The Caroux cross-country trails

Hike starting from Douch, via the Roc du Caroux, Font Salesse, the Sentier des Gardes, the Piste des Biterrois and back via the Rocher de Sarrazine.

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 7.61 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 5h 45 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Difficult

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 2,605 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 2,602 ft

  • ▲
    Highest point: 3,501 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 2,290 ft

Photos

Description of the walk

Start from the hamlet of Douch in the commune of Rosis. Park in the hikers’ car park, on the left at the entrance to the hamlet.

(S/E) Head towards the hamlet, pass the mouflon statue and turn left towards the Col de l’Airole. Make your way up to it.

(1) Turn left towards the plateau and follow the narrow path winding through the heather until you reach the plateau. Join a wider track.

(2) Turn right.

(3) Turn right onto a path that runs along the edge of the plateau towards the Roc du Caroux. There are no real signposts, so you’ll need to follow the GPS track closely. Reach a viewpoint overlooking the gorges and the hamlet of Héric.

(4) Continue along the edge of the plateau.

(5) Head straight on to reach the summit of Roc du Caroux.

(6) Turn back.

(5) Descend to the right towards the stream (Rieutort). Cross it and climb back up the opposite side, following the blue markings. Arrive at the Plo de la Maurelle viewpoint.

(7) Continue, enjoying the panoramic view of the valley to your right. You are now in a pine-wooded area and a track leads to the Refuge de Font Salesse.

(8) Take the path on the right through the pine trees; this is the Sentier des Gardes.

(9) Continue the descent, passing a path on your left, go past the Rocher de Lucet on your left and begin a series of tight hairpin bends leading to the Saint-Martin crossroads (signpost). 

(10) Turn left onto the Piste des Biterrois, marked with yellow and red signs. Enjoy the view over the valley as you follow the path to the Saut de l’Âne pass. A few streams dot the route.

(11) You will need to climb over some rocks to cross a rocky ridge. This section of the route is quite challenging, with ascents and descents, so take care to follow the yellow and red markings closely. This will take you to the Portail des Cades, a distinctive passage beneath the boulders.

(12) Continue along the path to the next junction.

(13) Turn left, leaving the Biterrois track, and begin the ascent. There are yellow markings, but they are very old and barely visible; you will need to rely on cairns and, above all, the GPS track. The path, made up of stacked slabs serving as steps, climbs gradually up the ravine, with the Rocher de Sarrazine on the right acting as a rampart. Reach a viewpoint.

(14) Continue along the path.

(15) Turn left at a 90° angle to follow the almost straight path until you cross the path coming from the orientation table.

(16) Turn right. At the junction at the 1063m mark, head diagonally to the right, leaving the GR® and GRP® behind. Pass the Plo de l'Aygue and then the Jasse d'Alingri to reach the junction with a PR® (yellow markings).

(17) Go straight on and follow the wide track, which winds its way in broad bends before reaching the car park at the start (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 2,933 ft - Car park at Douch - Église Sainte-Marie (Douch)
  2. 1 : mi 0.44 - alt. 3,104 ft - Col de l'Airole - Col de l'Airole ou de Douch (946m)
  3. 2 : mi 0.78 - alt. 3,455 ft - Junction
  4. 3 : mi 1.03 - alt. 3,406 ft - Start of the path on the right
  5. 4 : mi 1.3 - alt. 3,297 ft - Viewpoint
  6. 5 : mi 1.43 - alt. 3,251 ft - Roc du Caroux junction
  7. 6 : mi 1.66 - alt. 3,363 ft - Roc du Caroux
  8. 7 : mi 2.17 - alt. 3,448 ft - Viewpoint
  9. 8 : mi 2.36 - alt. 3,428 ft - Font Salesse Refuge
  10. 9 : mi 2.62 - alt. 3,320 ft - Junction
  11. 10 : mi 3.38 - alt. 2,297 ft - Saint-Martin crossroads
  12. 11 : mi 4.02 - alt. 2,415 ft - The Saut de l'Âne
  13. 12 : mi 4.33 - alt. 2,677 ft - Portail des Cades
  14. 13 : mi 4.6 - alt. 2,562 ft - Junction, left
  15. 14 : mi 4.96 - alt. 3,212 ft - Viewpoint
  16. 15 : mi 5.07 - alt. 3,268 ft - Turn left
  17. 16 : mi 5.48 - alt. 3,484 ft - Crossroads: path to the orientation table
  18. 17 : mi 6.39 - alt. 3,481 ft - Junction PR°°®°°
  19. S/E : mi 7.61 - alt. 2,936 ft - Car park at Douch - Église Sainte-Marie (Douch)

Notes

Please note: in wet weather, the rocks can be slippery.
Keep dogs on a lead; there are sometimes horses near the Jasse d'Alingri before (17).

Worth a visit

(16) You can turn left to visit the orientation table: about 20 mins there and back.

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

4.7 / 5
Based on 5 reviews

Reliability of the description
5 / 5
Ease of following the route
4 / 5
Route interest
5 / 5
Frank Biere
Frank Biere

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 07, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A spectacular hike. Every metre was remarkable. There were technical sections, it was physically demanding, and we had to work out the best route to get back on track and continue the climb. The GPS was essential.
For the dogs, it was doable, but the heat made it a close call. At one point, they needed a bit of a helping hand. The heat and the gradient proved a bit too much for Kyra, so we took two breaks to let her catch her breath in the shade.

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Seb34770
Seb34770

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 11, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A superb hike with beautiful views, but quite challenging. You need to save your energy for the second part, climbing up Roc de Sarrazine. It's not easy to find your way on this section, so follow the cairns. There are a few climbs and descents where you need to use your hands (I can confirm that it's not suitable for dogs). But the views are fantastic, top notch.

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jo34
jo34

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 30, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Thank you for this tour! A beautiful route, very well explained.

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Ric 94
Ric 94

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 05, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The mix of colours between heather, rocks, shrubs and scorched grass was simply magnificent. There were lots of viewpoints offering stunning landscapes (from the foreground to the background). Even though we did the hike in early August, we hardly met anyone on the trail.
The middle section of the hike (from the steep descent to the steep climb) is very challenging (which fully justifies the difficulty rating) and you have to pay very close attention to the markings (thank goodness for GPS tracking).

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Bru34
Bru34
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 15, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very varied trail. Plenty of scenic views. The steep path towards La Sarrazine can be slippery in wet weather! The return journey from point 17 via the rather uninteresting downhill track can be avoided by taking the track to the left before the Jasse d’Alingri. You’ll join the yellow PR and, turning right, head back down through the beech wood (pleasant in hot weather) to Douch without extending this lovely hike.

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