Occitan place names in the Clapiers woods

Head to Clapiers, then from the media centre, take the Chemin du Martinet, which leads to the start of the route at a car park.

(S/E) Head south along the tarmac section of the Chemin du Martinet, ignore the first junction, then turn right onto a slight incline, before descending along the road through a series of bends – first to the right, then to the left. You’ll reach the hamlet of “Lous Aubrasses”, on the left, with the hamlet of “Lauriol” opposite.

(1) Continue along the unpaved track before heading uphill to the right along a wide track. Continue to the Bosses site.

(2) Stay on the main track. You’ll come across a path marked in orange – do not take this one. After a gentle descent, head uphill to the right. On the left, a sign points to a remarkable tree, the Montpellier maple.

(3) Carry on straight ahead for 100 m and, at the junction, turn right again onto the ascending track which leads to the water tower.
“Take in the scenery: to the right, on the southern side, you’ll see views of the sea, Palavas, Montpellier and the Gardiole massif. To the north, head towards the ‘viewpoint’ sign, with its orientation table.”

(4) “You’ll be able to admire the view of Pic Saint Loup and the Hortus, between two magnificent pine trees. Further on, discover the Séranne, Mont Baudille, and on a clear day, in the distance, the Aigoual.”

Head down the stony path leading to La Pisseirasse. At the track, walk 50 metres to the right and, as the track curves, take a small path on the left.

(5) At the junction with a clear clearing, carry on straight ahead then keep to the left. The path climbs up to the track on the ridge.
From here, you may want to use your phone’s map app, as there are plenty of paths branching off to the right and left. It’s easy to get lost.

(6) Take the second track on the right and head for the Jeanjean memorial, dedicated to a firefighter who lost his life whilst fighting a fire in this mountain range.

(7) At the crossroads, head down the track on the right, heading south, pass a water tank and, 100 metres further on, turn left onto the little Chemin de la Camille, which leads to a vineyard at Plan des Masques.

(8) Walk along the right-hand side of the vineyard until you reach a wide track. Follow this for 300 metres before reaching a tarmac section at Bois du Prieur.

(9) Take the tarmac road on the right and pass a small picnic area with tables, ‘Le jardin d’Agathe’. Continue between two olive groves and carry on along this tarmac track, the Chemin du Martinet. After the allotments on your left, you’ll reach Plan Goutier. At the next junction, turn right and head for the car park (S/E).

(3) It is possible to head down to the right and rejoin the starting point after 200 m.

(4) At La Pissierrasse, you may find it a little tricky to locate the path due to the numerous trailheads. A GPS (Visorando app) is recommended for this walk.

Place names along the route:

Martinet: This does not refer to the bird, but to the large water-powered hammer in a mill situated further along at the end of this old road

(1) Lous Aubrasses: ‘Los arbrasses’ in standardised Occitan – the suffix ‘-asses’ denotes the absolute superlative (very large trees)
Lauriol: ‘Auriol’, from the Latin ‘aureolus’ (golden), meaning the colour yellow. ‘Loriot’ in French.

(2) Les Bosses: In standardised Occitan: bósques (the woods), the dialectal pronunciation used in the Montpellier region.

(4) Pisseriasse: ‘Paissièira’ in standardised Occitan, meaning ‘embankment, causeway’ of a mill
Cabanis: A very common surname in the Gard, derived from ‘capana’, meaning ‘one who lived in a hut’.

(8) Plan des Masques: ‘Plan’ from the Latin ‘planum’; ‘plan’ is the Occitan term. In French, it means a plain, a plateau or a square.
Masques: ‘Mascas’ in standardised Occitan, meaning ‘wizards, witches’; ‘The plain of the wizards/witches’

(9) Bois du Prieur: A term transcribed entirely into French. ‘Le prieur’, ‘lo prior’ in Occitan. It means ‘the first’, ‘the one with priority’; here, it refers to the head of the parish.

Plan Goutier: A plausible explanation: a drainage channel in Occitan. In Occitan, ‘gotièr’. Or a surname derived from ‘Gauthier’, meaning ‘Gauthier’s Plain’.