Below the Col Jau, towards the old ski lift

From Prades, head towards Molitg-les-Bains ( D14). Pass the spa resort and then the village of Mosset towards the Col de Jau. About 2 km before the pass, a green sign announces "Ancienne station de ski" (old ski resort). Park on the right-hand side of the road, facing the start of the trail.

(S/E) Take the trail heading south-southeast. There was a lot of snow to start with on snowshoes that day. You will arrive at a large esplanade (the former car park of the ski resort).

(1) Turn right (information sign), pass to the left of the old ski lift departure point and continue westwards.

(2) Leave the trail on your left and continue west.

(3) Ignore the track that climbs to the right and continue climbing south-west to reach the track coming from Col de Jau (altitude 1538).

(4) Turn left at the sign for "Refuge de Callau et Madrès". Cross the Ruisseau de la Castellane stream and ignore the track that branches off to the left a little further on. Walk alongside the Refuge de Callau. Further on, turn right through the woods to cut across the next bend in the track.

(5) Return to the track, turn right and continue climbing the track.

(6) Leave the track and take the marked path, which cuts across a long bend in the track and rejoins it a little further up.

(7) Turn left onto the trail and continue climbing through a beautiful pine hedge.

(8) Turn left onto the path, which is not visible under the snow, but follow it using the Visorando GPS track. The descent through the woods is sometimes tricky due to branches that have fallen under the weight of the snow, but it is not too difficult. Return to the track at the intersection you passed on the way up.

(5) Turn right and continue along the track.

(9) Here, a bend in the trail continues north, passing to the left of the Callau Refuge and rejoining the intersection encountered earlier.

(4) At this point, do not take the same path you took on the way up, but continue on the track that climbs up to the left to a cliff.

(10) A wide path leads down to the right to join the old ski slope parallel to the climb at the start of the hike. You will arrive at a building (remains of the ski resort) and the ski lift departure point. Turn left after the largest building, go through a metal barrier to rejoin the track you took on the way up. Turn left to retrace your steps back to the car park (S/E).

This already exceptional snow cover doubled the following week, providing a fantastic playground due to its rarity in this mountain area, where the starting altitude of 1,506 m for the Col de Jau is not very high. It really is the perfect time to enjoy it, so we returned the following week. Please note: winter tyres are mandatory on the D 14, which is marked as closed on Waze but very well cleared of snow.