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 to the left, which runs parallel to the tarmac road. Pass through the village of Saint-Geniès-de-Varensal, walking past the church forecourt, then 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, at the entrance to this former quarry. It leads onto a stony track; turn right. The track climbs and reaches a recently built building situated 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 sought out and reopened a disused path to enable us to complete the circular route that follows. We cleared it and marked it with rings of yellow paint on the trees (at eye level) and a few cairns. This section leads to a grassy track, which connects to 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 (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 winds through a pine wood with the ground carpeted in creeping ivy.

(7) Cross another (smaller) stream and continue along the path that 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 up to the left towards “Les Sauzes”. Continue along this tarmac section and, about seven hundred metres further on, turn right onto a stony track. A little further on, ignore the track on the left, continue the climb through a few hairpin bends before descending slightly to a junction of tracks.

(10) Follow the track carefully to find the start of the descent on the left (used by mountain bikers who have created a very steep route with jumps). Make your way down the slope in wide hairpin bends to cut across the slope, which can be slippery at times due to the very gravelly surface. The descent leads onto a stony track; turn right. Pass close to Bosc Mort (elevation 556) and continue along the track on the left. At the next junction, turn left again and continue for about 250 m until you reach a ruined stone house (Roudema).

(11) Leave the stony track and take a grassy track instead. Walk alongside a private property (a fenced-off house and garage) and continue downhill to join a footpath. It was blocked by brambles, which we cleared thoroughly. This avoids having to walk along the D922 at a hairpin bend which can be dangerous. The route then continues along a stony track before joining a small tarmac road leading into Plaisance.

(12) Turn left to 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).

On 19 June 2026, I completed this circular route to see if it was possible to walk it after the storm. From point (9) to point (10), everything is normal. From point (10) onwards, the storm ravaged the woodland, following 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 is still a minor issue at the start of the route at point (10). It is no longer possible to descend directly as suggested by the Visorando route, but you simply need to take a short detour to the right, go down past the fallen trees and rejoin the original path 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.