Razisse Reservoir - Puech del Fau and Mont-Roc circular loop

This hike starts in Saint-Paul d'Arifat and first follows the Dadou river to the Razisse reservoir, then to the magnificent Puech del Fau viewpoint. The return route takes you through the small village of Mont-Roc, where you should be sure to visit the orientation table.
White water, small rocky peaks and pretty views form the backdrop to this circular route, in a varied, undulating landscape.
Be careful of the dogs (5) at the Mouline du Viguier!

Details

184658
Creation:
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 18.06 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 6h 40 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 522 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 528 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 577 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 321 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Park in the public square in the village of Saint-Paul d'Arifat.

No signposts

With your back to the village church, turn left (east) to reach a crossroads (calvary).

(1) Turn left, ignore a road on the left and continue to another crossroads, also marked by a calvary. Turn left onto the small tarmac road, which quickly gives way to a wide dirt track and leads to a road, just before the hamlet of Roquegardie.

Turn right onto this road, leave the access to the hamlet on your left and continue to a crossroads.

Markings:GR® White and Red +PR® Yellow

(2) Turn right onto the small road, heading north (woodenGR® sign - Mont-Roc). After a hairpin bend to the right, leave the access road to Verdussat on your left and continue downhill to the entrance gate of the Coutounel property. Take the wide path opposite, which immediately leads to a fork.

(3) Turn left and continue for about 300 metres (theGR® route on the IGN map is incorrect here).

(4) At the fork (not shown on the IGN map), keep left on the path, which begins a fairly steep descent with several hairpin bends to reach the bottom of the valley where the Dadou river flows. Follow the river (be careful, as some sections may be very muddy depending on the weather).

(5) Turn left at the fork just before Mouline de Viguier. Cross the clearing with the various buildings and take the pretty wooden footbridge over the Dadounet, which flows into the Dadou a few metres further on. Enjoy this bucolic site where meadows, cliffs and streams combine to create a beautiful picture.

Shortly afterwards, leave the wide path that makes a sharp right turn and continue straight ahead to a fork where the left branch is closed by a wooden barrier.

(6) At this point, theGR® route has been temporarily altered due to work on the Razisse dam, which can be seen on the left between the trees. Turn right and join a small tarmac road.

(7) Turn left, then left again to pass through the few houses in the hamlet of La Faurié and enjoy the view of the dam and reservoir, which is sadly lacking in water. Retrace your steps.

(7) Continue south along the road for about 100 metres until you reach a junction marked by the Puech Noly sign.

White and redGR® markings

(8) Turn left and climb up to the buildings. Go around the first one on the right, then turn left, cross a lawn and continue straight ahead. At the fork 100 metres further on, turn right slightly uphill and continue to another fork (not shown on the IGN map).

(9) Ignore a wide stony path that climbs to the right and continue straight ahead to a tarmac road that you reach just opposite Puech del Fau, partly hidden by a high curtain of trees. Turn right and follow the road to the Mont-Roc sign.
(S/E)
No markings

(10) Take the small road that climbs to the left and, at the top of the hill, just after a house, turn left onto a wide, flat path. This path passes between two fences and leads to the calvary at the top of Puech del Fau, which you reach via a metal staircase. Enjoy the view. Turn around and descend to the signpost.

GR® White and Red Markings

(10). Turn left, then right and continue to the church.

No markings.

(11) Continue straight ahead to reach the orientation table next to the cemetery. After enjoying the view, return to the church square.

(11) Take the road on the right. Continue downhill, pass a road on the left and arrive at the junction with the D57 at the bottom of the valley.

(12) Turn left, pass the small fish farm and continue along this busy road. Apply the usual safety precautions: walk on the left and use the hard shoulder whenever possible.

(13) About 300 metres after a hairpin bend, cross the road and take the wide path uphill to the right. Turn right at the fork shortly afterwards and continue straight on until you reach the crossroads at the entrance to Saint-Paul d'Arifat.

(1) Head straight towards the village square (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 563 m - Public square in Saint-Paul d'Arifat
  2. 1 : km 0.19 - alt. 550 m - Crossroads of the circular loop
  3. 2 : km 2.23 - alt. 512 m - Crossroads, GR junction, on the right
  4. 3 : km 4.16 - alt. 377 m - At the junction, turn left.
  5. 4 : km 4.54 - alt. 390 m - At the junction, keep left.
  6. 5 : km 5.74 - alt. 333 m - La Mouline de Viguier. Walk along the - Dadou (rivière)
  7. 6 : km 6.77 - alt. 351 m - Fork, temporary GR markings, on the right
  8. 7 : km 7.58 - alt. 411 m - Small tarmac road
  9. 8 : km 9.31 - alt. 416 m - At the junction, turn left.
  10. 9 : km 9.95 - alt. 464 m - At the junction, continue straight ahead.
  11. 10 : km 12.2 - alt. 547 m - Mont-Roc sign
  12. 11 : km 13.03 - alt. 559 m - Mont-Roc church square
  13. 12 : km 15.7 - alt. 386 m - D57, turn left. Cross the - Dadounet (rivière) - Affluent du Dadou
  14. 13 : km 16.79 - alt. 438 m - Wide path uphill on the right
  15. S/E : km 18.06 - alt. 563 m - Public square in Saint-Paul d'Arifat

Notes

Road access: from Réalmont, take the D86 then the D63 towards Montredon-Labessonnié. After Lafenasse, turn left onto the D11 towards Arifat. At a place called La Rivière, after the waterfalls, turn left onto a small road. 300 metres further on, turn left towards La Mériguié then Roquegardie. You will reach the crossroads after passing through the hamlet.

Hiking boots are recommended: several sections are rocky and sometimes muddy.

Several road crossings:
- between (2) (3) and then between (10) and (12). These are small, quiet roads with no danger.
- between points (12) and: this is the D57, which is busier and requires caution, especially if walking in a group.

Worth a visit

Viewpoint at Puech del Fau.

Village and orientation table at Mont-Roc.

Lake Razisse

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

4.5 / 5
Based on 8 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.5 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.5 / 5
Route interest
4.5 / 5
pyrene12
pyrene12

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 05, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Hike completed a few days after heavy rainfall:
- the Dadou stream was impressive
- GR 36 was partially submerged in its lower section (Gourg Nègre)
- Razisse reservoir at maximum capacity

The route offers beautiful scenery that makes you forget the slightly long stretches on tarmac roads...

The only problem: attacks by three dogs at Mouline de Viguier. Having been warned by messages from other hikers and by the town clerk I met in St Paul d'Arifat, I was on my guard and knew how to defend myself (with sticks and stones).

The hike took 4 hours and 20 minutes, including time to take photos.

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grandin
grandin ★

Unfortunately, cocobc810, this kind of mishap is not uncommon... How many times have we been attacked by dogs, sometimes with their owners present and completely passive
You did the right thing, well done for your courage, and thank you for warning future hikers.

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cocobc810
cocobc810

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 22, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Dear hikers,

There is nothing to complain about on this hiking route.

However, be careful if you have children or are afraid of dogs running loose:
As you approach Lake Razisse on the riverbank before heading up to the lake, there is a farm with three dogs standing in front of it... One of them was very aggressive and went into attack mode against me... Luckily, I had taken a dog training course and didn't panic too much: despite his teeth and bristling fur......he was going to attack me... I managed to stay 2 metres away from him, but for 10 minutes alone, with no one around me, I had to move very slowly without making any sudden movements, and so I was able to continue on my way backwards. There was a small bridge to cross the river. It was very beautiful at that moment, but it was impossible to linger to take photos... the fright of my life...

You will also encounter black pigs on the route, this time locked up, which scared me, but nothing serious...
Horses...

A beautiful route completed in 3 hours and 36 minutes at a normal walking pace for me, but a brisk pace for others. I took photos...

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berachel
berachel

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 19, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

We went on this hike with a group of over 30 hikers in clear weather.
We had a picnic in the sunshine on the terrace overlooking Lake Rassise.
We enjoyed the variety of landscapes on this hike and the view around Mont-Roc, where we ended the hike on foot.
Reconnaissance of the hike had revealed a long stretch of about 3 km on the D57 road after Mont-Roc, which we decided was not suitable for such a large group of hikers.
After unloading the vehicles in St Paul d'Arifat, we drove them to Mont-Roc (about 30 minutes there and back). A car took all the drivers back to the starting point of the hike.
We completed the hike and therefore finished the hike at Mont-Roc.

Kind regards.
Berachel

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TROUVE Jean-Jacques
TROUVE Jean-Jacques ★

Hello,

Thank you for your feedback. However, I do not fully understand the criticism regarding the description of the D57.
Here is a copy of the relevant part of the description:

(12) Turn left, pass in front of the small fish farm and continue on this busy road. Follow the usual safety precautions: walk on the left and use the hard shoulder whenever possible.

This is reinforced by my comment in the Practical Information section:

Several road crossings:
- between (2) and (3) and then between points (10) and (12). These are small, quiet roads with no danger.
- between points (12) and (13): this is the D57, which is busier, and caution is advised, especially if walking in a group

I think I have been quite clear.

Best regards,

JJ TROUVÉ

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LAMBERSART
LAMBERSART

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 08, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

The description of the route between the town of MONT-ROC and the end of the route in Saint Paul d'Arifat is very inadequate:
for about 45 minutes! The route runs
along the D 57:
an asphalt road with no pavement and several bends!
For a group of more than 3/4 hikers, the lack of safety is obvious, as the time spent on this road for motor vehicles is long!

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Evelyne V.
Evelyne V.

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 06, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A lovely walk with beautiful views.
No network issues.

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henri57
henri57 ★

Hello,

I haven't been able to download this hike or any other for that matter. Is this normal? The area doesn't have very good network coverage...

The trick is to download the routes, with the integrated maps, at home using Wi-Fi or a 3G/4G network.

Then you can use the Visorando GPS app without a network connection ....plus it uses less battery power during the hike.

See you soon!

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lachieuse31200
lachieuse31200

Hello,

I haven't been able to download this hike or any other for that matter. Is this normal? The area doesn't have very good network coverage...
Kind regards

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corvettec3
corvettec3

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 07, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A beautiful hike through varied, more open countryside with magnificent views. The start offers beautiful views of the surrounding area before descending into the valley alongside stunning white water streams to the Razisse reservoir. Then climb Mont-Roc for a 360° panorama at the viewpoint and orientation table. The descent after Mont-Roc is less pleasant, with a long stretch on tarmac roads that are quiet but tedious. The end of the route and the climb to Roquegardie take you back to beautiful landscapes and views of the surrounding area. Blackberries and wild strawberries can be found along the route.

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coco2153
coco2153

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 01, 2016
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

An easy hike alternating between wooded and open terrain, on ground that is rarely muddy and therefore accessible in winter.
Departure from the car park at Saint-Paul-d'Arifat town hall rather than Roquegardie, as there are more parking spaces for a group hike.
Picnic possible above the Razisse reservoir on the embankment overlooking the lake at the Razisse Base. In case of bad weather, it is possible to request shelter for the picnic break at the "Base de Razisse" holiday centre, managed by the Tarn departmental council.

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madydou
madydou ★

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 08, 2016
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

I really enjoyed this route, part of which I already knew near Razisse.
I didn't like the long tarmac section from Mont-Roc to the fish farm as much.
I enjoyed the beautiful scenery and the Gourp Nègre
Thank you, Jean-Jacques.

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