The Grandes Solitudes circular starting from Les Mazes.

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Grandes Solitudes is in fact a continuation of the PR®6 "Solitudes" route in the Chamina guidebook, but with an extension. The lower part of Solitude in the Chamina guidebook is impassable. The route starts from Les Mazes heading north, then gradually follows the drovers' road and soon, with your head increasingly in the sky, you will gain 300 metres in altitude and enjoy sumptuous panoramic views. The return journey follows the Mardonenque boralde (small river).

Details

n°45794
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 17.63 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 6h 40 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Difficult
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 563 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 566 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 1,309 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 786 m
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Photos

Croix des Mazes

Description of the walk

The start is at Les Mazes (1.5km after Verlac on the D503), park in one of the two car parks.

(S/E) Take the D503 north, continue for about 1 km and you will reach a path on the right.

(1) Take this path. Cross the Trans-Aubrac (road) and continue straight ahead on the path to reach another crossroads at an altitude of 1125 metres.

(2) Turn 90° to the right and continue to the entrance of a property and a buron.

(3) Turn right onto an old drovers' road. Continue north-northeast until you reach a road at an elevation of 1270 metres with a chalet on the left.

(4) Turn right onto the descending path to reach the hamlet of Les Vergnes. Continue straight ahead, enter the forest and, at the end of it, join the Trans-Aubrac.

(5) Turn left and follow this road until you reach the junction with the road running parallel to the Mardonenque stream.

(6) Take this path on the right. Follow the stream and you will come to a sign. Go down to the left to reach the stream.

(7) Ford the stream or boralde and continue on to the abandoned hamlet of Réganés.

(8) From the abandoned hamlet of Réganés, continue along the path and cross the Ravin de Levers. Further on, turn right at an angle of about 120°, signposted Les Mazes, and rejoin the Mardonnenque or Saint-Pierre stream.

(9) Cross the ford on Mardonenque again, continue on and reach the Monenque stream.

(10) Cross the Monenque ford. Climb up opposite to reach Les Mazes (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 1,006 m - Car park at Les Mazes.
  2. 1 : km 1.13 - alt. 1,039 m - Crossroads with a path on the right.
  3. 2 : km 2.93 - alt. 1,126 m - Turn 90° to the right.
  4. 3 : km 3.31 - alt. 1,133 m - Buron barrier, path on the right.
  5. 4 : km 6.3 - alt. 1,272 m - Path on the right
  6. 5 : km 11.05 - alt. 1,103 m - Transaubrac junction, on the left.
  7. 6 : km 11.64 - alt. 1,066 m - Dirt track on the right.
  8. 7 : km 12.78 - alt. 947 m - Leave the path on the left.
  9. 8 : km 14.07 - alt. 876 m - Abandoned village of Réganés.
  10. 9 : km 15.71 - alt. 803 m - Mardonenque ford crossing
  11. 10 : km 16.07 - alt. 821 m - Boralde Monette
  12. S/E : km 17.63 - alt. 1,004 m - Car park at Les Mazes.

Notes

Bring enough water (the drinking water supply programme has not yet begun).
Wear high-top shoes. A hat, walking sticks, a rain jacket and a picnic are recommended.
Shelters at Les Mazes, Les Vergnes, etc.
Avoid this route during rainy weather, as the three fords may pose a problem.
FFRP markings.

Worth a visit

See the wooden Celtic cross at Les Mazes and the primitive stone Christ on the D503.
You can buy cheese at the buron in the morning at Cartayrou (see the route description for the barrier); go through the barrier and head to the first building, one of the few burons still in operation.
Off the route, 300m after Les Vergnes, to the south, the Vergnes waterfall cascades over the edge of a lava flow.

Always be cautious and plan ahead when you're outdoors. Visorando and the author of this route cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurring on this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

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Reviews and comments

4.4 / 5
Based on 9 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.1 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.4 / 5
Route interest
4.6 / 5
Jean rené Planès
Jean rené Planès

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 24, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Great hike, unfortunately no longer maintained. Bring a machete at the start. The Visorando app was indispensable in helping us find the way. The estimated time for this hike is accurate, including a snack break and picking chanterelles and porcini mushrooms during the last quarter of the route.

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desmolin
desmolin

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 16, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A truly magnificent start, but the section in the forest becomes increasingly dangerous... I did this hike last year, and it was difficult to get through because of fallen trees.
This year, most of the trees have been cut down, but the path between the two fords is rarely used, so I don't think it's maintained very well, if at all. The fords are also difficult to cross.
When you leave the forest and head towards Les Mazes, you still have to cross gorse and a field of nettles to get back to the starting point.

This hike was probably magnificent when the author posted it online, but I think it is dangerous now. You can take the road on the left before descending towards Les Vergnes to join the PR3 from Aurelle at Vieurals, thus avoiding the dangerous part in the forest.

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maryvonnefaure
maryvonnefaure

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 09, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

Poorly maintained trail on the return leg, lots of fallen trees along the route, streams difficult to cross even in good weather.

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brousse
brousse

We look forward to seeing you around again...

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1fuse
1fuse

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 08, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A fairly varied hike between vast open spaces and dense forest. The name 'Grandes Solitudes' (Great Solitudes) is quite apt; I didn't meet anyone except cows, birds and insects! You can cool off in the streams, which is very welcome in the height of summer. I'd happily do it again in another season.

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brousse
brousse

Thank you for reporting this. I will stay tuned, but as I am no longer an elected official, I sincerely hope that the town council will take action to maintain its hiking trails... As far as I am concerned, I will no longer be clearing the trails with my brush cutter.
It is clear that following the pandemic and the ensuing slump, if we had pristine paths, it would be a bonus for Saint-Gêniez-d'Olt-et-d'Aubrac and the hamlets for a negligible investment.

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jerome31190
jerome31190

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 14, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Much of the route is in the cool forest, with several river or stream crossings. These streams can be very difficult to cross after heavy rain. Therefore, avoid hiking after heavy rain. Otherwise, it is a beautiful hike. The view is only clear in the very first part.

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cormignon gilles
cormignon gilles

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 17, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Very beautiful hike. However, many trees have fallen across the path, including one at Levers Ravine, which makes it difficult and dangerous to pass.

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gayraud catherine
gayraud catherine

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 15, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

As for crossing the river three times, there's no need to set up fords! THERE AREN'T ANY!
A very beautiful hike.

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brousse
brousse

Indeed, I am retired and on sick leave...
At the council meeting, I read your requests to the assembly and to the Mayor...
As a result, the recycling centre has been instructed to open the Garimel road... But that's not enough, and on Monday I'll try to get the personnel manager involved...

By the way, thank you for the chanterelles, they were absolutely delicious...

Pierre

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gboniface48
gboniface48

Having enjoyed the pool in the early afternoon, I can confirm this! It's even more interesting when you've crossed the jungle to get there (in reverse, that is).

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alcho
alcho

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 31, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Thanks to Pierre Brousse for this description...
Indeed, as the previous comment said, Pierre can no longer maintain the section in question, so this last passage is a little tricky... But it's still a very pleasant hike, with the added bonus of a refreshing dip in the "bubble pool" of the Maldoneneque stream (penultimate ford). It's a natural spa that I recommend especially when temperatures are above 30°C (I'm not talking about the water, which must be around 15°C)...
Another point to note: watch out for ticks!!!

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gboniface48
gboniface48

Hello,

The section between Les Mazes and the Maldonenque stream is no longer maintained (the owner of the guesthouse just above the start of the trail from Les Mazes used to clear it, but he no longer does so due to health problems).

I recommend wearing trousers or using a machete (brambles, nettles, thorns, broom, ferns, etc.).

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brousse
brousse

Thank you for your feedback...

Between checkpoints 5 and 6, there are 600 metres on the Trans-Aubrac...

Brousse

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bibi
bibi ★

Thank you for your feedback. If I understand correctly, you had to turn at the first road on the right, whereas it seems to be the second road, not far before the stream... Should this be specified in the description?
Kind regards

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