The 4,000 steps and return via Aire de Côte

From Valleraugue, take the famous 4000-step trail that climbs up to the Mont-Aigoual observatory.
To complete the loop, follow theGR®6for a long descent through the forest towards Aire de Côte, before finishing with a crossing of the chestnut grove above the hamlet of Berthezène.

Details

118098
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 16.15 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 11h 05 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Difficult

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 4,186 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 4,206 ft

  • ▲
    Highest point: 5,131 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 1,145 ft

Photos

Description of the walk

Park in the car park at the village hall on the outskirts of the village, along the RD 986 on the left, about 250 m after the Tourist Office.

(S/E) Walk down the RD 986 for about 100 metres towards the village, then cross the Hérault river. Take Rue des Barrys on the right until you reach a small square behind the church.
Climb the stairs on the left, then turn left onto a small road. Next, take the small stairs on the right to reach Chemin du Magnel, which overlooks the village from the 4,000-step viewpoint.

(1) At the 4000 Steps viewpoint, take the steep path heading north-west. This marked trail passes through different vegetation zones: heath, "steppe" on the ridge, beech trees, conifers, etc. After passing through the forest, you will arrive at a ridge where you will need to use your hands a few times, but this is not particularly difficult apart from the steep slope. Once you have crossed the ridge, cross the Fageole and climb up the Valat of the same name on the right bank. Then cross the stream over a low stone wall to arrive a few minutes later at a track near the Hort de Dieu.

(2) After a few metres, leave the track and take the path on the right through the woods, which climbs northwards.

(3) When the path reaches a bend at the edge of the RD 269, cross the road to reach the summit (observatory) and admire the 360° view from the orientation table.

(4) Begin the descent along the path on the north side of the mountain, heading east. Return to the RD 269 at the same bend as on the way up. Cross the road, walk a few steps along the track and take the path on the right. It goes around the small peak (elevation 1536) to the south.

(5) Follow the track downhill to the right heading north, then turn south-east.

(6) After two hairpin bends, leave the track and continue right on a wide path descending east.

(7) At a hairpin bend, turn right towards the south-east onto the marked trail.

(8) Leave the path on the left and continue straight ahead to join the track that leads to Aire de Côte, keeping heading northeast.

(9) At Aire de Côte, take theRD10D road on the right, heading south-east, for about 1.2 km.

(10) Leave the road and follow theGR®6on the right.

(11) Under the Col du Pas, descend to the right towards the south-west.

(12) When you reach a road, cross it and take a concrete track for a few metres, then turn right onto another track.

(13) After three hairpin bends, you will reach the hamlet of Berthezène, which you cross via a small road.

(14) Cross the bridge over the Clarou to join the RD10 and follow it south-east to Valleraugue.

(15) In Valleraugue, pass the church and continue straight ahead to rejoin the RD 986 after crossing the Hérault river. Follow the departmental road on the right to return to the car park 500 m higher up (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 1,188 ft - Foyer Rural car park - Hérault (fleuve)
  2. 1 : mi 0.35 - alt. 1,263 ft - Belvédère des 4000 marches
  3. 2 : mi 4.38 - alt. 4,406 ft - Path on the right, in the undergrowth.
  4. 3 : mi 4.96 - alt. 4,925 ft - Junction with the RD269
  5. 4 : mi 5.53 - alt. 5,115 ft - Mont Aigoual (observatory and orientation table) - Mont Aigoual
  6. 5 : mi 6.29 - alt. 4,885 ft - Trépaloup front
  7. 6 : mi 6.96 - alt. 4,596 ft - path on the right
  8. 7 : mi 7.51 - alt. 4,199 ft - Path heading south-east
  9. 8 : mi 8.72 - alt. 3,481 ft - Junction with horse trail
  10. 9 : mi 10.22 - alt. 3,563 ft - Côte D 10d area - Near the source of the - Tarnon (rivière)
  11. 10 : mi 11.11 - alt. 3,323 ft - GR6 on the right
  12. 11 : mi 12.12 - alt. 2,789 ft - Turn right towards the south-west.
  13. 12 : mi 13.46 - alt. 1,998 ft - Crossing the D10
  14. 13 : mi 14.53 - alt. 1,394 ft - Berthezène
  15. 14 : mi 14.82 - alt. 1,289 ft - Bridge
  16. 15 : mi 15.79 - alt. 1,158 ft - Valleraugue
  17. S/E : mi 16.15 - alt. 1,188 ft - Foyer Rural car park - Hérault (fleuve)

Notes

Allow around 2½ to 3 hours to reach the summit from the Belvédère des 4000 marches.

Be careful, it can be very cold and windy at the summit... even if it was very hot during the climb. There is a small tap with fresh water at the foot of the observatory in a sentry box.

Worth a visit

360° panoramic view at the summit (old orientation table).
The landscape changes throughout the day.

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.

Reviews and comments

4.8 / 5
Based on 142 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.8 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.7 / 5
Route interest
4.8 / 5
User 25814414

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 06, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Hike completed on 6 July 2026; I set off at 8.30 am and returned to my car in Valleraugue at 7.30 pm. It’s a pleasant hike, as it’s mostly in the shade. The climb is steep and it took me longer than the expected 3 hours to reach the Mont Aigoual observatory (it took me 5 hours) and, of course, the return journey was longer, but easier on the feet and knees! It was a test hike, to check that I could still manage challenging hikes (I’m 70), so I was carrying a well-packed rucksack. Thank you, Visorando!

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User 29406806

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 06, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

A lovely walk with stunning views. The climb is tough but doable; however, if you want to do the circular route, the return leg is indeed less steep but seems to go on forever – it’s very long. And watch out for a large swarm of bees on the first part of the return journey.

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boubbou.com
boubbou.com

A legendary climb, in the shade for 90 per cent of the time, very well signposted, with a superb view from the weather station’s orientation table; the return journey is a bit long and less interesting than the ascent, with plenty of tracks and at least 4 km of tarmac; a lovely, reasonably priced lodge in the coastal area, a nice break on the descent – it does you good; we’ll do the round trip from now on, but we’re glad to have done it at least once

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Didier de la marsa
Didier de la marsa

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 22, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The route is largely shaded, making it ideal for summer

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boubbou.com
boubbou.com
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 06, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A legendary climb, in the shade for 90% of the way, very well signposted, with a superb view from the weather station’s information board; the return journey is a bit long and less interesting than the ascent, with plenty of tracks and at least 4 km of tarmac; a lovely, reasonably priced lodge in the coastal area, a nice break on the descent – it does you good; we’ll do the round trip from now on, but we’re glad to have done it at least once

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fredrichard7
fredrichard7
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 07, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A lovely walk. What a great idea to do the circular route! Thanks to the author!
We should have read quito84’s post and taken the GR between 6 and 8; the track isn’t very interesting, and the GR should keep the views lovely.
The snack bar at the summit is really not great. On the other hand, the Aire de Côte lodge is excellent! Great food for the same price as the defrosted stuff at the summit snack bar. Definitely not to be missed! And it cuts out the descent ;-)
Don’t be put off by the time given by Visorando. 11 hours is far too long. If you allow for a 300m climb per hour (at a leisurely pace) for the ascent, that’s 4 hours, then 4 km/h on the descent (also at a leisurely pace), another 4 hours, making a total of 8 hours (we did it in 6 hours walking briskly).

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quito84
quito84

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 04, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely classic hike up Aigoual. Varied trails and scenery. Please note: following the comment about a water source in the stone hut at the foot of the observatory, we hadn’t taken ‘much’ water with us… but the water had been turned off! I think this was because the restaurant was closed at that time of year? Fortunately, on the descent we were able to fill our flasks at the Valat du Bédil where water was flowing... So make sure you bring enough water! We were able to shorten the descent by about 4 km (which is significant) by cutting across between 5 and 6 via a somewhat steep path, then taking the GR between 6 and 8, and finally passing through the Col du Pas between 11 and the finish (a 2 km stretch of road followed by yellow markings passing through point 665 on the IGN map); from there, a path on the right, a bit steep at first, which leads to Valleraugue between some lovely terraced walls... Thanks for the suggestion! We hardly saw anyone that day... a miracle!

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GuyômX
GuyômX

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 12, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A superb hike, especially with the colours and beautiful autumn weather. Between 6 and 8, I preferred to follow the shorter, steeper GR trail, which offered beautiful views from the ridge. Note: bring a bag to collect chestnuts on the last few kilometres!

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User 7891525

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 27, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Very sunny weather with breathtaking scenery.

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Robertdu30
Robertdu30

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 29, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Beautiful scenery with a stop at the Mt AIGOUAL Weather Station after a long 8km climb. Refreshments available at the summit. The return route via Aire de Côte also offers some beautiful views and the chance to grab a bite to eat at the refuge. Definitely worth doing, but you'll need to be in good physical shape due to the length of the hike.

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Christian de la HV
Christian de la HV

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 06, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

This circuit is very challenging and is intended for experienced walkers.
The start is very tough... warm up beforehand
Be careful with your knees on the descent

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GillesdeSVLC
GillesdeSVLC

That's so true, and that's what we do 😄👍

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osiris130
osiris130 ★

You're welcome, Gilles...
Suffering is also part of hiking and makes you appreciate the good times even more! 😉

A nice cold beer when you get there and it's quickly forgotten! 😅

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GillesdeSVLC
GillesdeSVLC

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 04, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

First part up to the weather station: lots of people but not too much of a nuisance, and most of them are very friendly. And the views are magnificent.

The second part, from point 11 onwards and even before, there were lots of stones on the route, but that's all part of the hike.
A little more complicated, but still with beautiful views that keep you going.

The last 5 or 6 km were the hardest for me because after 20 km in my legs, it was tough going
Especially with stones, stones and more stones 😊😋😉😊

Finally, after a long day of walking, we finished in 9 hours with lots of breaks, a gentle climb and a tasty sandwich at the station

That's it, thanks to the author of this hike👌👍✌️

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User 11812414

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

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

A long hike with no major difficulties for an experienced hiker.
Having built up a very positive image of this 4,000-step hike, I returned somewhat frustrated, as I had expected it to be more along the ridge line with better views

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