Crossing the Somail and Haut-Agout National Forests

No signposting

(S) At Le Soulié, leave the village via the D150 heading south.

(1) At the fork, leave the road to Le Soulié Bas on your right and take the D55E1 opposite. At the crossroads, continue straight ahead along the road.

(2) Cross a bridge over the Arn and climb up to the edge of the Somail National Forest.

(3) At the crossroads with Chemin des Menhirs, continue straight ahead up into the forest, pass Col de Cousines and, on the descent, you will come out onto the D55. Take it to the left and you will reach Col des Thérondels.

White and red markings

(4) Turn right onto the Route Forestière de L'Espinouse. Continue to the Maison forestière des Thérondels.

(5) Continue along the forest road.

(6) At the crossroads, descend to the left towards the south-west. At the fork, leave the Route Forestière de L'Espinouse and descend to the left along a track.

(7) At the crossroads, continue down the track, first south-west, then south-east.

(8) At the fork, leave the track and descend to the right along a path. This leads to a road; take it to the right. Cross a first gully, then the Ruisseau de Nartaud stream. At the Mathas crossroads (ruins), continue to the right along the road.

(9) At the fork (departmental boundary between Hérault and Tarn), continue along the path heading north-west and you will come out onto the D64. Take the road opposite towards La Gante.

(10) At the GR® 7 signpost "Labastide-Rouairoux 5.5 km", turn left onto the grassy path. Walk along the D64, pass the graves and come out onto a forest track (Sentier du Chevreuil) near the Dolmen de la Gante picnic area.

(11) Take this track to the right. Cross the Ruisseau de Frescaty, turn west, then north-west and reach a valley.

(12) Descend to the left heading south overlooking the valley.

(13) At the fork, turn left onto the track, then cross the Frescaty stream. Turn right towards the south-east and you will come out onto the D64 again.

(14) Opposite, take a track leading to a relay antenna for about 50 metres, then immediately descend to the left along a grassy path. At the crossroads, descend opposite along a path, then come out onto a track.

(15) Follow it to the left for 20 metres, then turn right. Descend to the right along a path. The path widens and, after a left-hand bend, reaches a fork. Turn right, then come out onto a road in Labastide-Rouairoux.

(16) Go down it to the left. At the fork, go down to the right along Rue de la Tenda, then left along Rue de la Commune de Paris (D64). You will come out onto Boulevard Carnot. Take it to the right and you will reach the bridge over the Thoré (E).

Hike completed by the author on 07/09/2020.

This route follows the GR® 7 from Col des Thérondels (4) to Labastide-Rouairoux (E). Its description can be found in the TopoGuides published by the French Hiking Federation:
- "La Traversée du Massif central par les Parcs: de La Bastide-Puylaurent à Castelnaudary" (Crossing the Massif Central through the Parks: from La Bastide-Puylaurent to Castelnaudary), reference 7002,
- "Traversée du Haut-Languedoc" (Crossing the Haut-Languedoc), reference 716.

Starting from Soulié (S), you can avoid the road by taking the^PR®® "Les Planques" to Chemin des Menhirs (3).

There are no water sources along the route.

Le Soulié (S): hotel, bar, restaurant. The grocery store was closed when I visited.

Dolmen de la Gante (11): picnic area.

Labastide-Rouairoux (E): cafés, restaurants, guesthouses, all shops.

Somail National Forest from (S) to (9): beech forest.

Chemin des Menhirs (3): a sign invites you to turn left to see numerous menhirs in the direction of Ginestous.

Dolmens:
- Col des Thérondels (4),
- La Gante (11).

Haut-Agout National Forest from (9) to (E).

Sentier du Chevreuil between (11) and (12): the author did indeed startle a deer, which took a moment before darting off into the forest. Was it placed there at the request of the tourist office to attract tourists?