Country:
District:
On the RD19 from Larche towards Nespouls, after the Causse reservoir dam, just past the village of Madelpeuch, turn right onto the RD181e which climbs towards Couzage Castle. After travelling for 1.5 km, and upon reaching the plateau, park at the start of the Gallo-Roman road on the left, roughly opposite the dirt track signposted “la Ménagerie”.
(S/E) Take this dirt track signposted “vers la Ménagerie” and follow it for 1.2 km to a crossroads. Go straight ahead and continue until you reach the Chassagne dolmen on the right (there is an information panel). Continue for a further 600 m, ignoring two paths on the right, until you reach the second dolmen and the Palein tumulus (also with an information sign).
(1) Turn back for 200 m to the last abandoned crossroads and take the path on the left heading north. Follow it for about 450 m, ignoring the various paths on the left.
(2) Then turn onto a small path on the right that leads slightly back, allowing you to go round the top of the Cirque de Ladou. Follow it, ignoring all the paths on the right (which generally go uphill), as well as the very steep path on the left that descends to the bottom of the cirque. You will then be walking along the top of the climbing cliffs with a superb view of the cirque, the village of La Roche and the Puy d’Yssandon in the distance.
Finally, after walking just over 800 m along this path, you’ll reach another track.
(3) Follow this track to the left, descending to the village of La Roche where you join the RD59.
(4) Turn right onto it and follow this road for just under 200 m to the next junction, where there are two routes to the right: one is a tarmac road leading downhill, whilst the other is a track suitable for vehicles running horizontally.
(5) Take this dirt track, which quickly becomes a well-marked uphill path, and turn left at the only major junction. The path eventually widens and becomes paved. Follow it to a clearly marked path branching off to the left (you are then 100 m from the starting point if you continue straight on the tarmac road).
(6) Turn left onto this track, which will take you 200 m further on to a stone-built spring. A few metres further on, take a short detour along the path to the left to view the ruins of Couzage Castle. Then return to the main track, which soon leads to the RD181e.
Follow the RD181e for a few dozen metres to the left, then turn right onto the dirt track that climbs.
(7) After just a few metres on this track, inside the hairpin bend to the right, take a path climbing to the right which leads, after 350 m, to the Gallo-Roman road on which the (S/E) is situated, about twenty metres to the right.
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