Saturday, 1 August 2015

La Borie Basse, Colombieres-sur Orb.

La Borie Basse. 6km, 2H no markers. Easy. This is a lovely varied walk with wonderful views of the Caroux and Orb valley. It uses tracks through forest, vineyards and olive groves, old drailles and finally the Greenway. Start by parking at the parking/picnic area for the Chapel of St Colombe on the D908. This is how we did the walk, but it's a reverse of the one in French below.

Start by taking the track sign posted Sevirac to the left of the chapel and continue up past a stone shelter and two small cabins. The views across to the Caroux and the Gorge de Colombieres are wonderful here. Now turn right and walk across a lovely olive grove. The track keeps going up now through chestnut woods.

Keep to the main track as it crosses a small draille leading up into the mountains. Soon you will cross a small stream and the track now contours around the hill (it was here that we met a family walking with donkeys on their holiday), keep right here at Le Pio (the left track goes up to le Vernet). Now the track descends through lovely pine woods, scented but last nights storm and fresh in the morning's breeze.

The last part of the walk now continues to descend, but by way of an old draille with high sides. These were used many years ago to prevent cattle and sheep entering the crops as they were taken up to the higher pastures, no longer used for this purpose they still look very beautiful. You will soon arrive at the little hamlet of La Borie Basse, where you head through the middle of the houses observing the crosses atop the first building.

Now continue on the track past the vineyard and one more house and you will see a bridge below marking the start of the greenway/piste vert section.

Leave the track at a right turn before the bridge and continue on this until it meets the greenway where the main road is crossed.

Now continue on the Greenway for sometime and take the GRP path (yellow/red markers) to your right up the car parking area at the Chapel St Colombe. Enjoy the walk, we thought it was lovely.

No comments:

Post a Comment