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Parking is available below Clermont-le-Fort. Access is via a small road leading downhill at the entrance to the village on the cemetery side.
(S/E) Head down towards the bottom of the car park to cross the bridge and take a wide path on the right, heading towards Venerque on the signpost.
After 200 m, leave the track and follow the path on the left towards "l'orée du bois" (the edge of the woods) on the signpost. Stay on this path, which winds through the undergrowth, until it ends, where it rejoins the track along the Ariège. Follow it, turning left.
When it leaves the banks of the Ariège, curving to the left, leave it for a pretty path that continues straight ahead, going into the woods while staying on the banks of the Ariège.
Further on, the path joins a wider track, which you follow straight ahead and then turn left to reach a crossroads of small roads in a hamlet.
(1) Take the tarmac road climbing opposite, Chemin du Vert Ruisseau. Leave it 50 m further on to follow the road to the right, then 50 m further on, take a wide path straight ahead, which you leave a few metres further on to take a steeply climbing path on the right.
This path reaches the crest of the cliff and follows it to an orientation table above Venerque. The views are splendid.
Take the path just below the orientation table, closest to the ridge, ignoring the path on your left, which is for mountain bikes and leads to the same place.
(2) At the bottom of this steep descent, you come to a road which you follow to the left, then take the first street on the left, Rue des Remparts Coligny.
This leads to the D35, which you follow up, turning left (Avenue du Docteur Guilhem).
After 150 metres, leave the D35 and turn left onto Route de Pech-David.
This road dips down to form an S-bend.
(3) When the road begins to climb again, leave it and turn left onto Rue Jolimont, which climbs steeply.
At the end of this street, continue along the path on the right, which continues to climb through the woods.
The path leads to a wider grassy track which you follow to the right along the edge of the fields.
Continue straight ahead on this path until you rejoin the small Pech-David road.
(4) Take the road on the left for 100 m, then leave it for a wide path on the left.
After 20 metres, turn right onto another pretty path between the hedges.
This crosses a tarmac road (Chemin de Tulle), continue straight ahead on the path opposite.
(5) You will come to a small tarmac road which you follow to the left, Chemin des Maridats.
This road turns into a wide dirt track, which you continue to follow straight ahead as it descends. Viewpoint over Clermont opposite.
The path climbs slightly before joining another tarmac road (Chemin de St-Maurice).
(6) Take the path on the left to return to the car park where you started.
(S/E) We set off on thesecond part, which is just as spectacular, climbing back up to the top of the car park to take the path that continues below the road towards Espanes.
At the next crossroads, take the path uphill to the left, towards Clermont, following the sign for "Jorda".
You will arrive at another trail junction. Turn left again, still heading towards Clermont, following the signpost marked "la Bregue". The climb becomes steeper.
(7) The path arrives at the D68, which you cross carefully to continue on the path opposite and turn left a few metres later onto the small tarmac road (Chemin du Campgrand).
After 80 metres, leave this road and follow the wide grassy path to the right.
It runs along the ridge and then arrives at a crossroads.
Turn right onto the descending path, which leads to a tarmac road that you follow straight ahead, going uphill.
At the top of the bend, continue left onto Chemin de Marcounat.
(8) 200 m further on, at the entrance to the private property, leave the path and take a trail on the left. It descends to an intersection of trails 300 m further on.
(9) Turn left to make a quick return trip to admire the beautiful view from the top of the tumulus.
Otherwise, take the path on the right, which continues to descend gently along the edge of the cliff, offering multiple viewpoints. It ends with a short, steeper descent and then crosses the Ruisseau de Régaut stream. You will come out onto a tarmac road, which you should follow to the left and then continue to the right 50 m further on.
(10) After 100 m, leave the small road and take the path on the left, which heads back in the opposite direction along the Ariège.
It winds gently through the woods along the Ariège until it passes under the D68 bridge.
(11) Confluence of the Ariège and Lèze rivers.
(12) After the bridge, ignore several paths on the left leading to the hamlet of Les Fraysses and continue straight ahead along the banks of the Ariège.
(13) The final challenge comes when the trail reaches the bottom of the Clermont-le-Fort cliff. It becomes more rugged, then turns left, leaving the banks of the Ariège and climbing steeply.
The slope is steep for a few dozen metres.
The trail arrives at an intersection with another trail.
The option to the right leads to the village, which is magnificent.
The left option descends to the car park below Clermont-Le-Fort (S/E).
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