From Bourg-Argental to Thélis-la-Combe

The village of Bourg-Argental is situated in the Pilat Regional Park, on the road linking the town of Annonay to the Col de la République. Head to the centre of the village and park in the cinema car park.

(S/E) Head north-east, keeping the cinema building on your left, and follow the Chemin du Poizor uphill. At the first junction, take the hairpin bend to the left onto the Montée de Cotaviol and at the next junction continue straight ahead

(1) At the hiking signpost, take the dirt track on the right which runs above the tarmac road. Continue straight on along this track, ignoring a path branching off to the right. Continue straight on until you reach a road

(2) At the road, at the hiking signpost, turn right. Walk for about 40 metres then continue straight on along a dirt track. Continue straight on, ignoring a path branching off to the left.
Further on, ignore another path on the left and, after a sharp bend to the right, you’ll come out onto another path.

(3) Turn left. Continue straight on the main track, ignoring the side tracks on the left, until you reach the hamlet of La Ciove. At the fork ahead, take the road on the right towards the hamlet and cross through it.
At the last house, continue uphill along a dirt track until you reach a crossroads.

(4) At the hiking signpost, continue straight ahead, ignoring the path branching off to the right. At the next fork in the path, take the path on the right and at the following fork turn left, ignoring the other paths.
You will reach another fork in the path where you should turn left, ignoring the other paths. You will reach a tarmac road and the hamlet of La Villette.

(5) Follow the road to the right, cross the hamlet of La Villette by continuing straight ahead, then leave the road to follow a dirt track. Continue along this track until you reach another track, where you should turn left. 20 metres further on, at a fork, continue to the left. Follow this track, ignoring a path on the right, and join a road (the road from Bourg-Argental to Le Bessat).
Once on the road, take the sharp left-hand bend. Walk for about 50 metres to reach a crossroads.

(6) Take the road on the right, heading downhill. Continue along the main road, which takes a wide bend to the left and passes above what looks like an old factory (Le Moulinon). Carry on until, at a left-hand bend, you come to a small waterfall on the right (if there is water, depending on the season).

(7) Continue along the winding road. Pass a hairpin bend to the right and, at the next one, ignore the turn-off to the right and head left towards the village of Thélis-la-Combe.
After passing the first houses in the village, turn right onto Rue de l’Abbé Étienne de Seytre, which goes uphill, then a few metres further on, turn left. You’ll reach a junction with a hiking signpost and, on the other side of the street, the Auberge de Thélis-la-Combe.

(8) Cross the road and take the path on the left which passes in front of the inn’s entrance and runs alongside it. Join a tarmac road and continue left uphill. At the next junction, turn right and walk for about 60 metres to reach another junction.
Then turn left and head uphill. Follow the road until you reach another junction, where you should continue straight on.
Walk through the hamlet of La Loge, ignoring the path branching off to the right and then the one to the left. The road ends and leads onto a dirt track. Follow it downhill to the left. 50 metres further on, you’ll come to another path. Continue straight ahead. Walk downhill until you reach the hamlet of Thélis le Bas.

(9) At Thélis le Bas, the path joins a tarmac section. Walk for about thirty metres and turn left downhill between the houses in the hamlet. Cross the road and follow the path opposite leading to a detached house. Just before the house, take the path on the right and continue, ignoring a turn-off on the left. You will reach a junction with a hiking signpost.

(10) Ignore the path branching off to the right and continue straight on downhill.

(11) At this crossroads, there is a cross. Turn right downhill, ignoring the path branching off to the left. A few metres further on, continue straight ahead, ignoring the path branching off to the left. Continue downhill along the path, keeping straight ahead, ignoring the paths branching off to the right or left until you reach a crossroads where there is a wooden cross in poor condition.

(12) At this junction, continue straight ahead. At the next junction, where you begin to see the first houses of Bourg-Argental, continue straight ahead on the road, ignoring the turn-offs to the right. Pass a tennis court on your right. Join the (very busy) road that runs through the village and continue carefully straight ahead. Turn left at the first junction and head for the cinema car park (S/E).