road that descends and follow it for about 800 m.

(11) Cross the road, turn right onto the dirt road and continue for about 1.5 km until you reach the small road. Turn right for 20 m (yellow sign).

(2) Return to the intersection with the D242, turn left and follow the road downhill to the church (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 234 m - Car park opposite the church
  2. 1 : km 0.82 - alt. 293 m - Small road on the right
  3. 2 : km 1.32 - alt. 284 m - Intersection of 4 roads including the D242
  4. 3 : km 2.37 - alt. 296 m - Cap de Gèle
  5. 4 : km 3.68 - alt. 266 m - Road on the left
  6. 5 : km 4.19 - alt. 281 m - T-junction
  7. 6 : km 5.92 - alt. 299 m - Road on the left
  8. 7 : km 7.96 - alt. 214 m - D283 road
  9. 8 : km 9.36 - alt. 211 m - Right-hand path
  10. 9 : km 11.4 - alt. 198 m - Road before the bridge over the - Lauze (rivière) à finaliser
  11. 10 : km 11.92 - alt. 214 m - Dirt track on the right
  12. 11 : km 12.51 - alt. 238 m - Crossing the small road
  13. S/E : km 14.95 - alt. 232 m - Car park opposite the church

Notes

Picnic table behind the church on the south side.

Picnic table between the start and (1).

Picnic table set back near point (8).

Worth a visit

Saint-Sauveur Church and surrounding garden.

Abbey lodgings (private).

Panoramic view of the Gers hills and the Pyrenees (on a clear day).

(3) Duck farm.

Simorre (12 km), fortified church.

Reviews and comments

4.6 / 5
Based on 25 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.7 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.7 / 5
Route interest
4.6 / 5
sercla
sercla

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 18, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

route travelled on 11 October 2025 in very favourable weather conditions and dry terrain
beautiful, varied, rolling countryside, beautiful green nature
yes, sometimes tarmac, but not a deal-breaker (grassy verges for those who prefer them) over the total distance, and surprising paths for the Gers, very often finely gravelled, sometimes slightly leafy, with no visible clay, numerous oak undergrowths, sometimes even majestic, the whole reminiscent more of the Lot than the traditional image of the Gers with clay sticking to your soles!
a few rare beautiful farms scattered here and there, no cars on the small roads used.
the built-up area of Faget is interesting to photograph, and certain views of the Pyrenees - Haut Garonnaises and Hautes Pyrénées with the ever-present Pic du Midi de Bigorre - enhance the appeal of this route
highly recommended
300 m elevation gain according to my Garmin

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Muc31
Muc31

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 15, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike, very easy and well signposted. It could be renamed the broom hike. Fields of buckwheat and wheat and lots of flowers all along the route.

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Sur-les-chemins
Sur-les-chemins

Overall rating : 3 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 08, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Very busy route : No

Lots of small roads, too much tarmac! And when you finally find a path, it's very wide, suitable for cars and rutted by 4x4s.
Too many farms, too many roads, too many signs of human presence... We're supposed to be in the countryside!

Be careful: don't rely solely on the signposts, as they cross other trails and can be misleading.

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Tom Aka Styon
Tom Aka Styon

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 01, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful ride in the Gers region.
No particular difficulties on this route.
There are no signposts at some junctions, thank you Visiorando 😉

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PATRICE31800
PATRICE31800

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 07, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hello, everyone.
We went hiking today in overcast weather, so we didn't get a view of the Pyrenees, but it was a very beautiful route through the hills of the Gers region. The hike is well described; just follow the text and you can't go wrong. The route is varied and enjoyable, with good trails overall. Thank you for sharing.

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Muscat Christiane
Muscat Christiane

Overall rating : 5 / 5

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

A magnificent hike in beautiful spring weather. Views of the snow-capped Pyrenees, well-maintained trail lined with flowers.
Very pretty picnic spot with authentic tables and benches!
I recommend this very easy walk.
We discovered the beautiful, peaceful village of Faget-Abbatial with its church surrounded by greenery. We'll be back!
Thank you.

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pierreb04
pierreb04

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 12, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Well-marked trail (recently marked with yellow signs) except at the beginning. Route through unspoilt countryside with few "roads" (actually paths leading to a few houses), often under trees. A real change of scenery! Take the time to admire nature under a large oak tree. It's a shame the Pyrenees were hidden by clouds. We didn't encounter anyone during the four-hour hike, except for a cyclist at the end of the trail

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CdeMills
CdeMills

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 06, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk in peaceful countryside. Some remarkable oak trees. Don't be afraid to get your trousers wet, as there are a few muddy patches. The view of the Pyrenees is breathtaking.

A young medium-sized dog seems to have taken to accompanying hikers along the entire route. She is used to humans, as indicated by her collar: "I am not abandoned", but there is no phone number.

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bartoche
bartoche

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 19, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A superb, easy hike in the hills of southern Gers. The weather was on our side, so we had the Pyrenees as a backdrop for almost the entire route.
Most of the route is on shaded dirt tracks, but they are always passable.

Worth doing again and again, it must be different depending on the season.

We completed the walk in 4 hours, including a 30-minute lunch break.

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Petit-Chien
Petit-Chien

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 04, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Nice hike!
Little dog

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Petit-Chien
Petit-Chien

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 11, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Hello,
It's a beautiful hike, and sharing a meal with friends at the castle ruins is lovely, except that the stage, which is probably used for performances, is fragile!
Small dog

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martinbouchez
martinbouchez

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 23, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

it's a beautiful, varied walk. 15 km is just the right distance.
It's ideal for days when the weather is bad in the mountains.

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Okki Nokki
Okki Nokki

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 08, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Magnificent landscapes, orchids in bloom, deer roaming freely. A place to visit again and again!

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cbeaux
cbeaux

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 28, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant hike without any major difficulties, typical of the Gers region. The Gers countryside is the perfect setting for a beautiful sunny walk, where a friendly dog accompanied us without leaving our side... At the end, we simply retraced our steps to avoid the road and tarmac. I recommend this hike and also point 8 for a lunch break.

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LaPierre
LaPierre

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 07, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Probably one of the most beautiful walks in this part of the Gers!
And yet we did it under leaden skies, so we didn't get to see the Pyrenees.
A route that doesn't pass through any villages or even a single hamlet (which isn't that common), peace and quiet...
The signposting is impeccable, so you can do the walk without a map and without any problems.
The picnic area at point 8 is really nice.
We highly recommend it

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