Ercé and its neighbourhoods

Ercé, village of the bear leaders in the french pyrenees.

Visit of ercé  Located at the south-west of Ariège, Couserans goes up to the attack of the Pyrenean mountains. It resembles thus its inhabitants who to the wire of the centuries, always went from the front one, towards the unknown, worm the adventure. Among them, Ercéens, of which the village is located on the edges of Garbet, torrent-like river whose trout attracts the fine fishermen. When you go in Ercé by the secondary road which goes up the valley dupuis Saint-Bosoms in direction of Aulus, with the turning of a turn, you enter the village by a “door” whose pillars are, on the right, a barn, and on the left, the vault “Pierre Saint” dating from the XI ème century. Passed this door, a circus of meadows is offered to you. With the bottom of the shone upon slope, the village niche with the foot of its church whose frontage points out Spain. Around, of the timbered summits, grassy or covered with snow limit the horizon and make a decoration which gives desire for sitting down and for dreaming. But, with the wire of times, the life of Ercéens was not made that dreams and to provide for their needs, they had sometimes to show imagination. Thus several of them chose to become bear leaders and gave to their village the nickname of “Ercé, capital of the bear leaders”.

Trout fishing  Wild mountain of Ariège, strewn with lakes of altidude, descend a multitude of rivers with throats, cascades until the sinuous rivers of Piedmont and the plain. It is the kingdom of trout with 80% of the rivers classified in 1st category: the fario, but also the arc in sky, lakes the salmon of fountain, the omble knight, the christivomer…

The pastoral village of goutets  The site of Goutets (alt.1400 m) on the buttresses of the Solid mass of the Three Lords in the canton of Massat, has a very old pastoral vocation, confirmed by the population increase of the end of the 18th century and the beginning of 19th. The insufficient food resources push the populations of the valley to gain high zones as well for the food crops as to increase surfaces of “mowing” and the grazing grounds by deforestation. The conquest of the high valleys reinforced the original system of management of agro-pastoral space said system of the “Bourdaous”. It is about “Stir up” seasonal (change of place of pasture, habitat and zone of mowing) which takes into account the fodder possibilities différement staged in the valley in the course of the years. Bourdaous (barn cattle shed of altitude) are often gathered in small hamlets or “courtals” established on private or communal grounds, profiting, therefore, of a right of user related to the pastoralism. The inheritance of this site is more original and remarkable. With the cortal where one manufactures cheese but especially butter, the life is articulated around several architectural elements and of dry stone constructions (schist roofing stones). The barn cattle shed receives the cattle, it is a construction called in “batière”, only the frame and the lattice of the hayloft is out of wood (beech). The hut of the shepherd (“orri”): construction autocharpentée without binder with vault in heap of load. The “Mazuc”: orris of small size half-sunken being used to refine cheeses or to preserve butter. Shelters for small animals: niche with dog, soue with pig, hen house… Built enclosure (“parec”): parking of the animals Corridor of traîte (“marga”)

Village of massat  The Canton of Massat in the Pyrenees ariègeoises is a country of Mountain to him all alone. Between peaks and riviéres, and barns of mountain pastures and villages authentic. The river of Arac remains the piéce maitress of this landscape. With the outlet of the valleys of Liers and high valley of Arac, its green valleys are in the middle of an area hinge between Couserans and the country of Foix. The collars of Port, Crousette, Saraillé, the Port of lHers and Portel surround it and connect it to the Mountains and the other valleys of the department. But it is as thanks to them as nature remained preserved. The activities of full air do not miss in Massat and in the surroundings: Excursions, horsemanship, climbing, VTT, parapente, fishing… some of them proceed within the natural and superb framework of the pond of Lers, not to miss .......

The gascon cow  The majority of inhabitants of Ercé chose the breeding of the Gasconne cow because it is a cow adapted well to the relief and altitude. The annual cycle of the life of a stockbreeder-naisseur is very regular. The winter, the cows are with the cattle shed where they are nourished with the hay of the natural meadows which surround the village; it is as in winter as they make their small calf under the attentive glance of the stockbreeder who during weeks will take care of his good development. The summer, while the cows go up in altitude in the “mountain pastures” with their calf under the guard of a cowherd, the stockbreeders become tedders: they make the hays and collect all this good grass made up of odorous plants and coloured flowers. They make it dry then engrangement for the next winter. Visit of a firm country-woman.

Aulus les bains  Aulus the Baths is a small village of high Couserans to 750 meters of altitude, 35 kilometers of Saint-Bosoms and 150 kilometers of Toulouse. Garbet which crosses it in all its length and the green belt of mountains of which it is surrounded give him an aspect of more laughing. The commune extends on three valleys: Garbet, Arse, Fouillet Garbet: It leaves the pond Bleu (1989m) and descends a long abrupt throat less than one kilometer, to the pond of Garbet (1683m), which is the vastest pond of Aulus (15ha). While leaving the pond, Garbet descends another throat, cut cascades, towards the circus of Garbettou (1400m), in the medium of which it disappears partly in underground course. It leaves the circus by a cascade and runs quickly towards the circus of Agnesserre (1100m). D' Agnesserre until the access of Aulus, it follows a boxed bed trés. Arse: It leaves a firn (2100m) to the junction of two collars border: Guillou and Sounou; traverses four small lakes: Pond of Hille of the Roofing stone - Pond of Hille - Pond of the trouts (Tuesdos) - Pond of Canted to the cascade of Arse (100m height) before reaching the plate of Artigous and a deep throat: the Hell No; throws itself in Garbet with 1500m upstream of the village. Fouillet: It leaves the pond of Aulus (2094m: 360m of diameter). It goes down in a throat to the Circus from Cazierens; it runs by succession of cascades to the plain of Bazets and again in a throat until Aulus even.

Hike with an ass  Several one day old circuits are proposed to you by paths marked out, very old ways which connect between them picturesque hamlets or feel running through wood and mountain pastures and leading to from the splendid points of view….