Short circular loop of Roc d'Orque

From Béziers, head towards Bédarieux (D 909) then take the D 909A to Hérépian. Continue on the D 13 to reach Saint-Gervais-sur-Mare. Enter the village and take the street on the left, then follow the one-way street on the right towards Saint-Geniès-de-Varensal. On leaving the village, continue on the D922 until you reach Andabre, then turn right onto the^D22E14towards Plaisance (in the commune of Saint-Geniès-de-Varensal). Park on the right after crossing the bridge over the Bouissou.

(S/E) From the car park,head towards the bar and the town hall. Walk past the tennis courts on your left until you reach the bridge over the Ruisseau du Bouissou. Take a path on the left which leads back up to the road. Turn right onto the^D22E14for a few metres and, after the bend, about 200 metres further on, you’ll see a wayside cross on your left. (There is very little traffic on this road, but please proceed with caution).

Yellow and yellow-red markings

(1) Leave the tarmac road and follow the GRP® du Haut Languedoc et Vignobles on the left, which runs parallel to the tarmac road. Walk through the village of Saint-Geniès-de-Varensal, passing in front of the church forecourt, and return to the road via a flight of long steps. Cross the road and the bridge over the Bouissou (signposted ‘Les Combals’) until you reach a fork in the road.

(2) Turn left and enter a disused quarry; the signposted path continues immediately to the right (calvary), at the entrance to this former quarry. It leads onto a stony track; turn right. The track climbs and reaches a recently built building which stands on the former route of the GRP®. Continue uphill along the track until, further up, you rejoin the path branching off to the left (signposted). This fairly steep path leads back onto the track once more. Take the signposted path opposite, which continues uphill at a steady gradient. A few hundred metres further up, near Baussas, you’ll notice a flat area on the left leading into the woods.

No signposting

(3) It is marked by a large cairn, followed by a second cairn a little further on. From this point, we searched for and reopened a neglected path so that we could complete the circular route that follows. We cleared it and marked it with Yellow Circles of yellow paint on the trees (at eye level) and a few cairns. This section leads to a grassy track, where you join the rest of the route. It leads onto a new, stony track. Head down to the right until you reach the first hairpin bend.

(4) Leave the track and take a path on the right which climbs slightly, then descends gently to cross a small stream via a footbridge. This well-marked path then climbs again, leading to the small, ruined hamlet of Orquette.

(5) The path continues to the right (marker cairns) and runs beneath imposing cliffs to reach a beautiful waterfall, the waters of which resurface at the foot of the cliff. A few metres before reaching the waterfall, it is worth climbing through the woodland and scree to the resurgence point. This allows you to see this geological curiosity.

(6) Turn back to head down the original path. Turn right, cross the waterfall and continue along the path which passes through a pine wood with the ground carpeted in creeping ivy.

(7) Cross another (smaller) stream and continue along the path which winds along the hillside until you reach a ruined house. The path continues westwards, passing beneath the Roc d’Orque to arrive above the Moulin d’Orque.

(8) Ignore the path climbing up to the right and head down towards the house, taking care to follow the path, which is discreetly marked with yellow arrows. It runs along the boundary of a private property (which is very clearly signposted by an owner determined to defend it). Cross a pretty stone bridge to reach a concrete track. Head up to the left, go through a metal gate and, at the first bend in the track, continue uphill along a grassy track. This leads to the hamlet of Le Péras, on the D922 (Route de Lacaune).

(9) Take the pavement on the left for about a hundred metres and leave the road to head left up towards “Les Sauzes”. Continue along this tarmac section of road and, about seven hundred metres further on, turn right onto a stony track.

(10) A little further on, ignore the track leading uphill to the right and continue along the track on the left, which leads downhill.

(11) After passing near Bosc Mort (elevation 556), continue along the track which descends to the left. You’ll see a building below. Walk alongside this private property (a fenced-off house and garage) and continue down the track on the left. This avoids walking along the D922 at a hairpin bend which can be dangerous. The route then follows a stony track before joining a small tarmac road leading into Plaisance.

(12) Turn left and you’ll reach the D922. Cross the road and walk down the embankment opposite the Town Hall, then veer right to return to the car park (S/E).

Several walkers have reported difficulty in following the original route of this very beautiful walk starting from point (10). On 19 June 2026, I walked this circular route to see if it was possible to complete it after the storm. From point (9) to point , everything is as normal. From point , the storm ravaged the woodland along a corridor several hundred metres long and a few dozen metres wide, devastating everything in its path. A forestry contractor has carried out extensive work, clearing away almost all the felled trees and reopening the tracks that had been damaged. However, there remains a minor issue at the start from point . It is no longer possible to descend directly as suggested by the original Visorando route, but you simply need to take a short detour to the right, descend past the fallen trees and rejoin the original route before reaching the stony track a little further down. This detour alters the route slightly without adding to the walking time. The slope is a little steeper.

In this heat, I really appreciated the three little streams along the route, which allowed me to cool my hands, arms and face. Fortunately, about 80 per cent of the route runs through woodland. I drank three litres of water.

On 17 September 2026, I returned to this circular route to establish a definitive route from the new starting point (10). There are therefore no longer any issues with completing this walk; the section that previously posed a problem is now on a stony track from that point onwards.