Arrive in Toulouse and transfer (approx 1.5hrs) to the mountain resort of Ax les Thermes (750m), where we book into the Hotel Terminus who will have an evening meal ready for us.

After breakfast and a briefing, we will head off to the Valley of Orlu, a National Nature Reserve. This is an excellent introductory walk showing the beauty of the scenery of this area.

Our walks takes us through beech forests and alongside a fast flowing river with numerous waterfalls. The valley opens out into a wide, spacious plain where both izzards and marmots are commonly sighted (total distance approx 6km).

Today we explore the valley of Ax and head off to the small village of Garanou to start our gentle climb to the village of Lordat, whose castle (now a ruin) was once occupied by the Cathars. Today it is home to a number of birds of prey, and we will have the chance to watch the excellent flight demonstration, including the huge griffin vulture (wingspan of 2.5metres). We will pass through several traditional French villages and take time to explore the Roman churches.

We head high today with a drive to the Col of Puymorens (1930m) for some stunning views of the Andorran, French and Spanish mountains. Our walk will be on the high meadows with magnificent panoramic scenery. We may have the opportunity of spotting moufflon (curly-horned sheep) which roam in herds up here. There is the possibility of visiting Andorra for a spot of Duty Free shopping.

Today we have the option of taking a self-guided walk from the door of the hotel to explore the beech forests around Ax. Alternatively, if you are interested in the Cathar history you could take the train on a picturesque journey to the medieval town of Foix (optional and at your own expense). The skyline of Foix is dominated by an incredible triple towered a castle which is well worth visiting. This evening you have an opportunity to try out the local restaurants in Ax for a cuisine of your choice.

We are going to stay local today, exploring the hills around the town of Ax les Thermes in the company of our botanist/butterfly expert. We drive up to Chioula (1400m) which has a wonderful viewpoint with the local mountains marked.

We walk 150m up to the peaceful Refuge de Chioula, where we stay for a leisurely, freshly cooked lunch in a friendly atmosphere.

Following our afternoon stroll, we will head back down to Ax to dip our feet in the local spa bath where natural waters flow at temperatures up to 70 degrees C.

For our last day we take a drive to the magnificent and famous castle of Montsegur, the last stand of the Cathars against Simon de Montfort and his Crusaders in 1244. The castle stands atop a rock 1207 metres high, and to reach the ruins we take a 45 minute walk up and around the hill. In the afternoon we explore the nearby Gorge de la Frau, a dramatic 1000m deep limestone gorge, before retuning to Ax.

After breakfast we transfer to Toulouse airport, feeling refreshed and full of memories of an excellent week.