An impressive and beautiful hike. Thanks to the unforgettable cliff paths, from where you can look at the Gorges du Tarn and the Gorges de la Jonte and be on intimate terms with the infinite sky and the fawn vultures.
In short...
Length : 10 Km (6.2 mi)
Difference in height : 460 m (1509 ft)
Time : 4 h 30
Maps : IGN 2641 OT (1/25 000) and a guide of local hikes sold on the spot.
Difficulties : a short rock-climbing (possible to avoid), some parts of the path are impressive.
Season : Summer, Autumn, Spring, but not in bad weather.
Equipment : light hike
Water : Le Rozier, Le Teil spring.
Signs : red and white (GR - Grande Randonnée), green, red.
Advice : the journey do a loop that should be done clockwise on good weather (as our description) and counter-clockwise on cold weather.
This hike is situated at the confluence of the rivers Tarn and Jonte, above the Le Rozier village. Le Rozier is 21 Km north-east Millau and 63 Km south-west Mende.
From Millau, take the N9 road to Clermont-Ferrand, then in Aguessac, branch off rightwards to the Gorges du Tarn (D907 road) until Le Rozier. From Mende, take the N88 road to Marvejols, then in Balsièges, take the D986 road which cross the Causse de Sauveterre plateau and meet the Gorges du Tarn at Sainte-Enimie. Then just continue, following the Tarn river until its confluence with the Jonte river at Le Rozier.
(numbers refers to the map)
(1) Park in Le Rozier and go to the Tourism Office. Few meters further, take the path on the left. There are stairs between houses, and a notice indicate "corniche du Méjean, PR, Chamina". That means cornice of the Méjean plateau: it's where we go, PR means Petite Randonnée (Little Hike), and Chamina is an association who paints signs on paths. The signs are yellow (PR) and /or green (Chamina). Quickly, we go up and dominate the Le Rozier village then the path meet a zigzag road. The PR path go straight between two twists and meet again the road higher. We pass near a reservoir where the PR (yellow signs) meets the GR 6A (red and white signs). Then the road transforms into a stony lane until the first house of the ruined little village of Capluc. You can read also a notice on the side of the lane about rock-climbing on this area .
(2) The lane transforms into a narrow path meandering between the ruined houses of the Capluc hamlet, nested at the very foot of the enormous rock of the same name. Inside the hamlet, a fork lead leftwards to the top of this roc by means of iron ladder (yellow signs). Our route is at right. Just before leaving the hamlet, notice into the last house on your left an old baker oven. Outside the hamlet, vegetation is made of bush and trees, none being bigger than a man : pistachio tree, maple of Montpellier, box tree.
(3) No far away, a path start left with a flight of stairs in a stone wall. There are signs on this path : red points. It is the J. Brunet path, that go up vigourosly amidst Black Pines before climbing ont the crest separating the two canyons of Tarn and Jonte. If a bit of climbing (easy) don't frighten you, this path is for you (avoid it anyway if the ground is wet or the wind strong as well as in the other way). Otherwise, continue following the GR, the two path meet higher.
(4) By the GR, you arrive higher at a fork. Go left (you'll come back by the right path some hours later). Few time later the GR meet the J. Brunet path at the foot of the Francbouteille rock. Go right and pass on the side of river Tarn. The Tarn side is far more humid than the Jonte one : the path is wet and the grass damp. We walk under the shade of a beautyful forest of Black Pines, on an easy path incredibly situated on the side of the scree under the clives on our right. The scree is extremely steep: it seems to be a miracle that trees are able to grow here !
(5) Further, on left, a notice indicates 'Fontaine du Teil' (Teil's spring), 50 m below. A little resurgence oozes off the cliff and flows in a little wooden trough.
After the spring, the GR 6A goes up to the Col de Cassagnes (Cassagnes pass. Cassagnes means chestnuts), where there is a fork (6). The path on the left is known as Martel's path and lead to the ladders of Cinglegros. Go rightwars, follow the GR: you'll arrive on the plateau Causse Méjean. We are now in the big forest that covers this part of the plateau. The path gets larger and meets a forest lane. follows it on the right to the river Jonte's gorges. This lane goes gently down trough the forest to the Jonte's cornices.
(7) The forest lane changes into a narrow path following the edge of the cliff. We start to walk along the Jonte's cornices. We first meet a very nice point de vue rightly named 'Balcon du Vertige' (vertigo balcony). The height of the cliff, the beauty of the landscape laying before us, the fly of the numerous fawn vultures, the impressive (but not really dangerous) path make our passage here a great moment of this hike.
Then the path goes to west, on high cornices amidst the big clives of the Causse Méjean. Nature sculted here the rocks, giving them strange shapes, whose the most famous are the Vase de Chine (Chinese silt)(8) and the Vase de Sèvres (Sèvres silt)(9).
At last, we are back to the fork at the foot of the Francbouteille rock, indicated (4). Turn left to go back to Le Rozier. Notice that when you arrive at the reservoir, where the lane gets tarred, you can take another path than the one of the way there: take the track just in the corner (it's the GR 6A) which goes down directly to the village.
(clic on the thumbnails to enlarge them : a new screen will be displayed by your browser. Just close it to come back here)
Capluc hamlet, dominated by its rock (2)
Passing below the clives (Jacques Brunet path)
The Franc-Bouteille rock (4)
Upper cliff above the path and forest, Tarn side.
Teil's spring (5)
The forest on the Causse Méjean plateau beyon the Col de Cassagnes (Cassagnes Pass)(900 m / 2950 ft) (6)
La Jonte gorges seen from the Causse Méjean plateau (7)
The clives seen from the Balcon du Vertige (vertigo balcony)(7)
Several rock along the Jonte's cornices path (7)
The Arch, The Chinese Silt (8) and The Sèvre Silt (9)
Le Rozier is a climbing site with high clives. Rock-climbers must take care. The major of the village gave the following advice:
Rock-climbing is a dangerous activity which exceps the climber to learn seriously the experience of. Rock-climbing here is involved (engagée) . You're not in a learning site. Every climber must verify himself the solidity of the crampingand the rock quality. He must be able to evaluate its own capacities to get over any difficulty. Every climber must evaluate the risks he takes when he starts a way, and therefore put on the appropriate safety measures to withstand them. The ways whose name is wrotten in red at the foot of the clives are aventurous ones. There is no equipment but the one the climber put on himself while he's climbing. These ways can be praticed only by very expemimented persons.
Use authorized car parks, respect this natural site, follow existing paths, bring back your rubbish. In case of accident call the 18.
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Created: 11 January 2000
Last modified: 11 July 2002
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