Ascent of Mont Aigoual via Valleraugue

Le Vigan - Pont d'Hérault - Valleraugue - L'Espérou - Mt Aigoual - L'Espérou - Col de Minier - Le Vigan

Climb to the summit of Aigoual via the Valleraugue valley.

The road (D999) descends slightly to the Pont d'Hérault junction, then rises slightly to Valleraugue (D986).
As you climb back up along the Hérault, you can see the Aigoual massif in the distance, and you can guess that at some point you're going to have to climb those 1200m+ to reach the summit of the Gard, which rises to 1567 m. Things get serious after passing through the village of Valleraugue, more precisely after La Pénarié, with a succession of hairpin bends up to L'Espérou (average 5%).
The subsequent climb to the Col de la Serreyrède and the Mont Aigoual observatory is gentler. From up there, don't hesitate to admire the view over ¼ of France (on a clear day), from the Alps to the Pyrenees (beware of weather conditions when climbing the Aigoual). You can eat at the summit, with one foot in Lozère and the other in Gard.

The return journey to Le Vigan via l'Espérou is a steady one, with just a small false flat rise before the Col du Minier. From l'Espérou, you can take the route des cascades d'Orgon down to the Col de la Broue (beware of the narrow road and reduced visibility).

Electric bike recharging point in the Observatoire parking lot (bring your own cable).