From Cheylade to Le Claux: the Quirous path and the Limon Plateau

(S) At the Hôtel de la Vallée, with the town hall opposite, turn left towards the campsite. Ignore one junction and carry on until the next one on the right.

(1) Turn right, still heading towards the campsite, then take the road on the left until you reach the entrance to the fir forest.

(2) Take the path on the right before the house and enter the pine forest (be careful, it’s uphill). Carry on straight ahead until you come out of the woods, at a track.

(3) Follow the path which climbs to the left and then keep to the right until you reach the Buron de Fontrouge.

(4) Go round to the right. Keep to the right at the next Fork in the road and carry on, passing the Buron des Cavounes, until you reach the next crossroads on the Sentier des Quirous.

(5) Turn left (this path, which crosses the Plateau du Limon, is dotted with cairns or piles of stones. Placed every 20 metres, they helped travellers find their way, particularly in bad weather.) Continue to the junction with the^GR®4

(6) Leave the path and join the^GR®4(marked in red and white) by turning sharply to the right. Then carry on straight ahead until you reach the top of a hill, where there is a possible shortcut to the right.

(7) Continue along the^GR®4to reach the Puy de Niermont.

(8) Follow the^GR®4southwards. Pass a path on the left to reach the^GR®400on the right.

(9) Take this path (also marked in red and white) and head into the Bois Nolly-Lavialle until you reach a Fork in the road.

(10) Turn left (signposted ‘Lodge of Puy Mary’). Keep to the right until you reach the road and the sign for Le Claux.

(11) Turn left towards Le Claux and continue to the Lodge du Puy Mary (E).

(7) You can shorten the route (by about 2 hours) by cutting across to the right towards Chabraire. Then follow the forest path to the radio masts and then the road to the Puy Mary Lodge

-Puys and the Limon Plateau.