Herds of animals guarded by Patou dogs, between 2 and 5 in number. Avoid hiking with your dog! See practical information.
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Park in the car park next to the dam on the D156E5 road.
(S/E) Leave the dam on your left (no public access). Head north-east, following the yellow/red GR® de Pays markings, and follow the road downhill and behind the building. Further down, cross a bridge and go up to a fork with a track (barrier) on the left.
(1) Go through the barrier marked with a no entry sign and take the tarmac path that climbs up to the right.
Go over the dam and leave the road on your left that leads to the structure (no access). Continue downhill and pass the weather station.
(2) Take the path on the right marked in yellow (this stony path climbs up to the plateau in several hairpin bends). Leave the path that branches off to the right at the second bend. Walk along a rocky outcrop and turn left to climb up a rocky chaos that leads to the plateau.
Keep left and follow the path furthest to the left, which runs as close as possible to the cliff (be careful, danger). This path joins the wide track and continues on flat ground, offering beautiful views of Lake Salagou.
(3) When you reach a crossroads, leave the path on the left and then the one on the right a few metres further on. Continue for 10 metres and, at the fork, follow the path on the right marked "piste DFCI" and follow the yellowPR® signs.
A good kilometre further on, a beautiful pyramid-shaped drystone shelter stands on the right (it is marked on the map) but its location on private property prevents you from getting close to it.
Continue along the path for 1.5 km until you reach a crossroads.
(4) Turn right onto the track that climbs uphill. The path is very easy to follow as it is often bordered by cattle pens. It slopes eastwards and arrives at a drystone shelter at a place called l'Auverne. Continue along the path and, at the next crossroads, go straight ahead.
Just before a vineyard, leave the path on the left and continue. When the path descends slightly, leave the path on the left and continue through the vineyards. A drystone shelter (marked on the map) appears at the edge of the path, followed by another one just after it in a vineyard. You can go back to see it (shown on the map).
Continue along the path until you reach a crossroads.
(5) Leave the path on the right and continue to the left, where you will see a drystone shelter nestled on the right at the edge of the path.
Go down, cross a small ford and 50m further on, make a return trip to the left to see another drystone shelter. Cross another ford, leave the path on the left and continue to the junction with a DFCI SAL6 sign. Go down to the left on the road for 50m.
(6) On the right, you will see a small sign for Mas Audran, which invites you to take the path that descends into the trees. This path, which is paved slanting at times, leads to the hamlet. Continue downhill, reach the hamlet, pass under the porch (Rue de la Fontaine).
(7) Turn left for 250m and take the road on the right at almost 360°, which rejoins the start of the D156E5.
(1) Take the same route back to the dam car park (S/E).
Visorando member
Difficult 
Easy 
