Cassagnas - Saint-Étienne-Vallée-Française (Lébou)

Eleventh stage of a complete journey on the Chemin de Stevenson between Le Puy-en-Velay and Alès. This stage includes significant changes to the GR®70 signposting. This stage lies in the heart of the Cévennes National Park.

This walk is part of a multi-day hike: Chemin de Stevenson (Robert Louis Stevenson Trail)

Technical sheet

327260
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 19.01 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 6h 30 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Difficult

  • ⚐
    Return to departure point: No
  • ↗
    Vertical gain: + 367 m
  • ↘
    Vertical drop: - 919 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 1,008 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 262 m

Photos

Description of the walk

This trail starts in the heart of the village of Cassagnas, at the washing place on the D62, which runs through the village.

(S) When your back is to the washing place, turn left towards the small war memorial. Continue along the D62 in this direction. The D62 twists and turns twice, each time crossing a bridge over a small stream. After the second Y-shaped bend, the D62 takes the right-hand branch and heads downhill towards the N106. Follow this road (ignoring the signs for "Les Felges - Touron"). When you reach the N106, cross it and turn right (at an acute angle to the D623 you've just left). 50m farther on, you'll find a track on your left, which you take down to the river (the Mimente). After a downward bend to the left, the path twists and turns back to the N106, which it skirts, then descends again towards the river to reach a bridge under the trees.

(1) Turn right to cross the bridge. Immediately after crossing the Mimente, you come to a path which you take to the left to start climbing through the forest towards the Col des Laupies. You're on the GR®72 (attention: this is an alternative route to the GR®70). The path initially heads east, overhanging the river, before veering more sharply to the right and climbing the mountain in a southerly direction. After 2.4km of ascent from the river, you reach the summit in an open space with a stele indicating that you are at the Col des Laupies (1,001m). Five paths cross here.

(2) You're about to leave the GR®72. In relation to the path you came by, you have a path to the left, another in front of you and two paths to the right. Don't take the one farthest to your right (signposted GR®7), but the second on the right, which runs southwards past a water retention basin. You remain at the same altitude (neither going up nor down). The path follows the contour line between the trees. You'll continue along this path for 3.5km, staying on the trail, which loses only a hundred metres or so in altitude. You'll get some great views of the Cévennes at various points. After that, you come to a crossroads near a water catchment reservoir.

(3) You're at the Col de la Pierre Plantée. This is where you find the GR®70. This continues not on the main track to your left, but on a smaller path that descends more steeply to the left. Take this path. Here you descend more steeply, really losing altitude for 2km. On this stretch, you have left a path that was coming towards you on your right. You come to a crossroads with a water catchment reservoir. Turn left, then right very quickly afterwards. After a right-hand bend, you'll see the buildings of the Serre de la Can vacation village/stage gite on your left.

(4) Leave this complex on your left and continue downhill. A little farther on, at a Y-intersection, take the main path down to your left. You continue on the GR®70 and a little farther on, you ignore a path that descends more sharply to the left. Yours also soon bends to the left. You then ignore a path that joins yours on the right. After winding downhill, the path joins a small road (Route de Serre de la Can) which you turn right onto, continuing downhill towards the village of Saint-Germain-de-Calberte. On your left, you can see the Château de Saint-Pierre on a rocky outcrop.

(5) You enter the village of Saint-Germain-de-Calberte and continue along the street until you reach the village church. You're now at Place de l'Église. Take the main village road (D984) to the right, around the church, and drive through the village on the main road, passing the post office and the café "Le Recantou". A little farther on at the Y-junction, take the right-hand branch (direction Saint-Etienne-Vallée-Française / Saint-Jean-du-Gard), staying on the D984. You gradually leave the village and pass the gas station. Shortly afterwards, there's a first road on the right, which you ignore. You'll then come across a sign saying "ne jetez plus" (don't throw away any more) and then a waste sorting station. Just after this, take the track on the right (direction "Les Faisses / Les Bancels / Les Moles / Le Rouvier ...."). Follow this track up the hillside under the trees, ignoring the paths leading up to the right.

(6) After just under 1km, you come to a small secondary road (D13) which you cross, continuing on the track in front of you. This remains on a hillside, and you always ignore the paths that go up to the right or down to the left. You'll then cover almost 4km, passing over the hamlets of la Liquière and la Liquiérolle to join the D984.

(7) You take this road to the right, following it carefully on the clearest side. 600m farther on, you leave the small road which bends to the left. Farther on, you see the bridge over the Gardon de Saint-Martin that the D984 crosses. Do the same and continue on the main road. 500m farther on, you've reached Lébou, the finishing point of this route (E).

Waypoints

  1. S : km 0 - alt. 814 m - Cassagnas wash-house
  2. 1 : km 1.96 - alt. 732 m - Right on the bridge - Mimente (rivière)
  3. 2 : km 4.37 - alt. 998 m - Saint-Germain-de-Calberte - Col des Laupies
  4. 3 : km 7.87 - alt. 892 m - Col de la Pierre Plantée (895m)
  5. 4 : km 10.35 - alt. 753 m - Serre de la Can at Saint-Germain-de-Calberte
  6. 5 : km 12.22 - alt. 493 m - Church of St-Germain-de-Calberte
  7. 6 : km 13.85 - alt. 540 m - Cutting the D13
  8. 7 : km 17.74 - alt. 308 m - Right on the D984
  9. E : km 19.01 - alt. 271 m - Le-Lébou" at St-Etienne-Vallée-Française

Practical information

Apart from the gîte d'étape, which is off the route, you won't find any shops at (S) Cassagnas. It's only at (5) St-Germain-de-Calberte that you'll find various shops and better accommodation. Accommodation and meals are available at the (4) Village de vacances du Serre de la Can.

In the nearby area

Above all, the views of the Cévennes.
(5) Saint-Germain-de-Calberte: typical Cévennes village, Château Saint-Pierre.

 Always stay careful and alert while following a route. Visorando and the author of this walk cannot be held responsible in the event of an accident during this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

Reviews and comments

4.4 / 5
Based on 10 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.3 / 5
Clarity of route map
4.2 / 5
Route interest
4.5 / 5
Evelyne4962
Evelyne4962

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of walk : May 09, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : Yes

When you reach the N106, there's no need to turn right. Just turn left onto the N106 and drive for 100 metres. You will arrive at a parking area. Take the iron gate to rejoin the road.
The part you describe is of no interest and the path is badly signposted.

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bemer82
bemer82

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Sep 14, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

A beautiful walk along the Stevenson route

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Patlemarin
Patlemarin

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of walk : Oct 08, 2022
Reliability of the description : N/A
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : Yes

Start from Barre des Cévennes (previous stage Florac-Barre des Cévennes). Long stage through the forest. Fortunately, a nice stop at the Serre de la Can (cep omelette deliciously served!), then a slightly long descent to St Germain de Calberte then St Etienne Vallée Française. St Etienne: bar and mini-market.

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Dompie
Dompie

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : May 29, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : Yes

We follow our host's advice to continue our route. He advises us to go via the "Rocs de Galta" for the view they promise.
It's true: there's a magnificent view over the valley, but you have to balance on the rocks on the edge of a sheer drop and, above all, the path gets lost at one point because it's not busy enough. It's a shame, you can't enjoy the view, you have to be so careful.
The rest of the route is magnificent. It makes up for everything!

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Jolinoix
Jolinoix

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : May 19, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

A lovely walk that started with us crossing the Mimente and the old railway line, as our gite was at Les Felges (4km from Cassagas station). This took us over the Col des Loupies: great viewpoint . We then enjoyed beautiful panoramic views on the path following the contour line towards the GR 70. After descending to Saint Germain de Calberte, we continued on to Saint-Etienne-la Vallée Française to find our gite. A very pretty village!

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littlejuju
littlejuju

Overall rating : 2 / 5

Date of walk : Aug 09, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Clarity of route map : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

:!(!)!(!)!: Hello,
There's already a comment about this but I'm bringing it up to date.
To get to point 1, you have to take a path that exists on the IGN maps but no longer exists in reality. It's particularly dangerous and I'm used to off-pathing. The path to the bridge from the N106 is non-existent and takes you through a field and large undergrowth on a very slippery grassy slope that takes you directly to the mimente by a beautiful cliff! I tried to follow it with the GPS to find a possible path. I had to turn back after scratching my blood several times. All in all, it took me almost 1 hour to find my way back to the N106 and end up landing at the Espace Stevenson, even though I wanted to get to Saint Germain Calberte during the day.

Furthermore, the title is misleading as this hike cannot be considered as a stage of the Stevenson, which is only used in the last part of the guidebook.

I'm not questioning the author, but I think the description needs updating to avoid accidents and confusion.

Best regards
Julien

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Campagne bessons
Campagne bessons

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Jun 13, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

If you stop off at the old station, you can avoid the climb to Cassagnas by continuing along the old track for three kilometres before turning right onto the path leading up to the Col des Laupies.

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philippe GASCON
philippe GASCON

Overall rating : 4.5 / 5

Date of walk : Jan 19, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : N/A
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Hello
My friend Serge and I did this walk on 20 January.
The weather was fine for this time of year.
There were no major technical difficulties.
We walked for about 7 hours.
Yours sincerely .

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BOBJOSS05
BOBJOSS05

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Jun 17, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

We ignored the route until point 3 Col de la Pierre Plantée. We set off from Cassagnas, the old railway station, and the GR70 is 50 m away. We took the bridge over the Mimente and had a very pleasant long climb through the forest with panoramic views as far as the Col de la Pierre Plantée.

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Ghislaine F.
Ghislaine F.

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of walk : May 11, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Hello,
I would like to point out that the path that you take on the left after crossing the N106 after the village of Cassagnas no longer exists: fenced off and overgrown.
Best regards,
Ghislaine Fradin

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