Around Mont Redon

Park on the gravel area behind Rouillat Ba church, which is the cemetery car park (follow the signs for "Cimetière" once you are in the village).

(S/E) Follow the street eastwards for a few metres, ignoring the "no entry except for residents" sign, and turn left onto the grassy path. When you reach a street, follow it to the right until you reach an intersection.

(1) Turn right onto Chemin des Suzots, a street that becomes a path once you have passed the last houses. Ignore a mountain bike trail on the right that is not marked on the map.

(2) Turn onto the grassy path on the right. Further on, the path turns left (south-east).
Ignore a path on the left. Return to the tarmac just before reaching a street in Ponteix.

(3) Cross over and follow the grassy path opposite, marked by a small yellow^PR®® sign^. Further on, continue to the right and follow the^PR®® sign, ignoring a path that goes straight ahead (not marked on the map).
Continue along the street. At the intersection, turn left, following the yellow markings (Rue de la Salle). You will arrive at a small square with a bus shelter, on the edge of the D213.

(4) Turn right, pass in front of a memorial stone, cross the D213 carefully to reach the Church of Notre-Dame (Ponteix) and its original calvary (church open when we passed by). Cross the road carefully again to return to the small square and turn right. Look for a yellow marker on a wall and take Chemin des Varennes street just behind it.
At the intersection, facing the high concrete wall of the cemetery, follow the yellow markings to the right. At the next intersection, follow the^PR®® signs to the right until you reach an intersection with an unmarked sign indicating three directions.

(5) Continue straight ahead on the^PR®® towards Saint-Saturnin.
Ignore a path on the left shortly before reaching the Prada Haute signpost. Continue straight ahead towards Saint-Saturnin until you reach the intersection of rutted paths (Prada Basse signpost).

(6) Follow the^PR®® to the left along a grassy path and arrive at the edge of a field. Walk along the left-hand side, note a yellow marker on the left and continue for a few more metres along the edge of the field.

(7) Turn left onto a grassy path at the corner of the field. The path runs alongside the Biona stream on your right, then crosses the stream, which veers off to the right. Immediately afterwards, the path makes a short detour to the left to go around a fallen tree.
The path approaches the Biona stream again, which is now on your left, just before reaching a crossroads with several paths.

(8) Follow the^PR®® to the right, on a very rutted path that climbs steeply. The path turns left (the path shown on the map that continues straight ahead is no longer visible).
At a crossroads, ignore the path that continues straight ahead (yellow cross, not shown on the map) and turn right, continuing uphill on a path that is, once again, very rutted.
The path becomes a trail, which is also rutted. Ignore a vague grassy path on the right.

(9) At a three-way intersection, ignore the grassy path on the right and continue either straight ahead or to the left, as the two paths quickly rejoin. Ignore a vague path on the left and arrive at the Les Varennes signpost intersection.

(10) Continue straight ahead towards Ponteix.
Ignore a steep path on the right (not shown on the map). Ford a stream (more or less water depending on the weather in previous days). Ignore a path on the right and continue to the intersection of the Croix Saint-Jacques signpost, where there is an information panel on Mont Redon that is almost illegible.

(11) Start of the round trip to the summit of the mountain. This part of the route can be omitted, see: Practical information.
Follow the signs for "Sommet du Mont Redon". Ignore a grassy path on the left. At the intersection with the Mont Redon signpost, follow the direction indicated (the other directions have been removed and the path on the right is blocked by several barbed wire barriers).
Cross a very basic and slightly rickety footbridge (see photos) to enter a grazing area for a herd of cows. Do not enter the meadows on either side, but stay on the path that separates them.
Pass under a tree that has fallen very low over the path (see photo). The path continues to climb; ignore a vague grassy trail on the right. The climb ends with old stone steps.

(12) Summit of Mont Redon, wooden cross and view more or less blocked by trees (see photos).
Take the same path back to the Croix Saint-Jacques marker.

(11) Head north-west towards Rouillat Bas. Ignore a path on the left. At the Croix Chemagrand signpost, continue straight on towards Rouillat Bas.
You will rejoin the tarmac road at the first houses in Rouillat Bas and arrive at an intersection you already passed on the way there.

(1) Continue straight ahead on the street to return to the back of the church (S/E) via the reverse route of the outward journey. Be careful not to miss the grassy path on the left: it is located a few metres after a garden, on the right-hand side of the street where you can see a tower with a turret.

This is a moderately difficult hike, which would be easier if the path up to the summit of Puy Redon were clearer. Standard hiking equipment is required.

(11) Round trip to the summit of Mont Redon. The summit is "adorned" with a calvary, long abandoned by the faithful, given the state of the trail, but which seems to be being converted into a calvary for hikers: many obstacles on the trail, unmaintained footbridges, fallen trees, crossing pastures with livestock (no danger, but some people are afraid of large animals), vegetation taking over the trail in places. At the summit, the view through the vegetation is not exceptional. So, my advice is to take a look at the photos accompanying this hike description before deciding to make the round trip.

Discover more hikes in this area with a description or the Visorando app here

Photo albums here and here

Pretty paths and trails, sometimes a little grassy or rutted, but very peaceful. A few views of the surroundings at the top of Mont Redon, but also in places along the rest of the route.

Church and calvary in Ponteix.