Mont Aigoual
1,567 m
France
Also known as Monte Aigoual, AugalAlso known as
Monte Aigoual · Augal
- Elevation
- 1,567 m
- Prominence
- 730 m
- Difficulty
- 2/10
- Hike
- Best Season
- Apr–May
- Routes
- 1
Routes
1The classic walkers' ascent: an old postman's path climbing about 1,220 m from the church at Valleraugue (360 m) through holm oak, chestnut and beech woods to the observatory on the summit. Steep and sustained; about 3½–4 hours up. A road also reaches the summit.
Elevation Profile
approximate line- Distance
- 8.2 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +1,208 m
- start → summit
- High Point
- 1,567 m
- Time Up
- 5h 03m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 3h 26m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
Start at the church in Valleraugue (about 360 m; park at the tourist office) and follow the yellow 'Les 4000 marches' waymarks out of the village. The old postman's path climbs steeply and without let-up up the south-east flank — one of the biggest continuous height gains in the Massif Central — through the vegetation belts of the Cévennes: holm oak, then chestnut, then beech woods. It passes the Belvédère des 4000, Roc Noir and L'Estivel, crosses the Valat de la Fageole stream and reaches the open summit plateau near the Menhir de Trépaloup (Pierre Plantée). From the menhir a short out-and-back leads to the summit and the crenellated tower of the meteorological observatory (1,567 m), with an orientation table on top and water available in season. On clear days the view stretches from the Alps to the Pyrenees and the Mediterranean, but cloud and wind are frequent. For the descent, either return the same way (about 2½–3 hours), or make the waymarked loop (about 23–24 km, 1,320 m, 7–8 hours in total) via the GR 6/7/66, Cap de Brion, Le Coulet and the Aire de Côte gîte back to Valleraugue. In summer a liO bus from the summit allows a one-way walk. The summit can also be reached by road from L'Espérou and Col de Prat-Peyrot.
Start
Valleraugue354 m
- liO regional buses reach Valleraugue (stop 'Val-d'Aigoual – Office de Tourisme'); in summer a liO service also serves the summit stop 'Val-d'Aigoual – Mont Aigoual', allowing a one-way ascent.
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Valleraugue → Mont Aigoual | 8.2 | 1,208 | 0 | 5h 03m |
Waypoints
- Trailhead: Valleraugue354 m
- Summit: Mont Aigoual1,567 m
Key Passages
- Sustained climb through the holm oak, chestnut and beech belts
- Summit observatory tower and orientation table
Equipment
0/3 packedDownloads
Route confidence 80%Overview
The highest point of the Gard (1,567 m), a broad granite and schist plateau on the Atlantic–Mediterranean watershed, crowned by a crenellated weather observatory. Known for its harsh weather, its rare views from the Alps to the Pyrenees and the 1,200 m climb of the 4000 marches.
Mont Aigoual stands on the border of the Gard and Lozère in the southern Massif Central, within the core zone of the Cévennes National Park. Its summit is a plateau of about 3 km² above 1,500 m with three tops; the highest, the Signal de l'Hort de Dieu, carries the meteorological observatory built in the 1890s, whose tower bears an orientation table. The Atlantic–Mediterranean watershed crosses the plateau: rounded ridges fall gently west towards the Causses, while steep, deeply cut slopes drop 1,250 m to Valleraugue in the Hérault valley.
A road reaches the summit, so solitude is not guaranteed in summer, but the classic walk up the Sentier des 4000 marches from Valleraugue is a serious day: about 1,220 m of sustained ascent through the vegetation belts of the Cévennes. The weather is notoriously rough — the summit is one of the wettest and windiest places in France, often in fog — and clear views, which can reach from the Alps to the Pyrenees and the Gulf of Lion, are rare and brief.
The massif is also of historical interest: largely deforested by the 19th century, it was the site of France's first large-scale anti-erosion reforestation programme, and its forests sheltered the Camisards and, in 1943, one of the first Cévennes maquis.
Climbing Notes
The Sentier des 4000 marches needs good fitness rather than skill: a steep, sustained 1,220 m climb (3½–4 hours up) on a well-waymarked path, with a stony descent. Carry plenty of water — the lower slopes are hot — and a waterproof and windproof layer for the summit. Spring (March to May) and autumn (September to October) are the best seasons. In summer a bus from the summit allows a one-way walk; otherwise do the 23–24 km loop via Aire de Côte, or split it over two days with a night at the Aire de Côte gîte (book ahead). In winter the summit plateau is snowbound and can be dangerous in fog and wind; the road is kept open for the small Prat-Peyrot ski area.
History
The name is attested from the 13th century (mons Aigoaldi, 1249) and probably derives from a Germanic personal name. Severe floods in the mid-19th century, caused by deforestation and overgrazing, led to a major state reforestation programme on the massif, led by the forester Georges Fabre. The summit observatory was built at the end of the 19th century and became one of France's best-known mountain weather stations; Météo-France withdrew in 2023, and the building now houses the Climatographe, an exhibition on climate change. In 1943 the Aire de Côte refuge on the mountain was raided by German forces after the first Cévennes maquis formed there.
Season
Best Apr–May- January: Possible
- February: Possible
- March: Good
- April: Best (best window)
- May: Best (best window)
- June: Good
- July: Good
- August: Good
- September: Best
- October: Best
- November: Possible
- December: Possible
- Jan
- Snow, fog and strong wind on the plateau; winter experience needed
- Feb
- Snow, fog and strong wind on the plateau
- Mar
- Mild on the lower slopes; snow possible on top
- Jun
- Getting hot on the lower slopes
- Jul
- Hot low down; start early; summer bus from the summit
- Aug
- Hot low down; start early; summer bus from the summit
- Oct
- Autumn colours; Cévennes downpours possible
- Nov
- Cold, fog and early snow
- Dec
- Winter conditions
Access & Permits
- Rules
- The route lies in the core zone of the Cévennes National Park, which has its own regulations (check before bivouacking, bringing dogs or lighting fires)
- Close fences and gates on grazing land
- Getting There
Valleraugue (Val-d'Aigoual); Le Vigan
Montpellier Méditerranée (MPL); Nîmes (FNI)
- Car: Valleraugue is 23 km north of Le Vigan via the D999 and D986; park at the tourist office
- Car to the summit: D986 via L'Espérou, Col de la Serreyrède and Col de Prat-Peyrot (about 28 km of climbing from Valleraugue)
- Bus: liO regional buses to Valleraugue; in summer a liO service runs to the summit
Hazards
- Weather