Olargues, Saint-Martin des œufs

Olargues, Saint-Martin des œufs, (Les Codouls, Les Sagnes), Le Cros, Rouillouse Ravine. 7.4km. 2 hours. Mostly marked with blue or blue/white markers. This is a lovely walk with beautiful views of the Jaur valley, the Espinouse mountains and the Avant Monts. Olargues. Park next to the Pont du Diable on the D908 in Olagues. There is a lovely bakers and villages stores for picnic items or 2 bars and a restaurant in the village. From the Pont du Diable head out of Olargues and after about 50m you will see a small concrete track on your right. Take this track up the hill. The track bends to the right at a junction just before it reaches the road. Continue on up the hill will wonderful views across to St Vincent d'Olargues and the Espinouse. The view is lovely and open across the valley here. Mas du Gue is below you to your left as you turn right up the hill and into the woods. Soon you will cross a tiny col and have wonderful views of the Jaur valley looking east towards Mons La Trivalle and the Caroux. A little further and you will come to a lovely peaceful little spot, the little chapel of Saint-Martin des œufs. It's perfect for a picnic with its picnic bench and shade in the summer. Now continue to your right along the track to the road, (or take the tiny grassy path up to the Les Codouls down to Les Sagnes and through the little cherry orchard route) turn right down to Le Cros. Turn right into the hamlet and keep on the concrete track down to the next right turn. The track turns right again once in the trees and follows the Rouillouse Ravine with it's pretty stream beside you past olives and old stone walls. Soon you will return to the D908. Here I'm afraid you have to turn right and return about 500m along the road to reach the old bridge. Do spend some time in the village if you don't know it. It's one of the most beautiful villages of France, with its tower and castle at the top of the hill, lovely old streets, museum in the old town staircase, the beautiful bridges and the lovely River jaur.

Mons circuit.

Lovely walk in the valley from Mons today with Madeleine and Brian. We walked along the voie verte up through the chestnut woods to St Martin de l'Arcon. Here we visited the pretty old village and then walked along the balcony through the little hamlet of La Coste and down to the Pont des soupirs in the Gorge d'heric before returning to Mons for a cuppa. Well done to you both. I do hope that I didn't wear you out too much it was quite an adventure. Thank you for coming all that way to share the walk today.

Mons and the Gorge d'heric

A beautiful walk from Mons, sharing it with a few members of the Walks in the Languedoc group. What a lovely day it was. We left from Mons walking up the old ravine path to the col, from there we went on to my favourite lunch spot. Then it was down to Heric for drinks and on all the way down the gorge path back to Mons for tea and cake at my house.