Le Caroux - south face

Park in the Saint-Martin car park at the bottom of the Orb Valley.

(S/E) Opposite the town hall, turn left, pass the church, and keep right at the three-way junction. At the bend, continue straight ahead on the path towards the top of the village, following the yellow PR® markings. Enter the village via Rue des Arrhes.

(1) Turn right onto Avenue du Caroux and walk past some beautiful properties with hanging gardens and stone buildings. You will come to an intersection between several trails.

(2) Take the path on the right (wooden sign "arête de Saint-Martin") and leave all markings behind. From now on, follow the cairns as your lifeline. First climb through the woods and stone terraces, and quickly reach the first rocky outcrops. Look straight ahead and always follow the cairns, which are quite numerous. After an hour of climbing and semi-rock climbing in places, you will reach the Col des Jonquilles, a right-angle intersection with the Sentier des Biterrois (GRP®, yellow and red markings).

(3) Follow this GRP® trail to your right and continue for a few dozen metres. Leave the trail and continue climbing to the left, among the rocks and scree, following the cairns as your only guide. This is the second part of the Saint-Martin ridge, the upper section that will take you to the top of the Caroux plateau, to the orientation table. The path climbs steeply, winding its way through trees and scree. Once you reach the summit, the horizon opens up and so does the view, with superb panoramas of the Orb valley below and the village of Saint-Martin where you started. At the top of the plateau, join the PR® trail (yellow markings). Immediately turn left and after a few metres you will reach the orientation table.

(4) Continue to follow the PR®, skirting the edge of the plateau and leaving the path leading to the Font Salesse Refuge on your right. Follow the GPX track carefully. At each intersection, turn left to follow the edge of the plateau. Descend through the ferns and you will finally arrive at the Col de Lucet, a vast open space with a 360° view.

(5) Continue descending via the yellow markings: the trail is now called the "Sentier des Gardes". Zigzag down the slope, then enter the forest via tight hairpin bends to arrive at the Saint-Martin crossroads (large cairn + directional sign), and rejoin the GRP® encountered at the Col des Jonquilles.

(6) Descend straight ahead, following the sign for "Village de Saint-Martin". Do not turn left (Baraques de Caylus) or right (Roc de Bartouyre). After a 500-metre descent, cross a pretty wooden bridge and you will arrive at the initial crossroads.

(2) Turn right and descend towards the village, taking the same route you took on the way up.

(1) Turn left and return to the car park (S/E).

There are no water sources along the route, except at the start and finish at the communal fountain in the centre of Saint-Martin (drinking water).

The route is in the countryside and not very busy => be careful and plan ahead, and make sure you tell your friends and family about your route.

The picturesque village of Saint-Martin, especially its pretty stone houses at the top of the village.

Caroux orientation table (4).

Orb Valley.