Caroux

A beautiful walk on the Caroux. Takes about 5.30h to 6h(with a couple of picnic/coffee stops) and is fairly difficult.(D grade), 14km. From Mons it's a little further but the little village is a pretty place to park and parking is free. If you park in the gorge car park you only pay from April to September. Take the path from the car park to the first little bridge. There is a sign here for the Sentier des Gardes path, which takes one hour to climb to the col de Bartouyre following the yellow markers. Keep going along the path, past the col and one zig zag up until you find 3 signs ( be very careful here not to follow the red and yellow signs). Here follow the red dots to the Refuge de font Salesse. this takes another hour up but with a picnic on the way and all the wonderful views it's worth the effort. Now follow yellow markers once again (also red/white GR7) until you can see the village of Douche. Turn left here and walk towards the gorge until you come to a stone with a small orange triangle on it (don't worry you're not going climbing, that's the other way!) No go down this little track to re-join the GR7 at the col de l'Airole. Turn left onto this path and head down through the chestnut woods to Heric. You can have a drink, ice cream,snack or even a beer here at the pretty little café. Now turn left onto the Heric gorge road/path back down to the car park.