Brec l'Ilonse from Lieuche via Thiéry

The hike starts from the main square in the village of Lieuche, right next to the church and the town hall.

(S/E) Follow the signs for Baisse du Grand Palier, indicated by marker 103 to the right of the church. The start of the route follows the^GR®510. Cross the village via Rue Louis Bréa, then follow the track which quickly turns into a path after a right-hand bend.

(1) Descend towards the Chaudanne valley. The slope is gentle at first but becomes steeper towards the end, shortly before reaching the bottom of the valley where the path disappears through the terraces in the forest. You must then be careful to follow the red and white markers.

(2) Cross the stream via a small stone bridge, from where the path climbs up the other side of the Chaudanne valley. The slope is relatively steep.

(3) Continue straight ahead towards Thiéry, following signpost 92, which marks the Baisse du Grand Palier (altitude 1,007 m). Stay on the^GR®510. The trail descends steeply until it reaches the Arsilane stream.

(4) From the stream, the^GR®510climbs back up towards the village of Thiéry on a relatively steep slope until it reaches marker 87 at the entrance to the village.

Once you reach the marker, you have two options:

Option 1: Optional visit to the village of Thiéry

(5) Turn left to enter the village, which is worth spending a few minutes exploring (orientation table near the cemetery). Continue climbing to the top of the village until you reach marker 86.

(6) Once you reach marker 86, do not continue on the^GR® towards Arsilane, but descend towards marker 87, which you passed earlier, then follow the route described in option 2.

Option 2: Continue directly towards the Col de la Madone.

(5) Follow the direction of Col de la Madone, towards the east, indicated by marker 87. The route then follows a road for about 1 km to marker 89, from where you will find a path (always follow the direction of Col de la Madone). The climb is pleasant and gently sloping.

(7) Continue towards Col de la Madone when you reach marker 95.

(8) Follow the direction of Villa Souberre to the north, indicated by marker 81. From there, the slope becomes steeper but the climb remains pleasant as it is relatively shaded.

(9) Continue towards Col de Courbaisse, indicated by marker 83. The slope becomes even steeper.

(10) Once you reach Col de Courbaisse, follow the signs for Baisse du Brec and Brec d'Ilonse. Please note that from this point onwards, you may encounter numerous fallen trees on the path (as of April 2019).

(11) Head north to reach the summit of Brec d'Ilonse, located about 50 metres higher. A few cairns indicate the direction to follow.

(12) You will then reach the summit, where you can enjoy a beautiful view. Descend via the same route towards Baisse du Brec.

(11) After the round trip to the summit, turn right towards Col de Saint Pons. The path is not very well marked at the beginning, but the yellow markers leave no doubt as to which route to take. You will then begin the return journey and the descent to Lieuche. The route is pleasant, on a well-marked and well-shaded path.

(13) Follow the direction of Arsilane, indicated by marker 218 at Col de Saint-Pons, where there is a small chapel. The descent begins on a gently sloping forest trail. The walk is very pleasant.

(14) Follow the signs for Lieuche indicated by marker 105. Then follow the track to the village.

(15) Please note that shortly before reaching Lieuche, a track branches off to the left into grey marl. Do not follow this track (it is a dead end), but stay on the main track to reach the starting point without difficulty (S/E).

The only water source on the route is in the village of Thiéry, located at the start of the circular hike, so you need to be prepared as the hike is long.

In case of bad weather, you can take shelter at the Col de Saint-Pons chapel.

The route is not technically difficult, but it is long and requires a relatively steady pace, especially if you decide to do it in autumn when the days are shorter. Spring is the ideal time for this hike.

The route described above takes you through the village of Thiéry. You can skip the circular walk through the village if you want to shorten the walk, but the village is really worth a visit.

The starting point of the hike is near the high gorges of the Cians, which are worth visiting if you are unfamiliar with the area.