Country:
District:
In Saint-Pierre-des-Champs, coming from Lagrasse, cross the bridge and you will immediately come to a small square with a war memorial and the charming village church. At the corner of the church, turn right into a narrow street leading downhill, following the signs for PTT - Mairie - Bibliothèque to reach the edge of the stream (the Quai). Park under the plane trees (four to five spaces available).
No signposts
(S/E) Head towards the bridge and follow the small street on the right that leads back to the departmental road (Avenue du Cers). Cross over and take Rue du Roc opposite (no entry sign). Follow this steeply ascending street, pass a second no entry sign and then turn left with the street to come out onto a small square. Continue straight ahead.
GR® White and Red markings
(1) At the crossroads (rubbish container on the left), turn left onto the small tarmac road which soon starts to climb, following a series of bends.
White and redGR® markings + yellowPR® markings
(2) Leave the access road to the hamlet of Les Joffres on your right (this will be the way back) and continue left on the paved road.
(3) At the multiple crossroads, turn right, following the signpost. The view then opens up onto the village with the Montagne d'Alaric and its antenna in the background.
(4) Ignore the turn-off on the left and continue straight ahead on the road, which gradually loses its surface. Keep heading south on the main road until you reach a fork marked by a rather incongruous kilometre marker indicating La Soulane 0.4 km away.
(5) Follow the left fork and you will quickly reach a new junction that is not shown on the IGN map.
(6) Turn right, passing a small wooden post with two signs, and continue for about 250 m (theGR® route on the IGN map is incorrect here). In a wide bend at the top of a short steep slope, the signposting is very poorly positioned and may be misleading as it appears to indicate that you should continue to the right. Instead, turn left onto the dirt track and continue until you reach a fork (dead tree) located shortly after a hunting blind.
(7) Turn right uphill.
(8) Leave the wide track and take a narrower path on the left that climbs through a thicket of boxwood. Be careful here as the fork is not obvious. Quickly rejoin the track you left earlier and bear left to reach a large open crossroads offering a beautiful view to the north.
(9) Ignore the two tracks that branch off to the right and left and take the fairly steep climb opposite, which leads to Mont Major.
(10) From the summit, enjoy the extensive panorama. To the north, you can see the Lézignan plain, Montagne d'Alaric and Montagne Noire. To the south, you can see the tangled hills of the Corbières, Mont Tauch, recognisable by its flat top, and, on a clear day, the high peaks of the Ariège Pyrenees and Canigou. It's enough to make you forget the effort of the last climb.
Turn back to the previous junction.
No signposts
(9) Take the first track on the left, which will remain almost level until the next intersection in an open area.
(11) Turn right onto the track, which alternates between short climbs and gentle descents. After two consecutive sharp bends, ignore a path on the left that quickly disappears into the vegetation and immediately comes out at a fork where you can choose either the left or right branch, both leading to the Pas de l'Ânesse.
(12) Turn left. Just before the track turns sharply to the right (north), ignore a path on the left that leads to an isolated field and continue straight ahead.
(13) Opposite a DFCI water tank located high up on the right (yellow water intake), turn right uphill. The wide path quickly flattens out and winds through heath and kermes oak trees until it reaches the bottom of a small valley and a crossroads next to the ruins of an old sheepfold overgrown with vegetation.
Yellow markings
(14) Ignore the path on the left and continue to the right. Cross a small bridge and quickly rejoin the tarmac road. Pass the first houses, leave Chemin de la Devèse on your left and continue to the right to cross the hamlet of Les Joffres.
Signposting:GR® white and red +PR® yellow
(2) Turn left downhill and retrace your steps to return to Saint-Pierre-des-Champs and the starting point (S/E).
, you can't get lost if you have the description with you!
Association / Club / Walk leader
Easy 
Visorando member
