Sentier des 1000 Marches - Saut et Lac de Vezoles

This trail is a marvel exploring the Saut de Vezoles and its lake with spectacular amenities.

Details

104500
Creation:
Last update:
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 16.67 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 6h 40 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Difficult

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 664 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 667 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 987 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 389 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Car park between the hamlets of Falgouze and Langlade.

(S) From the car park, head towards the hamlet of Langlade following the yellow and yellow/red markings. At the junction, continue straight toward the centre of the hamlet.

(1) At a fork, go left on a path lined with stones that rises among the chestnut trees. It leads down to the north-west and passes a water tank. Ignore the trails on the left and head around a house on the left. The trail descends and crosses the stream to get to the other side.
The the markings lead steeply uphill and must be carefully watched as the trail is not marked on the stones.

(2) When the path joins Sentier des Gardes, continue left on a beautiful flat portion for about 600 m. Approaching the stream, it goes up on the right on the first few man-made steps. The rise continues by alternating steps and paths crossing the river several times. Above, a cable helps cross a small, steep path which can be slippery with water runoff.
At the foot of a beautiful waterfall, the trail goes back to the left going around the Saut de Vezoles.

(3) Arrive on a paved road, continue opposite on a small road signposted in the direction of the Lake Vezoles tower. Just before the dam, head left to cross the small car park and follow an unmarked trail along the lake.
When it reaches the yellow and yellow-red markings, continue straight ahead and follow the curve of the lake to cross Fraisse-sur-Agout located at a picnic area.
Turn right still following the signs close to the shore, ignoring paths off to the left.

(4) Arrive on a paved road, continue on the right, cross the stream and continue to the Campblanc refuge. Immediately after the refuge, turn right and follow the signs along a beech hedge. When it rejoins the track, continue straight as far as a picnic area.

(5) Leave the track, cross a fence and continue along the lake to find a new picnic area. Head around it on the left along a beech hedge, pass a barrier and take the path right in front of a stone house.
Continue right on the path along the track at the start and towards the lake afterwards. It meets the track further on and leads to a large crossing.

(6) Make a round trip on the right to the dam and enjoy the views of the Saut de Vezoles. Take care at the edge of the cliffs.
Backtrack to the intersection, leave the marked path and continue on the track that goes uphill opposite. Pass by a menhir (standing stone), ignoring the path that leads to its immediate right and continue on the track. 300 m further on, take the right path with a sign that reads “Sauf Service" that joins with the start of an EDF conduit.

(7) Make a left turn through almost 360° to find a path that goes parallel below the one you just left. At the next fork, go right for 400 m to a new crossing.

(8) Continue left, pass by the next few visible paths on the right to find a new fork (not present on the map).
Continue straight for 300 m to yet another crossroads.

(9) Continue on the less leftward of the two paths and continue the descent to find a track just before a shelter.

(10) Take the track on the right that descends past a ruin used by the guerrillas. Ignore the paths leading off.
''The Map shows markings, but these are not present on the ground"
In a turn, pass by Chemin des Gardes on the right and continue down to the left on the track.

(11) 400 m further on, turn right onto the trail that goes downhill. 800 m away, at the next junction, turn left and find tank No. 447.

(12) Turn right behind the tank to find the GR77 that leads off on a trail. When crossing a road, continue opposite downhill joining the trail left left above.
Continue to the left on this track which will join the stream. Leave the road to the left and cross the bridge on the right which goes along the EDF conduit.

(13) Cross the conduit on the left and continue the path that climbs to the hamlet of Langlade. Pass a Rogation cross then a sloped paved road (in Provence a “calade”) that leads to the church.

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 468 m - Car park between the hamlets of Falgouze and Langlade
  2. 1 : km 0.12 - alt. 459 m - Left in the hamlet
  3. 2 : km 1.47 - alt. 646 m - Left on the guard path
  4. 3 : km 3.34 - alt. 979 m - Across the road
  5. 4 : km 6.4 - alt. 965 m - Right on the road
  6. 5 : km 7.19 - alt. 976 m - To the right, leave the runway
  7. 6 : km 8.89 - alt. 983 m - Return trip to the dam possible
  8. 7 : km 10.48 - alt. 949 m - EDF pipe room
  9. 8 : km 11.54 - alt. 868 m - Left at the crossroads
  10. 9 : km 12.05 - alt. 780 m - Left at the crossroads
  11. 10 : km 12.65 - alt. 716 m - Right on the runway
  12. 11 : km 14.05 - alt. 600 m - Right on the runway
  13. 12 : km 14.93 - alt. 529 m - On the right behind the tank
  14. 13 : km 16.04 - alt. 407 m - Crossing the EDF pipeline
  15. S/E : km 16.67 - alt. 468 m - Car park between the hamlets of Falgouze and Langlade

Notes

The Campblanc refuge is managed by the ONF and can accommodate up to 26 people.

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

4.6 / 5
Based on 115 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.6 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.5 / 5
Route interest
4.8 / 5
User 6091978

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 29, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A magnificent autumn hike!
Climb along the extraordinary stream: numerous viewpoints, pools, waterfalls, colours and panoramas that are worth stopping frequently to admire. Allow a whole day to enjoy it. Picnic by the lake, surrounded by enchanting forests.
Climb the 1,000 steps, which is physically demanding due to the steep incline.
Return via very pleasant forest trails among chestnut, oak, elm and fir trees... and mushrooms!
Best done in summer or spring, as it is very shady.

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Delion
Delion

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 13, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful route, challenging, but you have to take breaks to admire the landscape, the waterfalls, the trees growing on the rocks...
Once you reach the top, there's a view of the lake (we didn't go around it as it was almost empty and there was a strong north wind).
The return trip to Langlade is very easy, a bit monotonous, but that's what you need to recover from the climb. However, a GPS is essential, as there are many cut or fallen trees.
I will return next spring.

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brax81fr
brax81fr

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 01, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

We did this hike in early August when it was quite hot.
The first part (the climb) is pleasant near the stream but quite difficult.
The walk around the lake is easy (with opportunities to picnic)
The descent would be complicated without GPS, as there are many crossroads.
The descent is mostly in the shade of the forest and not particularly attractive.

in short, it's a good hike overall that I wouldn't hesitate to do again.

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Philippe3478
Philippe3478

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 01, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Still as beautiful and still as tough
But what a thrill once you're up there!

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alain11800
alain11800

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 23, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

This was my fifth time hiking this trail, and I am still in awe of the landscapes along the route.

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stafan
stafan

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 18, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

I really enjoyed the first and last parts of the route.

The first part with its many waterfalls and the breathtaking view once you reach the plateau is exceptional.

The last part is for the calm of the forest and its sparkling ground (quartz/calcite?).

The plateau at the halfway point is nothing to write home about, but it does have the advantage of resting the legs. Prefer to walk around the lake on the banks (be careful, they are not stabilised) rather than on the path.

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Hérault Tourisme
Hérault Tourisme
• Edited:

Hello Manupanache,

Thank you for your comment,
The part of the route that caused you problems is not part of the official route. It is therefore logical that you didn't find any markings in this area.

Here's the link to the official itinerary, for more details:
The Legends Trail

Wishing you all the best for the future!

All the best,

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Manupanache
Manupanache

Overall rating : 3 / 5

Date of your route : May 02, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Everything goes well in the first part of the route up to point 8 . You'll find yourself in the immense forest on your way back down to Langlade at the starting point. The directions from point 8 "leave a faint path on the right and continue to the next crossroads" are too vague.... there are lots of crossroads in this area! There are no landmarks or signposts in this forest. So I went back down by compass heading south/south-west along forest tracks. Unfortunately I got too far down to Lignon and had to go back up the road to get back to the starting point. The last part was very disappointing. We need to change .....

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chan tal
chan tal

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 07, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The climb up to the lake is magnificent!

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Michoubidouille
Michoubidouille

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 22, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A magnificent walk, aptly named the "trail of legends". There are plenty of shady sections, making it possible to hike even in summer. Passages 6 to 13 don't seem to be very busy and you have to be careful not to take the wrong path, but it's very pleasant and makes for a great loop. A must-do!

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Brett
Brett

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 15, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

The trail of a thousand steps leading to Vezoles lake

Departure from the charming little village of Langlade, nestling in the rugged cliffs of the Haut Languedoc nature park. Here, natural stone is omnipresent as you wander through the narrow, picturesque lanes that hark back to days gone by.
The path leading to the Vezoles lake runs through a magnificent chestnut grove. In this rainy spring, the flora is dense, shimmering and fragrant. But this dreamy setting is also home to a demanding itinerary. There are 3 km, a 500 metre difference in altitude and a thousand steps of varying degrees of difficulty separating us from the lake at an altitude of 1000 metres.
The effort is intense and requires a minimum of training if you don't want to suffer too much. But for those who take the trouble, the view is enchanting. The trail is lined with waterfalls, the sound of which stimulates us. The last part is steeper, but your mind helps you to reach the ridge, which reveals a magnificent view over the valley.
The lake is waterlogged by recent rains and bordered by lush vegetation of majestic trees and bright yellow, fragrant broom. The tour is easy, and the descent on the east side takes you down a small forest path with a number of gently sloping switchbacks, some of which are unmarked.

The 16 km route, with a total ascent of 600 D+, is pleasant and very shady and is suitable for experienced hikers in the first part. Completed in 5h30

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C34
C34

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 03, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very nice walk. Not to be undertaken in wet weather.

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Gachounette 26
Gachounette 26

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 31, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Very nice parish specific to Brittany. Very good description.
Varied terrain, the return through the forest is admirable.
Classed as difficult, yes, because there are sections that require you to be flexible when walking.

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cocodidou
cocodidou

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 03, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

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louade
louade

Overall rating : 4.5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 22, 2024
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Superb hike with a beautiful view. 1000 steps felt 2000😁. It climbs a lot for 2 hours with breaks. Really worth doing.

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