The first day’s walk from Lodève, while beautiful and varied, convinced us that we could not continue on the GR7. We had no cooking equipment and there was a great dearth of both restauration and accommodation through the High Languedoc. Instead we diverged to Bédarieux and took the low road between these mountains and the Black Mountain to the south.
We followed the road as far as Olargues, then had a great stroke of luck in finding the Piste Verte, an abandoned railway line, which took us the rest of the way, past Saint-Pons-de-Thomières to Labastide-Rouairoux, and beyond.
The département of Hérault intends to restore the remaining section of the old railway line, so that walkers will be able to go all the way from Bédarieux to Mazamet on it. The progress of this work may be checked on the Voie Verte website
Day 18: Lodève to Bédarieux
Day 19: Bédarieux to Olargues
Day 20: Olargues to Saint-Pons-de-Thomières
Day 21: Saint-Pons-de-Thomieres to Labastide-Rouairoux