Hours of walk: 5,30
Altitude gain: 700 m
Altitude loss: 750 m

Itinerary

From Cazavet a stretch of the D 33a is to be walked through the countryside around the village. At the first junction, an asphalted road goes up on the left through the wood. The hamlet of Salège, surrounded by cultivations, is reached by road; here you go straight ahead at the first two junctions and take the asphalted road going up to the wood towards north-west. Through the Pas du Loup you descend to a forage cultivated area, passing near the hamlet of Francazal (m 439). Many lovely houses and traditional barns can be seen. At the junction near the last houses of the village, the walk goes left, still on an asphalted road, until Saleich Vieille. By keeping the left, the route gets to the Chapelle de Notre Dame de Vallates; this isolated chapel is well-located on a grass hillock. The hillock where the chapel stands is to be walked around to proceed on the road towards the west, until Urau. After crossing the village, you go on south-west to reach the hamlet of Urale (412 m). You carry on keeping south until the first bridge on the stream where you turn right on the path up to the wood until the houses of Artigues. You then follow the track taking to the Col d’Arbas (m 689), among meadows and woods. After the carriage road, the walk proceeds along a forest trail going down through hairpin bends until it meets an asphalted road leading to Arbas.

Food and accommodation

In Arbas:

Gîte du Montagnat
In town, Chemin de Berteille, accommodates 6 people, kitchen at guests’ disposal, tel. 33 (0)6 07 58 59 65, 33 (0)5 61 90 08 02, www.gitedumontagnat.fr.

Other options for accommodation can be found in town. Association Pays de l’Ours – adet, Maison des Associations, Arbas, tel. 33 (0)5 61 97 48 44, www.arbas.fr.

The website of the Ariège: www.ariege.com.