Lake and river: The water
Indeed, through this small ravine known as the “Sagnières” (marshes, wet meadows), the river spreads its blessings throughout the first part of the trail. As Saint-Exupéry said, “What flowed thus from the belly of the mountain was life; it was the blood of men.” These men knew how to use and channel this resource, as they have done here, in order to survive. Is it not the most abundant element on the planet? With a global volume estimated at 1,360 million km³, it is also the most abundant component of living matter: humans and animals are composed of about 71% water, green plants of 85%, and wood of 50%. In other words, this water flowing at your feet remains the most precious resource the earth can offer to humankind.

[Trek] L'aqueduc des Sagnières by mountain bike
From the parking lot at the Clamensane town hall (680 m), take Route D1 toward Bayons for 700 m.
Turn left onto the small road leading to “Hautes Graves.” After 1.5 km of a climb that is somewhat steep at the start, pass the forest trail leading to Col de la Croix on your right.
At the intersection (797 m), continue along the road for 450 m to the hamlet of “Basses Graves.”
At Basses Graves (843 m), take the trail on the left. It soon turns into a footpath and leads to the aqueduct.
At the Sagnières aqueduct (820 m), pass the aqueduct on your right and continue down the valley along a trail that starts on the right bank and crosses several fords. Pass the RTM dam and emerge into the large Vermeil valley.
Then follow the trail along the edge of the fields on the right bank of the Vermeil torrent; a final fording brings you back to the D 1 and the starting point.
Modified: 2 weeks ago