Gourdouze valley, variant Trail #21v

Description

The hamlet of Gourdouze, the Pont du Tarn bridge, the outdoor activity centre of Mas de la Barque: you go from one slice of heaven to the next! And the circuit is so varied that you won’t notice the kilometres you’re running, along pastures, in woods, through blockfields and grassy plains ! The first part is downhill on a pleasant path, between undergrowth and wild pastures. After arriving at the magnificent hamlet of Gourdouze, you follow a very runnable track for 5 km, in the middle of the Cévennes. You then climb on a pretty path between rocky blockfields and grassy plains to the glorious Tarn bridge. You return to the departure point on a more runnable track. Follow the waymarks for trail #21v. Signposts will guide you all along this route, as well as yellow painted waymarks. In the description below, the signposted place names and/or directions are given in bold italics between quotation marks: Starting at "Mas de La Barque", take "Gourdouze" via : - "Les écuries de Mas de La Barque", - "Rochers de la barque" (2x), - "Les faux des Armes", - "La Chassalde". - At "Gourdouze” head for "L'Aubaret" via: - "La Boulade", - "Pont de l'Aubaret". - At "L'Aubaret", take - "Gap Francès" and "Pont du Tarn". - At "Pont du Tarn" return to "Mas de La Barque" via : - "La Nasse du Pont des eaux", - "Bois du Commandeur", - "Bouos de l'Oultre", - "La Planette", - "Sénégrière", - "Gardièze", - "Martelet" and "Mas de La Barque". This trail is taken from the guidebook Mont Lozère - Pays des sources, published by the Pôle de pleine nature du mont Lozère.

Difficulty

Official rating: moderate, by Parc national des Cévennes.

Before you go

• Caution: patous (livestock guard dogs) between Goudouze and L’Aubaret ! Seek advice on how to behave near these dogs from tourist offices and National Park information centres. Before committing yourself to a circuit, ensure that it is suitable for your activity level and ability. Remember that the weather changes quickly in the mountains. Please close all gates and barriers behind you. Stay on the marked path.

Getting there

Start: Mas de la Barque, Pont de Montvert - Sud Mont Lozère (48).

Sources

• Track: Parc national des Cévennes, Licence Ouverte 1.0, Licence Ouverte 1.0 (Etalab) (destination.cevennes-parcnational.fr/trek/74852-Vallee-de-Gourdouze-(Variante-courte)---Trail-n21v). Time estimated by GPX Path with the Mac app rule, breaks not included.
• Official elevation gain: 415 m, Parc national des Cévennes