Randonnée Alaret Méjanès Mérican
A refreshing loop overlooking and then skirting the Lac de Pont-de-Salars. Distance: 11km, 3h30. Easy difficulty.
Parking lot at Place de la Rivière (at the bottom of the village of Pont-de-Salars) near the road bridge over the Viaur.
(D/A) Go straight ahead on the footbridge over the Viaur. Go left over the road bridge. Follow the road to the right and climb the stairs to the right, then turn left to catch up with the Millau road. Follow the road for around 300 m, and find the steep draille (sheep track) on your right. Cross the road carefully. Reach the top of the track.
(1) Carefully cross the D56 and take the track opposite, which passes under the bypass and reaches Alaret (remarkable oak tree). Follow the small road opposite, then quickly take the shady path above it. Leave the GR®62 on your right and continue left, on the GRP® (yellow and red markings). Leave the Baraque d'Alaret on your right and come to the D993.
(2) Take this carefully to the left for about 300 m, pass the slip road heading towards Rodez and take a track to the right before the farm building. At the end of the road, turn left, pass a chicane and take the tree-lined sunken path alongside a field and then down to the edge of a beech wood. Cross the Ruisseau des Cadousses and, 100 m from the village of Méjanès, come to a fork in the road.
(3) Turn right at the hairpin and climb the straight track to the Route de Ségur. Follow it to the left and, after 100 m, turn right towards La Gabenie. Leave the farm on your right, continue along the road and take the next left up to Les Frênes.
(4) At the house, turn right onto the ridge path, cross the Puech de Larzel, go straight ahead and stay straight ahead at the next junction. At the road, turn left and descend into Mérican.
(5) At the schist cross, keep left on the small road that runs alongside the Lac de Pont-de-Salars arm. You'll come to the transverse D611.
(6) Go right over the dike and follow the road (be careful) to the Chapelle de Salars crossroads indicated on the right. Follow this road.
(7) You can visit the chapel. Walk along the cemetery and down the steep track. At the houses, turn right along a track that runs alongside the Viaur on the right bank, cross the Pont du Moulin at the end and return to the village center (D/A)
