Mons, col de Bardou, Bardou, Les Pradals a beautiful walk under the Caroux. Languedoc.

Mons, col de Bardou, Bardou, Les Pradals. 10km. 3H. Moderate. A beautiful local walk today. Starting in Mons. (There is a car park beside the church/ full today, it's a good job we live there!). 

Take the yellow/red trail up through the old village and pass between two houses at the top of the village into the woods (this part is quite steep, you can follow another route using old blue triangles that is a better start to the walk, this is goes up the road of the cross at the edge of the village and joins the red/yellow path after the steep part).

Follow the yellow/red path as it zigzags up the ravine. Ignore all other coloured routes. This path is lovely and has fine views both down to the Jaur valley and later into the ravine. It goes through beautiful holme oak and then chestnut woods. The path is most old stone and often edged with bloom and heather when on more open stretches. 

As the path nears the col (5km) you can look down on the little hamlet of Bardou and up to the Espinouse. Finally at the col you will see signs for the GR7 red/white, your route will turn left onto this but if you want a most wonderful view of the Gorge de Heric where it is possible to find a very fine picnic spot, take the blue path, opposite at the col for about 100m to Baou Filiti, the look out.

Here you can see all the way down the gorge and the beautiful Roc de Caroux. Retracing your steps to the col turn right towards Bardou but don't go all the way down to the village on the GR7 when you see it leave the route. Keep on this higher track until the track bares right. Keep straight on on this blue marked route. There are not many markers but keep going straight and ignore any other paths. The blue route finally descends onto a small zigzagging path down to the little road below. 

When it almost reaches the road you will see a vegetable garden below but stay on the little path above this for a little way until it drops down to the road a short distance further. The little road is not much more than a track as it descends into Les Pradals. It twists into the little hamlet with beautiful views of the Jaur valley again. 

Passing the pretty village you then join another road, take a left here towards Mons. There are vineyards and olive orchards here and lovely views across the valley. At the next junction take a right turn to go back to the parking or a left and a right to walk through Mons.