Lalevade, Fabras and Bonneval circular loop

Plenty of parking spaces are available near the campsite, the community hall and the shopping centre.

(S/E) From the road leading from the Pont des Issoux, join the RN102, cross it carefully at the pedestrian crossing, go round the Town Hall on the left to reach Rue des Écoles.

(1) Follow it to the right as far as the church. Turn left into Rue de la Penderie (yellow/white markings). Pass to the right of the cemetery, keep to the right and continue to Halary. Stay in the middle lane, follow the markings and the tarmac to the end, where you will find a path on the left that climbs into the woods.

(2) Climb up to the left and reach the hamlet of Les Terrisses. When you reach the tarmac, turn left, then right, then right again onto the wide, uphill path, bordered by a wire fence on the left.

(3) At the corner of the wire fence, the path branches off to the left (short steep climb, ground markings barely visible). After a steep climb through a very wild stretch of an abandoned chestnut grove, the path is bordered by a makeshift fence and reaches a flat area.

(4) Take the wide path on the right, heading downhill (south-west) to reach the source of the Terrisses stream (a vaulted passage under the path as you cross the valley). Continue downhill and go round Serre Méjan on the left. Keep right at the three-way junction, emerging onto a wide plateau overlooking the Prades valley, visible to the south.

(5) On the right, a track cleared by a bulldozer climbs towards the hamlet of Puy de Prades. Walk along the left side of the hamlet, then take the track through the meadows that continues in the same direction. Continue on level ground, taking care to close the gates of the horse paddock. Follow the lovely track through the woodland, remaining roughly level. Once on the tarmac, carry on to the junction with the Route de Fabras.

(6) Turn left, then follow the signposted footpath uphill through the village. After the church, keep left, then at the central reservation car park turn right towards the signs for Bonneval and Echelette.

(7) Follow the signs for Bonneval to the left until you reach the Croix de la Chareyre (a recently resurfaced, very even tarmac road, with yellow and white markings). At the cross, keep left, then left again downhill for 100m at the next junction (towards Jaujac). After another 100m, the Bonneval path branches off to the left and heads uphill (pedestrian signposting, blue arrow on a red background).

(8) The start of the path consists of rather dilapidated log steps; you can also take a few poorly marked switchbacks. The climb is then steady, through an area that becomes very wild. On the descent, walk past a barn still standing on the right (old yellow/white markings). Thunderstorms have badly damaged the paved slanting street leading to the hamlet. Walk past the campsite on your right, below the houses, without crossing the stream, and join the D5. Cross it carefully to reach the viewpoint over the basalt cliffs 50 metres further on to the left. Then take the D5 southwards towards Jaujac, leaving the campsite entrance on your left, and about a hundred metres further on, find the path to the Ruisseau des Freydières on the left (cross the D5 carefully ) (towards Fabras, Les Souillets).

(9) Follow the path to the D119. Turn left onto it and head towards Les Souillets.

(10) In the middle of the hamlet, head downhill between the houses. At Mas Bastide, leave the hamlet on your right and take the path that continues downhill and eastwards. Follow the yellow and white markings. After two hairpin bends on the descent, follow the valley floor to the Pont de Prades. At the crossroads, turn right to join the D19.

(11) Cross the D19 with care. Turn left and then right to cross the nearby bridge, then walk alongside the factory on the right. Turn left above the factory and join the D223. Take it to the left and follow it downhill to the left. Cross another bridge at Champredon and rejoin the D19 (this detour avoids a dangerous stretch on the busy D19).

(12) Cross the D19 and then the park opposite. Take the street on the right and, after about 50m, the path that climbs to the left until you reach the built-up area.

(13) At the junction, two streets lead off to the left. Do not take the first one, which goes uphill, but the second one, which runs horizontally and is below the first (ignore all the streets on the right). Join Rue des Écoles, which you took on the way out.

(1) Turn right to retrace the start of the route in reverse until you reach the car park (S/E).

The paths are mostly easy to walk on, but there may be a few slightly trickier sections. Good walking boots are recommended.

At (8), if you’re worried about the descent down the eroded path (though the scenery is magnificent...) and if you don’t mind tarmac, you can continue along the road, which is pleasant, even and quiet out of season (be careful though, as it is narrow and there is local traffic), until you reach the D 5, where you can rejoin the route some 200 m further on to the left.

The viewpoint over the basalt flow, just before (9), makes a good spot for a break and a picnic.

All shops in Lalevade are open during business hours.

In Fabras, there is a beautiful Romanesque portal and a bell tower attached to the church.

Take the time to admire the basalt flow at the viewpoint before (9)

Lalevade and Prades are former mining towns (coal). Pieces of Carboniferous shale can be seen along the path between (12) and (13).

In (13), the road furthest to the left, as well as a path branching off to the left shortly after the start of this road, provide access to the old mining site.