Le Fourcat from La Peyregade

This hike takes you to the first peak over 2,000 metres from Toulouse, with magnificent views from the summit.

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 11.78 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 6h 25 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Difficult

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 1,071 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 1,067 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 1,991 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 934 m

Photos

Description of the walk

To reach the starting point, cross the town of Montferrier and head towards La Peyregade. Continue straight ahead for ten minutes. The car park is located near a wooden bin; there are no parking spaces at the top of the village.

(S/E) Take the winding road, not the small path on your left. You will see the wash house 50 metres on your left. Go through the pretty porch and turn left at the end of the street to reach an old school, then go around the back.

(1) Take the path on the right, towards the Pierre du Sacrifice (yellow markings).

(2) Just after the beehives (be careful), turn right towards Plat del Tour.

(3) After a few hundred metres, turn left towards Le Fourcat (yellow markings). Follow the steep and difficult switchbacks through the woods (there are seven of them). You will come out onto a clearing and join a forest path, which you should take to the left. Continue to follow the yellow markings until you reach a fork in the path.

(4) Follow theGRP® "Tour du Massif de Tabe" (red and yellow markings) to the left. In this last section in the woods, continue straight ahead. When you leave the woods, you will come to a meadow. Go through the gate a little way downhill (make sure you close it behind you). You will see the Cabane du Coulobre hut above you: climb up to it.

(5) At the hut, turn left. Follow the path that climbs through the grass, heading south-southwest. Note the three large cairns at the top, known as the Trois Hommes.

(6) At the cairns, continue straight ahead along the ridge (do not take the small path that descends to the right). Follow the path to the summit, where you will be rewarded with a magnificent view.

(7) The descent is via the same route back to the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 934 m - La Peyregade - Car park - Touyre (rivière)
  2. 1 : km 0.24 - alt. 962 m - The trail starts on the right
  3. 2 : km 0.78 - alt. 1,023 m - Head towards Plat del Tour on the right
  4. 3 : km 1.1 - alt. 1,053 m - Turn left towards Le Fourcat
  5. 4 : km 3.31 - alt. 1,379 m - Junction with the GRP. Passage near the source of the - Douctouyre (rivière) - Affluent de l'Hers-Vif
  6. 5 : km 4.3 - alt. 1,557 m - Le Coulobre
  7. 6 : km 5 - alt. 1,710 m - Cairns des Trois Hommes
  8. 7 : km 5.89 - alt. 1,991 m - Mont Fourcat (2001m)
  9. S/E : km 11.78 - alt. 934 m - La Peyregade - Car park

Notes

Allow a full day for this hike.
Yellow markings until point (5), then red and yellow markings until the summit.
Drinking water available at the wash house.
Up to the point (5), the route is through woods, but after that, up to the summit, there are no trees. In the height of summer, bring sun protection.
Don't forget your binoculars.

Reviews and comments

4.3 / 5
Based on 18 reviews

Reliability of the description
3.9 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.4 / 5
Route interest
4.7 / 5
User 716038

Overall rating : 3 / 5

Date of your route : May 19, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hello. The hike is magnificent and well worth it, especially as it is not very busy on this side, unlike the other side (which is very easy). There are no signs or markings in the forest, which makes up half of the hike. We lost 30 minutes on the way there looking for our route, and on the way back there were no markings, or two that overlapped for no reason. Red and yellow markings and yellow markings... So we walked for 10 km in the forest and ended up taking two extra hours to complete the hike. We are used to hiking and this is the first time we have ever got so lost. Apart from that, the hike is magnificent and we will remember Mont Fourcat. Bénédicte

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rpoteau
rpoteau

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 03, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Somewhat steep climb in places. The yellow markings for the first few kilometres have been worn away in many places. However, the GPX track is very reliable, making the route easier to follow with a "digital guide". The terrain is not particularly technical, but you need to be in good physical condition as it climbs steadily. The descent is straightforward. Beautiful view from the summit.

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Lisaro06
Lisaro06

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 04, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A route that climbs well, so it's a bit difficult
I would not recommend it for untrained beginners
The views are superb 🤩

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Delail
Delail

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

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

A beautiful route, with signposts being put in place to simplify the journey.

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fred09300
fred09300

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 09, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Outing done in good weather. Beautiful route and what a view at the finish!
I only met four people along the way.

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BenB
BenB

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 25, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike that starts in a magnificent village and has a shaded first section under the trees with some steep climbs that justify its classification as difficult. But the view at the top is well worth the effort, with a breathtaking 360° panorama. This side of the climb to Fourcat is not very busy because most people arrive from the other side, which is less steep. On the way back, I pushed on to see the Sacrifice Rock and the Teychou waterfall, which was very welcome for cooling my toes after the challenging descent

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Francis3170
Francis3170

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 20, 2021
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The "difficult" rating is justified because it's uphill from start to finish, but the trails are very passable and it's well worth the effort: the view from the top is fabulous!
Much of the route is through woodland, which is perfect for keeping cool on the way up... and cooling off on the way down
We met a few people at the summit, but it's not a very busy route.

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nadineca
nadineca

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 03, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Please note that the description does not correspond exactly to the route. You should follow the route on the map and head towards the sacrificial stone, i.e. follow point 2. A very beautiful, uncrowded walk

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annierando11
annierando11

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 12, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

We did this snowshoe route on 12 January 2021.
There was a lot of snow.
Magnificent scenery.
We stopped at Coulobre: snowshoeing was enough...
We hesitated between directions (2) and (3). Perhaps the snow hindered us?
We went to Pla del Tour (too far east) and veered southwest to find the right path (thanks to the GPX track)
It's better to follow "pierre du sacrifice".??
After that, no problem, it's marked "Mont Fourcat"... It's quite a climb!
For the return trip, we made a circular route via the "tour du massif de Tabe", Frémis and Peyregade.

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myrianjuli
myrianjuli

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 15, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike to do in clear weather. Follow the GPX track carefully.

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teysmur31
teysmur31

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 27, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

the signposting was indeed unclear at a fork in the path and I got lost (for an hour) in the woods, as did the few people I met that day! The hike was difficult due to the elevation gain but easy thanks to the quality of the path. Very pretty "summit plateau" and a very beautiful hike despite the slightly long section in the undergrowth (and the extra hour of walking!!!).

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Thierry Trémas
Thierry Trémas

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 30, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Not much to say, I did the entire hike in the clouds. As the weather was mild, the scenery was pleasant and a little ghostly, especially in the mossy forest and when we encountered the horses at La Coulobre. In case of cloudy weather, be careful between 6 and 7 because of the cliff you walk along.
A very pleasant surprise between 4 and 5, almost at the edge of the forest: a capercaillie flew over me, "flying" from one tree to another.
In any case, the GPX track is reliable.

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kb2l
kb2l

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 12, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Thanks to the author of this page, despite the small error at the beginning. Read the reviews for the correction. The .gpx track is correct. After the hut (5), look out for the three cairns above and head towards them, otherwise you risk losing the GR, which is not very well marked in this area.
A very beautiful hike. The approach to the summit is steep, but the landscape is beautiful.
My GPS shows 5½ hours "in motion" due to the elevation gain, especially after the hut.
Info: car park 3 km from the sign indicating the Montferrier exit. No shops in the village (today, at least).

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patrice.goudin
patrice.goudin

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 15, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Oh yes, and it's also shorter than described. 4½ hours there and back without pushing myself (I'm 56 and I don't run anymore)! Which is consistent with the 1,050 metres of elevation gain without any long flat sections.

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patrice.goudin
patrice.goudin

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 15, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

ATTENTION: urgently modify the description!
After the beehives, DO NOT take the first path signposted Plat del Tour: it does not go to the right place, does not correspond to the route on the map and, fortunately, is blocked after 200 metres by a fence, which means you have to go back down and take the path towards Pierre du Sacrifice. After 300 metres, turn right towards Plat del Tour/Fourcat.(Point 2 on the map).
then follow the directions in the description and the route on the map.
At the clearing (actually a gap in the trees), there are lots of crosses, particularly in the direction of the trail/description.
You can follow this trail or take the new yellow markings on the right, which join a forest road higher up (easier but longer).
However, with the map and GPS on your smartphone, it is very easy to find your way. Great!

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