Access
In the centre of Moux, look out for the start of the small road on the right coming from Carcassonne, or on the left coming from Lézignan-Corbières (signposted "Tombe d'Henri Bataille"). Go under the Autoroute des Deux Mers (A61) and you will soon reach a crossroads. Park on the right, at the entrance to a track, in a small area that can accommodate two or three vehicles (hiking signs).
White and redGR® markings
(S/E) Take the wide track that runs alongside the old sheepfold of the Four à Chaux, a beautiful, lovingly restored stone building. In a small pine wood, leave a wide path on your left and continue right on the marked trail, which quickly gains height before levelling out.
(1) Take a short detour to the left to visit the ruins of the Priory (Castle?) of Saint-Pierre d'Alaric, of which only a vertical section of wall remains. Enjoy the view of the Aude plain and the Corbières vineyards below.
Back on the path, continue to the left, pass the imposing ruins of the Vidal dairy farm and arrive at a fork (double sign: Signal d'Alaric +GR®77).
(2) Turn right onto a narrower path that enters a wood dominated by box trees and joins a wide track.
(3) Follow this track to the right for about 20 metres, then leave it and take the well-marked path on the left (Signal d'Alaric sign). The slope becomes steep several times, then levels out as the path emerges at the top of the Signal d'Alaric, recognisable by its telecommunications antenna and watchtower.
At the crossroads opposite the installations (cairn), leave theGR® for a short while and turn left. When you reach the wide track leading to the summit, follow it to the left, slightly downhill, to reach the start of a path on the left, marked by a sign for "Lagrasse par leGR®36- Saint-Michel-de-Nahuze".
(4) Leave the track and take this path. There are several routes, but they all follow the same direction. Follow the escarpments on your left to quickly reach the Roc de l'Aigle, which is quite difficult to spot on the long flat ridge.
(5) Enjoy the magnificent view of the Pyrenees, dominated by Canigou on the left and the high peaks of the Ariège opposite. Don't forget the Aude plain below, covered with vineyards, which is home to several small wine-growing villages in the Corbières.
Continue straight ahead towards the south-west. Once you are directly above the ruins of the Priory of Saint-Michel-de-Nahuze, leave theGR® for a short while and follow a small path on the right which quickly leads to the ruins.
(6) Take the time to contemplate the ravages of time, which have not, however, completely destroyed the Romanesque structure, as evidenced by two magnificent semi-circular arches.
Return to theGR® via the same path, turn right and continue downhill towards the D114, which can be seen below.
(7) Turn left. The last hundred metres, over small stones that roll underfoot, are particularly steep and difficult.
(8) Once you reach the road, turn left. Follow this road, keeping to the right to stay on the grassy shoulder and avoid the tarmac. Leave a small road on your right.
No signposts
(9) At the entrance to a beautiful vineyard (monumental gate), cross the road and take a wide path on the left that runs alongside a vineyard on the right. Pass a turning on the left and continue along the path, which winds pleasantly through a small valley planted here and there with a few vineyards. The IGN map is incorrect and the numerous paths on either side no longer exist.
(10) When you see a water reservoir, turn left to follow it and turn right at the next fork.
(11) Leave a path that climbs up to the left (sign: Roc Fendu) and continue to the right to rejoin the tarmac and reach a crossroads of vineyard paths at the end of a long straight stretch. Turn left at a right angle, cross a small road (calvary on the right) and continue to a wide track that comes from the right, opposite a green metal gate.
PR® signposting: old yellow, faded and very irregularly spaced
(12) Turn left to follow this track. At a ruin, ignore another track coming from the right and continue on the left. The track quickly becomes narrow, stony and unsuitable for vehicles. At a fork (visible on the map only when zoomed in), leave a path on the right marked by a red arrow on the ground and continue to the left.
The path crosses the heath heading north, goes up and down, takes your breath away a little, then settles down before coming out onto a wide track suitable for vehicles.
There are no signposts
(13) Follow this track to the left and, a few metres before a metal barrier, leave it and take a narrower path downhill on the right. Continue straight ahead until you come to a small tarmac road (only visible when zoomed in).
(14) Follow the road to the left and continue straight ahead. Cross a stony ford and return to the starting point (S/E).