Le Roc de la Vigne

Description

(S/F) From the free car park just after the dam on the Hérault River, arriving from Saint-Guilhem, head back to the village over a hundred odd metres on the D4.

(1) Take the carriage road to the right, just before the small bridge "petit pont de la Combe de Malafosse".

(2) At a junction before a house, keep going along the trail that heads uphill to the right, leaving the one to the left (leading to "Grotte du Sergent"). The trail gradually heads up a western slope then crosses a stream, often dry, and heads up a steep and windy trail on the eastern slope until "la ruine du Mas de l'Arboussier (or Arbousier)."

(3) Keep to the trail arriving at a ledge at high point 328.

(4) In a left turn, leave the path to follow a small footpath to the right heading down towards "Grotte or Baume du Cellier" located thirty or so metres below, of which the entrance is somewhat hidden by vegetation. Careful not to fall in the pitch (hole) over the entrance of the cave. After visiting the cave, head back to the path that goes along Combe de la Blande which heads back up towards the junction with the path coming from "l'Ermitage de Notre-Dame de Belle-Grâce".

(5) Head right and keep going until you get to a hairpin.

(6) Leave the trail taking a right to visit another retreat which is semi-troglodyte, underneath the cliff. To find it, keep to the footpath on the far left and head down a hundred odd metres using your hands and remaining close to the cliff.

(7) After the visit, return to (6) and head right to reach the pass.

(8) Keep going right on the forest trail through "pins de Salzmann" (a subspecies of pine tree) for roughly 200 metres.

(9) At the cairn, turn right onto a small trail that heads up to the foot of Roc la Vigne (10) the climb is easy and the 180° view to the north is exceptional.

Return to (9) and go right onto a path which remains flat until high point 533.

(11) Turn right and tackle the descent, steep and rocky at times, leading to a lovely abandoned hamlet "l'Estagnol".

(12) Leave the trail that heads off to the west and take the one heading south. After crossing l'Estagnol prairie, it heads downhill reaching the car park, just opposite (S/F).