Walk among the clapas.
Country:
France
District:
Villespassans (34360) 
Departure from Villespassans.
Blue markings.
(S/E) From the village centre, in front of the town hall (start sign), go down Rue du Thym towards the vineyards. Follow the path to a fork in the road.
(1) Turn right and head down towards the lake.
(2) At the lake, follow the red clay path that climbs through low, thorny vegetation. Follow the partially concrete path to the right.
(3) Follow the tarmac road back to the village centre and the town hall (S/E).
Choose the season (winter or summer), choose the time (very early in the morning or very late in the evening)
Choose your outfit (trousers): it stings!
Look for non-aggressive plants to clear a path through the heath.
LES CLAPAS: In the 18th and 19th centuries, farmers took over the hillsides that had been little used by their ancestors. These last areas of arable land required a great deal of effort to prepare and retain a little good soil on the very steep slopes of the hills. The construction of thousands of kilometres of terraced walls, made from stones cleared from the plateaus, transformed our landscapes.
Initially, the clapas were piles of stones. Very quickly, in order to prevent them from collapsing, they were arranged. The outer walls, faced with carefully selected and assembled blocks, held the mass of stored stones in place.
This made it possible to build higher while limiting the surface area occupied on the ground.
The stones were also used to build low walls around the edges of plots. These walls used the very ancient construction technique of double facing.
Without any binding material, the builder erects a double row of parallel blocks, forming the outer and inner facing.
The space between the two is filled with smaller stones.
Some walls are topped with blocks arranged in a "herringbone" pattern to prevent animals from entering the plots and destroying the crops.
Visit to CRUZY.
Other hikes starting from Cruzy: Montplo, the Marie Close gorge.
Overall rating : 3.3 / 5
Date of your route : Dec 22, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Very busy route : No
The route was well marked and there were no problems with orientation. However, the route was often enclosed by valleys and offered almost no views apart from the arrival in Villespassans.
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Overall rating : 5 / 5
Date of your route : Feb 09, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes
A very pleasant and interesting route.
You start in the heath and arrive at a wide downhill path that leads to a lake (surprising!) which was partially frozen!
The climb back up is a little steep, but we were greeted by a flock of sheep before arriving at the pretty village of Villespassans.
Well worth discovering!
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Overall rating : 4.3 / 5
Date of your route : Apr 24, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No
A pleasant little family walk.
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Overall rating : 4.3 / 5
Date of your route : Dec 19, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No
Nice walk! Be careful if you have dogs, as there are horses and donkeys...
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Overall rating : 4 / 5
Date of your route : Nov 25, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes
Hello, I couldn't find any signposts in certain places, or perhaps I just didn't see them.
The start of the route is fantastic, the view is superb, the weather was beautiful... horses, donkeys, views of the Pyrenees, the To. An accessible and enjoyable hike.
Thank you
Have a nice day
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Overall rating : 4.7 / 5
Date of your route : Jan 20, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No
Nice walk, easy
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Overall rating : 4.7 / 5
Date of your route : Jun 06, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No
More of a stroll than a hike, it is a pleasant place with a beautiful view of the Pyrenees in the distance.
Take 10 minutes to explore the village.
The "lake" is more of a pond than anything else... at least on 6 June...
No difficulty. Nice for stretching your legs.
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Overall rating : 5 / 5
Date of your route : Mar 08, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
A very easy and pleasant hike, ideal for beginners. We particularly enjoyed the silence and the sounds of nature.
We had to use Google Maps to find the first junction, but that's because we're not used to following IGPN maps.
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Overall rating : 4.7 / 5
Date of your route : Jan 28, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Easy. Nice spot for a picnic by the water.
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Overall rating : 5 / 5
Date of your route : Apr 23, 2016
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
A superb walk that is easy to do with young children!
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