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Start of the walk: Pamiers – Salle du Jeu du Mail (D119).
(S/E) Head right onto Avenue du Jeu du Mail and cross the Ariège towards Escosse. As you leave the iron bridge, turn left and follow the small road uphill. Do not turn immediately right towards Le Turrel but continue for another hundred metres to reach the signposted junction for Castelmascart.
(1) Turn right onto the path which climbs steeply to reach a crossroads of tracks by a large dead oak tree. Continue climbing (to the right) between two fences (ignore the ‘private property’ sign, which appears to refer to the fields) even though the markings are very faint.
(2) You’ll reach a small local road which you should follow to the right. Enjoy the panoramic views from the ridge over the Pyrenees and pass through the Puchauriol farm. As you come out of a small bend on the left, leave the tarmac and don’t miss the signposted junction on the right towards Bézac.
(3) Head down a track through the woods to another junction. Continue left, downhill, to the Gué de l’Estrique.
(4) Cross the stream using the concrete blocks and head back up to the D119, near Bézac.
Follow it to the left for a few hundred metres (take care, the road is very busy!) until you spot, on the left, a path leading towards the hamlet of La Plaine.
(5) Follow this path and cross another ford. When you reach the houses, head right along a grassy track that opens up between the fields. At the bottom of a very short descent, turn left and head uphill through the woodland.
The path, which is very well signposted, skirts the fenced-off meadows and becomes very pleasant until it joins a dirt track near Baulias. Turn left, heading uphill, until you reach a small signposted pass.
(6) Turn left, heading downhill, to join the D10A and follow it uphill to the left. After passing near Château Lafitte, you’ll reach the entrance to the hamlet of Porteteny. Fortunately, the panoramic views of the Pyrenees largely make up for the tedious road.
(7) Just before the hamlet, turn left towards Puchauriol for about 250 m until you reach another signposted junction – don’t miss it!
(8) Leave the road and continue to the right along a path running parallel to the road for 100 m, before turning right and climbing to the small peak nearby. After a short stretch along the ridge, the descent is very steep before you reach the tarmac road in the Rigail district of Pamiers.
(9) Continue straight on along this road (Chemin de Rigail) to the Pont Neuf.
(10) Just before the bridge, take the path on the far left which opens up behind a transformer. Marked in yellow, the path continues beautifully along the left bank of the Ariège until a short but steep climb. Then continue downhill and return to the hamlet of Castelmascart from the outward journey.
(1) Turn right and cross the iron bridge over the Ariège on the right, then return to the car park (S/E).
Visorando Member
Easy 
