Mons La Trivalle, Ornac and Fenoullede

Mons La Trivalle, Ornac and Fenoullede. This is an easy walk from Mons La Trivalle on a small track road up onto the Avant Monts. The small road crosses three cols with three small settlements. It's a beautiful walk with impressive views of the Espinouse, Caroux , Jaur and Orb valleys as well as all the little villages. Today we just went up and back on the little track road but you can make a lovely circuit of it by either taking the tiny path down from Costeplane or Courbou back to the river at Ornac. The best place to park for this walk is in Mons La Trivalle, cross the green bridge and turn right and then left at the bottom to reach Ornac. Take the road through Ornac and up the hill. If you want to go further you can walk this way to Olargues or Vieussan. The views are stunning.

Mons to Vieussan, a walk over the col de Courbou. Languedoc.

Mons to Vieussan via Coasteplane, Courbou and the col de Courbou. Around 8km-10km. 3.30H . A lovely little route, but a variation on the way that I normally take.

Leaving Mons by taking the bridge down to Ornac, once in the village I meet a lovely old gentleman who told me about a pretty route on a little old path, so I decided that I must try it. In the hamlet beside the first house to the left there is a small track down to the river. Take this and it passes some nice vineyards and gardens with fruit trees. 

Pass the small track on your left and keep along the edge of the vineyard. The track goes down a little more and then crosses a small stream. Once over the stream take the little path uphill that stays on the right of the stream. The path here is rocky and fairly steep but eases off a little soon, before becoming steeper once more but not rocky. 

The path, although in the little holme oak woods is very pretty with lots of orchids on its edges. Further up the views open up of the Caroux, Espinouse  and the villages of the Orb and Jaur valleys. There are lots of wonderful flowers nearer to the top. 

The lower part of the path is marked with a few cairns but after a while you will see some yellow markers too. Finally the path joins a larger track just past the houses of Coasteplane. 

Turn left onto the track and walk a little downhill towards Courbou. There were cowslips here and lovely views though the chestnuts. When you reach Courbou go past the houses, there is a little left turn that takes you back down another small path, but go straight on (there are still yellow markers). The small track goes alongside the pretty buildings and leads to a stream which you cross where the path bears left and becomes narrower.

Now the path climbs up a rocky path to the col de Courbou. Here you will find a junction, which you need to cross over and take the opposite track that leads downhill on the other side of the col (red/yellow markers). Stay on this wide track until you almost reach a road, follow the red/yellow markers to your left for a short while then go down the first little  path on your left. This is quite steep, keep going downhill and don't turn off it.

It winds down through the valley crossing a stream on a bend and comes out at the road not far from the bridge in Vieussan. I stay on the road now but it is possible to use the little path below the road. Cross the lovely bridge, enjoy the views of the river and if you are able to find either the Blue Lizard restaurant or the local shop open enjoy the resentments on offer.

Now this is the tricky bit. Getting back. I have walked up the road to Mons before but it's not the best of routes although the scenery is nice. There is a bus service sometimes but if you can get a lift you have hit the jackpot.

Mons to Ceps, returning via Vieussan

Mons to Ceps, returning via Vieussan. 20km -25km. 6 to 8 hours. A beautiful route form a spring walk. Starting in Mons(car park by the church or down in La Trivalle) go into La trivalle and cross the bridge. Here turn right after the bridge and head down a small road to Ornac, in the hamlet take the tiny concert road to Carnoulet,then on to Fenouillede. Here take the left track and on up to Costeplane. Don't take the tiny path back downhill through the woods, there is one that goes to the left of the hamlet (house) and on to Courbou (down hill to the right). Again here be careful to take the trail on to the col de Courbou(follow the cycle trail signs), not the small trail on the left. This trail is smaller and goes past the hamlet and on through the scrub to the col with lovely views to the north and now to the south. Here you cross the larger track and take the one with red/yellow signs downhill to the right.( not the forest trails going uphill or downhill). This trail leads down to the col du Bac where you cross the road and take the trail to the right (marked with cycle trail markers). This trail leads down through the vineyards and turns left just south of the village of Ceps. Go through the village, picking up the yellow marked trail under the bridge. This goes up hill to become a smaller path, with lovely views of the river Orb. When you get to Boissezon you can either go the same way back to Mons via the col du Bac, walk the road back to Mons via Tarassac or get a bus. Vieussan is very pretty and there is a good way to cut over the hill through the village and castle then down a blue path to the road. There is a nice restaurant called Le Lezard bleu.http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g2137471-d40…
If you walk in spring time there are many different varieties of orchids and lizards about, watch out for the big blue and yellow lizards.