The chaos of Caoussou

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With all due respect to its illustrious neighbour (the Montpellier-le-Vieux site), the Caoussou chaos is a ruiniform formation rich in concretions, certainly more modest but just as interesting to discover.
A family walk with a gradient suitable for both young and old.

Details

n°1855805
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 5.16 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 1h 55 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 152 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 154 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 841 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 734 m
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Photos

part 2 of the circular
Sublime view
Sublime viewpoint
Balance

Description of the walk

To get there, from Millau, head towards the village of Longuiers.
Park about a hundred metres after leaving the village; there is a parking area along the road.

(S/E) Take the path that joins theGR® 62 and follow it to the left in a north-easterly direction, then south-east

(1) At the intersection, follow the path on the right (GR® 62).

(2) Leave theGR® 62 and follow a barely marked path on the right that descends rapidly into the valley. Follow it for 600 metres.

(3) After enjoying the view, retrace your steps

(2) Take the path (GR® 62) on the right until the next fork. As you pass, enjoy the view overlooking the majestic surroundings.

(4) Leave the path (GR® 62) and follow a track on the left that leads into the woods. At the next three-way junction, take the path on the left until you reach the fork

(5) Follow the path on the left, pass a crossroads and continue to the path you took on the way there.

(1) Turn right and follow the path you took on the way there (GR® 62) to the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 835 m - Parking at the exit of the village of Longuiers
  2. 1 : km 0.9 - alt. 814 m - Crossroads of the circular
  3. 2 : km 1.79 - alt. 826 m - T-junction on the way there and back
  4. 3 : km 2.36 - alt. 734 m - Chaos du Caoussou
  5. 4 : km 3.26 - alt. 839 m - Track on the left in the woods.
  6. 5 : km 3.84 - alt. 800 m - Left-hand path at the three-way junction
  7. S/E : km 5.16 - alt. 835 m - Parking at the exit of the village of Longuiers

Notes

No special equipment is required, except for the essentials: hat or rainwear, drinks
etc.
Please note, however, that from March to autumn, processionary caterpillars are out (they sting).

You will be hiking in a site that is magnificent but fragile.
Be mindful of the beauty of the surroundings, take care near cliffs, and be eco-friendly and courteous.

Enjoy your walk on our Causses.

Worth a visit

In addition to the beauty of the site, take the time to admire the small village of Longuiers.
A hamlet restored to its original state, with buildings made of limestone that blend beautifully into the landscape.
Visit the nearby site of Montpellier-le-Vieux (admission fee) and finish with a horse ride at the Sonnac equestrian centre.

 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

4.5 / 5
Based on 17 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.5 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.5 / 5
Route interest
4.5 / 5
sandra joos
sandra joos

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 14, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No


A beautiful hike on the Causse Noir, with clear directions and magnificent scenery (especially at the rocky peak where vultures land and take flight...)

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Cccbbb
Cccbbb

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 30, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Beautiful hike with a lovely view at point 3, easy with nice shaded areas

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Clara1917
Clara1917

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 05, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very beautiful parish-specific ballad.

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christine J.
christine J.

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 15, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

an easy hike to warm up, but I agree with a previous review that it's not particularly interesting.
My GPS was playing up and I couldn't do the extension to see the view of the valley because it wasn't showing me any of the passable paths

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jpconstant
jpconstant

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 15, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

easy hike with little interest

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eribur
eribur

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 13, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Thank you for this easy and enjoyable route. The really interesting areas are: the return journey through the chaos to the viewpoint (a fork in the road with barely visible signs) and the village.

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Canelle
Canelle

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 07, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We had a wonderful trip despite the unusual heat for this time of year. We went down to do the round trip, but we definitely didn't go low enough because we didn't see any cave dwellers. Nevertheless, it was a wonderful discovery in this magnificent region. It's a shame that all the box trees have died because of the moth.

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CherryLorette
CherryLorette

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 08, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant walk with views of the Dolomites. Magical!
At a brisk pace, the hike takes about an hour

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oponcin
oponcin

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

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

Circular hike in the Caoussou chaos, a few kilometres from Montpellier le Vieux but much less crowded. Ideal for families, preferably at the end of the day in summer.
Stunning panoramic views of the gorges and rocks
Film of the hike: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bfLLfiF...
The return journey can be taken via a different route to the one indicated. You are on the Causse plateau, so there is little risk of getting lost.

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Pierre-Yves C
Pierre-Yves C

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 17, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A nice route to do with children, alternating between wide forest tracks and narrow paths through the bushes. For point 2, the path to the viewpoint and back starts to the left of forest sign 315 (but there are lots of identical forest signs). It is more challenging, and it is not clear exactly when to turn back. So we stopped at the rock with the commemorative plaque "le Bartas", because the path became even steeper after that, but without knowing if that was really the viewpoint. On the way back, after leaving the GR at point 4 (the junction is located just after the cairn indicating the viewpoint), we hesitated at the first crossroads, but using a compass (or a mobile phone with a compass app) allowed us to choose the path heading west and not the track heading south.

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gesi41
gesi41

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 26, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Spectacular chaos, a bit sporty.
On your return journey, be sure to drive through the village of Longuiers to admire the old buildings.

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m12rando
m12rando

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 22, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant family route (a little steep for young children between points 2 and 3, but the detour is worth the view!).
Varied and even lush vegetation in places, a few ruiniform rocks, vultures circling in the sky, breathtaking views... welcome to the Causse Noir !

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dédé denise
dédé denise

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 18, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

it's a fairly quiet route, passing through some very crowded areas, though of course it can't be compared to Nîmes or Montpellier-le-Vieux. However, we loved the hike because of its wild side.

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scullyw
scullyw

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 10, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant, easy walk, suitable for families.
Superb views of the Causses, sometimes making your way through bushes.
The ruiniform rocks are indeed modest. It is therefore recommended to do this walk before the one in Nîmes-le-Vieux
A short detour to the rock shelters already mentioned in the comments offers additional enjoyment and other panoramic views of the site.
Thank you for this route.

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nous2enbalade
nous2enbalade

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 02, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

a sheltered walk, high enough to spot vultures.

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