Beautiful route along the ridges around the village of Fontanès. Free parking in the castle grounds.
Calculated time: 3h20[?] 
Distance : 9.3km
Vertical gain : 228m
Vertical drop : 230m
Highest point : 867m
Lowest point : 691m 
Difficulty : Moderate
Back to starting point : Yes
Walking
Areas : Massif central, Monts du Lyonnais 
Location : Fontanès (Loire)
(42140)
Starting point : N 45.545984° / E 4.436244° Park in the car park inside the castle’s grounds where parking is free.
(S/F) Head out of the park by the large gate and immediately take the path on the left, Chemin de Saint-Galmier. Walk along the boundary wall of the park for a few dozen metres and continue straight downhill.
(1) Take the road to the right Head alongside a farm building to meet up with another road below.
(2) Follow the road to the right and continue on the paved road.
(3) Take the left path that goes straight to the Greloup farm. Go around the farm on the right as far as the road.
(4) Follow the road left for a few metres then take the dirt road that goes right opposite of the entrance to the farm. Continue on the path through woods and go straight to the hamlet of Aliziers on the RD54.
(5) Arrive at the intersection, continue for a few tens of metres eastbound on the RD54 before taking the right dirt road that divides immediately at a fork. Then take the path on the left.
(6) Back on the RD54, follow the road for a few metres and then take the dirt road to the left at the buildings. 50 m further on take the right fork along the pin hedge around a house. Continue straight, cross a local road at a place called Le Pilon and reach the RD3.
(7) Follow RD3 straight towards Fontanès for about 500 m.
(8) Take the local road that starts right in front of an abandoned farm. Continue straight until the first dirt road on the left. Continue straight on the dirt road and, a few hundred metres before a crossing, turn left towards La Croix des Hommes Morts. Take the path that goes to the right of the cross and go straight.
(9) At the fork, take the dirt road that goes uphill opposite and go straight to the village. Once in the village, cross the RD3 and take the street opposite, Rue de l'Ecole. Continue straight and arrive in opposite the big castle gate and the car park (D/A).
Waypoints :
D/A : km 0 - alt. 854m
1 : km 1.08 - alt. 717m - Farm, turn right and then left
2 : km 1.29 - alt. 700m - Road
3 : km 1.97 - alt. 702m - Leave the road, take the path to the left
4 : km 2.39 - alt. 753m - Le Greloup
5 : km 4.68 - alt. 836m - Les Aliziers
6 : km 5.08 - alt. 822m - D54
7 : km 5.94 - alt. 800m - Le Pilon, D3
8 : km 6.53 - alt. 812m - La Grande Borne, take local road to the right
9 : km 8.28 - alt. 854m - Fontchevalier, fork, go straight
D/A : km 9.3 - alt. 852m
The terrain is varied but always dry. Bring walking shoes as some trails are quite stony.
Visorando and this author cannot be held responsible in the case of accidents or problems occuring on this walk.
The castle park is open to the public. You can see a pigeon loft, a hen house (open from 1 March to 1 October) and there is a nature trail that explores the different trees found in the castle grounds.
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