On the GR7

This is technical. It's a short section of trail - about 2km - but it packs more fun into that short distance than I've had on any other ride. It starts off rocky and then just goes for it. Big rocks, small rocks, big rocks, tree roots, boulders, switchbacks, you name it, it's here.

This trail isn't for the speed freaks - there are only a couple of places where you can really open up - but for those who love a low speed technical challenge, they don't come any better than this.

There is a map available for this route. Get it here (315k).

The Route

The route I always take is a bit weird, since it's mostly road. It starts at the village of le Poujol sur Orb (check out the map above) and climbs through Combes to the Hôpital de St Vital (this section takes half an hour), following signs for Rosis and then on to Douch.

However, you'll notice from the map that the GR7 runs from just below Combes, past the rocky outcrop of le Caroux, to Douch. This might be a viable alternative but I can't guarantee it, since the GR paths (intended for walkers) can get pretty tricky uphill. The trail we're aiming for is also part of the GR7 and you certainly wouldn't want to ride up it.

This is the easy bit

At Douch, follow the usual red and white GR markers (see here) to the left. They take you up over a grassy plateau and bear left. You should find a rocky path starting at the edge of a patch of ferns, with the GR marking on one of the rocks.

Drop your seat, stick the bike in a low gear, and set off with your backside on the rear wheel. The first bit is great: some tricky sections, but the rock is all firmly seated and has stacks of traction in the dry, giving you a bit of a confidence boost as you descend.

From here the path runs through the trees, the rocks becming a bit more loose. Further on, the occasional drop over a tree root appears.

And then the switchbacks start. Some are so tight you'll only get round by hopping.

There's one fairly open section which you can blast, and then it's back into big boulders and switchbacks. As you get closer to the stream at the bottom, there are two particularly tricky sections.

Once you reach the stone refuges you're at Héric, that's it. You can hack down the concrete path to the road at Mons and la Trivalle for the spin back to le Poujol. Or you can have a go further along the GR7. It's fun at first but starts to head uphill after a bit, which isn't too welcome on such rocky terrain.