Guards' trail via Saint-Martin-de-l'Arçon

de fr

A very pleasant circular loop with no difficulty except for the slightly steep climb from the Sentier des Gardes to the Col de Bartouyre, but the trail is indeed splendid and consists, for the most part, of easy-to-walk flagstone steps.
Hikers are treated to superb views at the Col de Bartouyre.

Details

n°2045509
Creation:
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Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 5.71 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 20 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 583 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 586 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 700 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 189 m
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Photos

Descending towards Saint-Martin-de-l'Arçon
At the Bridge of Sighs
Descent to Saint-Martin-de-l'Arçon
Bartouyre Pass

Description of the walk

Access via the Gorges d'Héric car park (Hameau du Verdier Haut) in the commune of Mons-la-Trivalle, a village located between Colombières and Olargues (D908). Simply follow the signs for Gorges d'Héric or Verdier Haut.

(S/E) Head towards the gorges for a few dozen metres until you reach a footbridge (called the Passerelle des Soupirs) that crosses the Ruisseau d'Héric stream.

(1) Take the magnificent paved slanting street or paved steps on the left towards the Col de Bartouyre.

(2) At the pass, continue along the path until you reach a junction.

(3) Leave the Gardes trail on your left, which leads to the Font-Salesse Refuge, and take the trail on your right that descends to the village of Saint-Martin-de-l'Arçon.

(4) At Mas le Plus Haut, continue through the beautiful village of Saint-Martin-de-l'Arçon towards the hamlet of La Coste. Join a road.

(5) Take it on the right towards the hamlet of La Coste. Cross the village and continue straight on to reach the Passerelle des Soupirs footbridge, turn left and return to the car park where you started (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 192 m - Gorges d'Héric car park in Verdier Haut
  2. 1 : km 0.33 - alt. 196 m - Departure from the Sentier des Gardes
  3. 2 : km 1.81 - alt. 671 m - Col de Bartouyre (677m)
  4. 3 : km 2.17 - alt. 696 m - Trail intersection
  5. 4 : km 3.46 - alt. 322 m - Le Mas le Plus Haut towards Saint-Martin-de-l'Arçon
  6. 5 : km 3.94 - alt. 238 m - Route from Saint-Martin-de-l'Arçon to La Coste
  7. S/E : km 5.7 - alt. 189 m - Gorges d'Héric car park in Verdier Haut

Notes

⚠️ You are entering a natural site where there is a risk of rockfalls.
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There are no water sources or shelters along this hike. Good walking shoes are recommended.

Note: the default time of 3 hours indicated for this route does not correspond to the time we actually took; in fact, we completed this circular in exactly 4 hours and 15 minutes, even though we consider ourselves to be average hikers.

Reviews and comments

4.5 / 5
Based on 13 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.4 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.4 / 5
Route interest
4.5 / 5
User 24970586

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 28, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A superb hike, but as I'm just starting out as a hiker, I must admit that this one is not very well signposted. In some places, the signage is different.
Be sure to follow the GPS signal on Visorando.
A quick note: start the hike in the opposite direction, as the start is tough on the cardio.
On the other hand, there is a great viewpoint halfway through and a beautiful walk through the village!
You can easily take your dog on this hike.

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francoise caussat
francoise caussat

I didn't do it, it's no longer for me... I had to struggle through it 30 years ago. I'm a bit more sensible now, although...

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Fernandez Benjamin
Fernandez Benjamin

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 28, 2024
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very beautiful hike. Les Balcons du Caroux or sentier des gardes (7.5 km). It took us 4½ hours.
Rated as sometimes difficult, sometimes moderate. We opted to start from Saint Martin de Larçon and walk in the opposite direction.
Thank you.

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Mescal
Mescal

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 19, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful circular, completed in 4 hours and 20 minutes rather than the 3 hours and 15 minutes indicated. It climbs and descends quite steeply. The only oddity on the way back to the village is that the yellow markings point to the left, while the Visorando route says to take the very pleasant paved slanting street to the right... But the two paths then meet up, so no worries.

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LucD
LucD

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 28, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant route to follow and travel along.
In summer, it must be very busy.
The atmosphere was surprising, despite the calm and silence, with very little birdsong.
The route is easy to follow with GPS and GPX, but the signposts on the ground are contradictory. The route invites you to follow the sign marked with a cross and turn left, while the markings say to turn right.

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Daniel_Tango_Victor
Daniel_Tango_Victor

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 30, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely hike: climb up to the Bartouyre Pass and then descend on the other side. Beautiful views on both sides.
The trail has been well laid out and maintained, running along this fairly steep slope shaded by beautiful Mediterranean vegetation. Dry stone walls, slabs, pebbles: superb.
Saint-Martin-de-l'Arçon is a very pretty little village.
Duration: 3½ hours, including a few short stops.
The Gorges d'Héric car park charges a daily fee (€3.50).
Water point at the car park toilets.

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JOLLYFILL
JOLLYFILL

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 28, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Between Saint-Martin and the footbridge: Very nice.
The climb up to the guards: A sign indicates a 1-hour climb, which is very optimistic; but the trail is magnificent; a lot of work has been done.
However, the descent from the pass to Saint-Martin is very difficult: it seems to involve crossing a torrent, and you are constantly walking on scree, which is really hard on your feet.
The village of Saint-Martin is very nice.
For average hikers, allow a good four hours for the route.

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faby34500
faby34500

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 26, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Great hike. A bit difficult if you have children. More suitable for experienced hikers. Great scenery, great route.

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Liack
Liack

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 29, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A fairly short circular loop that does not present any particular problems, although the climb is steep. Recommended if you do not have much time for a longer hike.

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berpier
berpier

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 20, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hello,

The preamble on page 1 states that this route is "without any difficulty". While I agree that the climb to the Bartouyre Pass is steep, it is not difficult, but the descent to Saint-Martin-de-l'Arçon is difficult. In fact, another website: file:///C:/Users/natsu/Downloads/8-Balcons-du-Caroux_st-martin.pdf describes it as difficult.
Thank you for the guide to this hike!
Best regards,
Berpier

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zen34
zen34

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 03, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

It's a steep climb, thankfully there are steps! A great circular to do in dry weather. The descent can be a bit slippery on the rocks in places. Beautiful arrival in the little village of La Coste.

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DannyLK
DannyLK

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 26, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A beautiful hike to do in sunny weather (risk of slipping in rainy conditions)!
The climb is a little steep at the start, but then offers a beautiful view at the Bartouyre pass.
The descent is gentle until you reach the charming village.
In short, a very pleasant route that is well worth trying!

The route is very well marked, so no worries for beginner hikers
N.B.: good footwear is recommended for this route!

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MarieJacques
MarieJacques

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 29, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Superb hike, magnificent scenery, very pretty and fun trail for children. We did it with our 7½-year-old daughter and 5-year-old son, who enjoyed walking, and with our 1½-year-old on our backs. Everything was perfect, right down to swimming when we arrived at the footbridge (end of September).

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jmeprivil
jmeprivil

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 14, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Departure from Mons to Sentiers des Gardes... Arrival at Col de Bertouyre and descent to St Martin de l'Arçon, Coste and car park.

A hike that is not particularly interesting, especially when climbing this endless path with stone steps...

Laborious arrival at the pass, where the view is superb but nothing more... descent on a stone path... arrival and crossing of the very pretty little village of St Martin... nice path to Coste and arrival at the car park...
I sincerely believe that there are other hikes in the area that are much better, otherwise the hiking guide is excellent and very well marked.

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