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Park in the large car park in Burlats next to the Pavillon d'Adélaïde.
Yellow markings, with a few wooden signs mentioning "la Boucle de Gourteau".
(S/E) Head towards the bridge, cross it and follow the left bank of the Agout, Chemin des Fontaines, an old aqueduct that supplied water to the town of Castres. Continue along this path for 3 to 4 km until you reach the first houses of Castres.
(1) At the D4, turn right, cross the bridge over the Agout and then the Salvages crossroads to continue straight on for about 200 m on Avenue de la Grande Armée.
(2) Turn right onto Rue de la Fraysse. Further on, at the stop sign, turn left and then right towards the cemetery. The road becomes a path; follow it until it splits in a small valley.
(3) Take the path that climbs to the right through the forest, leaving the other paths, then follow the fence at the edge of the forest (view of the Castrais plain). You will find yourself back on a tarmac road at Bringarié.
(4) Go around the large oak tree on the right, then follow the road up to the left. Cross the first crossroads near Malras (elevation 344) and continue straight on the road: be careful, the hiking sign indicating Burlats on the right at this point is not the Gourteau variant.
(5) Leave the road 30 m before the second crossroads (elevation 316) and descend to the right into the forest. At the first hairpin bend, continue straight ahead to descend towards the valley. 50 m after crossing a stream, go through a fence (please close it behind you) to reach the banks of the Agout. Walk along the river before going back up until you find a hairpin bend.
(6) Turn onto the path on the right, which now runs alongside an old railway line and soon crosses it via a railway bridge. Cross the hamlet of La Fargarié and follow the forest path that climbs to the left after the last house (view of Roquecourbe). This path crosses a large open pastoral area.
(7) You will come to a tarmac road near a large house on your right and reach the next crossroads with a track on your left (view of the Montagne Noire).
(8) Descend this track towards the Éclaireurs de France premises. At the bend, ignore the dead-end track going uphill and turn left. Continue along this uphill track to La Simonié and take a sharp right turn to climb south towards two pylons in an open area. Continue south towards La Glène.
(9) Turn left onto the tarmac road that runs alongside several large houses. After the last house, the road becomes a path that winds down through a chestnut wood.
(10) Cross the ruins of the hamlet of Gourteau and descend steeply towards the banks of the Agout.
Caution: this path has exposed rocks that can be slippery in wet weather.
Follow the river (Carla hydroelectric power station on your left) and continue along the river on a beautiful path through the woods. Enter Burlats through the old city gate. Reach the car park by passing in front of the 12th-century Pavillon d'Adélaïde (S/E).
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Visorando member
Easy 
Association / Club / Walk leader
Tourist office
