Villardonnel via Les Bagnadous and Gleyre

A pleasant hike with quite a few climbs. The descent after (4) is a little tricky, so make sure you have good footwear.
This walk is marked with large orange brushstrokes. But as always, it is best to follow Visorando.

Details

783438
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 6.43 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 30 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 221 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 229 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 470 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 290 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Whichever direction you are coming from, you will find the post office and the Foyer 30 metres down in the centre of the village.

(S/E) Go down the street and, in front of the Foyer, turn right onto Route de Salsigne. Continue until you find Rue du Château on your left. Take this street and then turn right at the first street. You are now on Chemin de la Coste, which you follow downhill. This road is paved until you reach a concrete drain.

(1) (See practical information) Take the path on the right that starts at the drain. This is a fairly rocky path that descends to Rieu Sec. Cross the stream via a rustic wooden bridge. Take the path on the left after the bridge and follow it through ivy, heather and ferns. When you reach the Lacalm stream, which is almost always dry, keep to the left to pass under an overhanging rock. Come out onto a wider path immediately after a stone bridge.

(2) Turn right onto this wide track, which climbs for 2 km. Admire the restored dry stone walls and drystone shelters. Continue to a crossroads with four wide tracks.

(3) Take the one on the left. At the passage above Les Bagnadous, the path is rocky and quite narrow. You can pass through the field above it. When you reach the carriageway, continue to the tarmac road. Turn left and, at the three-way junction, take the central lane. A little further on, you will see a high fence on your left, which you should follow to the next point. Ignore the barrier, which is only there for cars. Pass in front of a house that serves as a hunting lodge.

(4) Before the bend in the fence, go down to the right along a fairly steep path that runs alongside three hunters' watchtowers. At the bottom, cross the dry stream known as "l'Homme mort" (Dead Man's Stream). Continue along the path that runs alongside the stream.

(5) Cross the footbridge and turn right to climb back up towards the village. Do not be alarmed by the barking dogs: they are safely enclosed in a kennel on your left.

(1) Cross the culvert again, continue to a wall and turn right, then take the second left. You are now in front of the Foyer and have arrived (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 369 m - In front of the village post office
  2. 1 : km 0.57 - alt. 349 m - Path on the right into the gully
  3. 2 : km 1.35 - alt. 301 m - Go up to the right.
  4. 3 : km 3.08 - alt. 463 m - First lane on the left
  5. 4 : km 4.91 - alt. 379 m - Steep path on the right
  6. 5 : km 5.5 - alt. 300 m - Cross the footbridge.
  7. S/E : km 6.43 - alt. 369 m - Arrival in front of the Foyer

Notes

CAUTION - After the floods of 15 October 2018, the right turn at (1) leads to a very difficult circular loop. It is possible to pass, but you must have good footwear and not be afraid of getting your feet wet. Reserved for explorers. To reach (2), simply continue straight ahead at (1).

Reviews and comments

4.3 / 5
Based on 9 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.3 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.1 / 5
Route interest
4.5 / 5
Jocel349
Jocel349

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 01, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A nice little afternoon hike tested for our walking group. We didn't find any orange paint marks, but with the description, we were able to follow the path. We tried the "explorers' passage" but it is virtually impassable. At the first stream: very difficult to cross and further on, it is no longer possible to pass under the rock overhanging the Lacalm stream. We had to climb up using our hands. So it is better to go straight ahead at the culvert, especially with hikers who are not very experienced.

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User 8650561

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 04, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A really pleasant route, but after crossing the stream for the second time after the first kilometre, the path was completely unmaintained. Fortunately, I had walking sticks to clear away the stubborn brambles. Superb views and a fun descent over the pebbles

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bergpaden
bergpaden

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 20, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Due to the floods of 2018, the detour is no longer possible.
The passage next to the Bagnadous farm is unpleasant.

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hr11
hr11

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 05, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Nice walk, the field near number 3 passes by a sheepfold, a charming black goat was keeping an eye on its guests, so I turned on my heels to climb a little higher up the field near the road to get around the mammal.

Indeed, the path near the stream is littered with dead trees on the left, but it is not impassable. Twice, you just have to step over a few large stones in the water to get to the other side. The problem for me was that night fell on the way back, but more importantly, I had almost no battery left, so no torch. I had to venture onto the stream and into the forest in the dark, a little panicked about running out of battery. Finally, I ended up on tarmac 2.5 km from Villardonnel... I hadn't thought to take my external battery, my mistake, and I also need to buy a headlamp...:

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karfro
karfro

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 11, 2020
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : Not used / Not applicable
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Hello,
I wanted to do this walk, but the path along the Lacalm stream had disappeared during the recent violent floods.
Has the trail been rebuilt now?
Thank you.

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lippo
lippo

Hello. The description clearly states in (1) to check the information. The river was devastated by the floods of 2018. At (1) you had to continue straight ahead.

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clubmarches
clubmarches

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 27, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : Not used / Not applicable
Very busy route : No

impassable at the stream crossing and beyond
damage!!!!!

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lippo
lippo

Sorry for the inconvenience. The October floods caused a lot of damage to our trails, and we haven't been able to check them all yet. But with the route on Visorando, you'll never really get lost. Have a good trip.

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lkor70
lkor70

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 24, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A very beautiful hike, but two points were difficult compared to the description: the rustic bridge at point 1 no longer exists, clearly washed away by a flood. We were still able to cross, but there was no bank on the other side. To finish the hike, we turned back and headed back towards point 2 at the first crossroads. From there, everything went smoothly, but if the small river hadn't been dry, it would have been impossible to continue.

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renometeo
renometeo

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 19, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A very beautiful hike, enjoyed by all the members of our club who were present, and the sun was shining too.

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youcan
youcan

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 07, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A very pleasant and fairly wild hike in the first and last thirds of the route, dotted with drystone shelters, beautiful views, paths at the bottom of the valley, stony tracks and magnificent arbutus trees. Crossing the small rustic bridge over the little stream in the middle of lush vegetation adds a touch of adventure. An ideal walk for children aged 7-8 and above.
Please note that Rue du Château is not signposted, but it's difficult to get lost in Villardonnel!

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