Col d'Elze

Fauna and flora

History and culture

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The ascent is a little challenging, but once at the pass you will be rewarded by magnificent views over the Hérault valley and the Pic de Barette, which has some handsome holm oaks.

2 points of interest

History
1703
In Valleraugue, exporting chestnuts in times of famine or trouble was forbidden by law. In 1703, however, during the Camisard War, an official decree ordered the inhabitants to transport their chestnuts and cereals to other villages. This was to deprive the insurgents, who were supported by the locals, of provisions. The goods were guarded, and the inhabitants only kept two weeks’ worth in reserve.
Flora
The Col de l''Elze
The Col de l'Elze pass is a large open space that still has several handsome holm oaks (elze in Occitan). They are rather squat, probably due to the wind. This was once an area where cereals – rye and wheat – were grown. It is now pastureland, with associated flora and insect life. Sheep have prevented shrubs from invading. There are magnificent views to the north onto Mont Aigoual and its foothills, and to the southeast onto the Taleyrac valley and the hills of Sumènes. If you get to the top of the hillock, 300 m to the east, very early in the morning or in the late afternoon, you may see mouflon on Le Montet, to the southwest.

Description

Signposts will guide you all along this route. In the description below, the signposted place names and/or directions are given in bold italics between quotation marks:

Start at the "Valleraugue-Office de Tourisme", head towards "Col d'Elze – Les Caralouzes" and then towards "Col d'Elze" (GR62c). At the Col d'Elze pass, go back down via the same route to "Les Caralouzes", where you take the other way down, towards "Valleraugue – Cagnel", and then return to "Valleraugue-Office du tourisme".

This walk is taken from the guidebook Massif de l’Aigoual, published by the communauté de communes Causses Aigoual Cévennes as part of the collection Espaces naturels gardois and the label Gard Pleine Nature.

Departure : Valleraugue tourist office
Arrival : Valleraugue tourist office
Towns crossed : Val-d'Aigoual

Forecast

Altimetric profile

Recommandations

Make sure your equipment is appropriate for the day’s weather conditions. Remember that the weather changes quickly in the mountains. Take enough water, wear sturdy shoes and put on a hat. Please close all gates and barriers behind you.

Information desks

Tourism & national parc'house

Col de la Serreyrède, 30570 Val d'Aigoual

https://www.sudcevennes.com office-du-tourisme-causse@wanadoo.fr 04 67 82 64 67

The Maison de l'Aigoual houses the tourism office Mont Aigoual Causses Cévennes and the Maison du Parc national. This visitor centre provides information on and raises awareness of the Cévennes National Park, its sites and events as well as the rules that must be observed in the National Park's central zone.

On site: changing exhibitions, video projections, Festival Nature events and shop Open year-round

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Tourism office Mont Aigoual Causses Cévennes, Valleraugue

7 quartier des Horts, 30570 Valleraugue

https://www.sudcevennes.com office.tourisme.valleraugue@wanadoo.fr 04 67 64 82 15

This office is part of the National Park's associated tourist-information network, whose mission is to provide information on, and raise awareness of, the sites and events as well as the rules that must be observed in the National Park's central zone. : Open year-round

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Transport

liO is the regional public transport service of the region Occitanie/ Pyrénées - Méditerranée. It facilitates everyone’s movements by prioritising public transport. For more information, call 08 10 33 42 73 or go to www.laregion.fr