From hamlet to bridge around Payzac

A magnificent hike in the Cévennes, mostly on trails through chestnut and arbutus trees.

Technical sheet

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 15.78 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 6h 30 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Difficult

  • ⚐
    Return to departure point: Yes
  • ↗
    Vertical gain: + 707 m
  • ↘
    Vertical drop: - 714 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 645 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 346 m

Description of the walk

Park in the car park of the church in the hamlet of Pas à Brès, 3km north-west of Payzac on the D207.

(S/E) Continue straight on the D207 for 100m. At the junction of the D207 and the D250, take the forest track opposite.

(1) At the first hairpin bend, turn right onto the path that climbs gently through a pine forest. Ignore the descending tracks and stay on the ascending path. At around 580 metres, turn left and join a forest track. Follow this track to the right for about 50 metres.

(2) Take the path on the left towards Termes, which descends gently to the departmental road. Cross this road and take a path opposite that runs alongside the houses and leads to the Termes sign.

(3) Follow theGRP® "Le Cévenol" (red and yellow markings) to the right (north) towards Saint-Jean de Pourcharesse. The path descends gently to a footbridge over the Ruisseau du Pont stream and then climbs back up towards Enjalvinès. Follow the path, cross a small road and head towards the church.

(4) Pass above the church and rejoin the D207. Follow this road to the left for about 700 metres.

(5) Then take a path on the left that becomes a trail towards Dépoudent. At a fork, keep to the right-hand trail, which is slightly downhill. Cross a first stream, stay at about the same level and cross a second stream (often dry). Climb back up towards the hamlet of Dépoudent.

(6) Cross the hamlet and head towards Terrus. Turn left (south-west) downhill and leave theGRP® trail on your right. Cross the Devèze stream, turn left and follow the balcony path to the hamlet of Terrus.

(7) Then take the forest track on the left downhill to the D350.

(8) Follow the road to the left, still downhill, for about 600m.

(9) At a left-hand bend, turn right onto a path towards the hamlets of Vigne Merle and Le Puech. Cross Vigne Merle, the path descends to the Sure stream, cross it and then climb back up towards Le Puech. Before reaching Le Puech, turn right and climb up to the D350.

(10) Follow the road to the left and cross the hamlet.

(11) After the last house, at the Les Altrassets sign, take a path on the left, cross the Chanabeyre stream and then climb up the small tarmac road towards Les Altrassets.

(12) Take a path on the left that descends through the chestnut trees. Then turn left to pass under the Altrassets house and head towards the Pont de la Planche bridge. At the bridge, the path climbs up to a forest track.

(13) Take the track on the right, pass in front of a house under renovation and take the path opposite towards Pont de Fra.

(14) After the bridge, the path climbs steeply to join a track, which we leave for a path on the left marked in white and yellow, which leads back to the Termes sign.

(3) Join theGRP® "Le Cévenol" and follow it downhill, heading west.

(15) After the hamlet of Serre, continue onthe GRP® on the right (south-east). The path winds its way up the hillside through pine and arbutus trees to Gounenche. Be careful not to go back up the D207, but keep to the path on the right, following the markings.

(16) At Gounenche, follow the grassy path towards Les Aliziers. At Les Aliziers, leave theGRP® and keep to the road on the left to return to Pas à Brès (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 460 m - Hamlet of Pas à Brès
  2. 1 : km 0.39 - alt. 494 m - Hairpin bend
  3. 2 : km 1.29 - alt. 592 m - Forest track
  4. 3 : km 2.46 - alt. 473 m - Terms
  5. 4 : km 3.95 - alt. 598 m - Saint-Jean de Pourcharesse
  6. 5 : km 4.64 - alt. 633 m - Path on the left
  7. 6 : km 6.12 - alt. 643 m - Dépoudent
  8. 7 : km 7.31 - alt. 554 m - Terrus
  9. 8 : km 7.92 - alt. 476 m - Junction with the D350
  10. 9 : km 8.57 - alt. 482 m - Path on the right
  11. 10 : km 9.51 - alt. 475 m - Junction with the D350
  12. 11 : km 9.7 - alt. 473 m - Path on the left
  13. 12 : km 10.43 - alt. 473 m
  14. 13 : km 11.31 - alt. 399 m - Track on the right
  15. 14 : km 11.88 - alt. 346 m - Pont de Fra
  16. 15 : km 13.02 - alt. 470 m - Le Serre
  17. 16 : km 15.17 - alt. 428 m - Gounenche
  18. S/E : km 15.78 - alt. 460 m - Hamlet of Pas à Brès

Reviews and comments

4.6 / 5
Based on 22 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.5 / 5
Clarity of route map
4.5 / 5
Route interest
4.7 / 5
GjRobert
GjRobert

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of walk : Jun 16, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

Sometimes it can be a bit tricky to find the turn-offs. But if you read carefully, you'll get there.
The route is very pleasant, with no difficult terrain. There are a few rocks, a small ford and grass that sometimes reaches up to your thighs. All in all, it's a beautiful hike..
A hike to be enjoyed without worry. I recommend it.

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JODIDO
JODIDO
• Last modified:

Overall rating : 4.5 / 5

Date of walk : Apr 21, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : N/A
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

A very beautiful hike with magnificent views of the Cévennes.
Don't miss the church of Saint-Jean de Pourcharesse. You'll cross pretty little bridges throughout the route.
After Terrus, when you reach the D350 road, you can turn right and go directly to Les Altrassets, without having to do the loop that takes you through the hamlets of Vigne Merle and Le Puech. But this little loop is not unpleasant anyway.
Details regarding this part of the description: "(13) Take the track on the right, pass in front of a house under renovation and take the path opposite towards Pont de Fra."
The house under renovation is now complete, and you should not take the path "opposite", but simply continue on the main path that leads to a second house before crossing Pont de Fra.
When we arrived in Gounenche, we couldn't find a path, so we walked back to the church car park along the road in about ten minutes.
The hike took 7 hours and 15 minutes, which seemed longer than the 15 kilometres indicated in the description.

.

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contemplatif
contemplatif

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Mar 30, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

We went on a very pleasant hike on a beautiful spring day. Right from the start, we were enchanted by the beauty of the hamlet of Brès with its church and pink sandstone houses (which give them a beautiful orange hue). Then we went from one discovery to another (including the church of St Jean de Pourcharesse and its bell tower...).Magnificent views, varied trails, pretty bridges...).
And finally, passing through Les Aliziers, we enjoyed a magnificent view of the hamlet where we started, with its beautiful church and surroundings. A small note: at point 2, the trail is as indicated in the description, so you need to pay attention.
Thank you for this beautiful route!

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Lionel_42500
Lionel_42500

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Aug 19, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

We went camping for the weekend and thoroughly enjoyed this beautiful hike.
Bonus: blackberries and figs all along the way..

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gerard mounier
gerard mounier

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Feb 24, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

lovely walk, thank you

there are not many parking spaces, so for groups of hikers I think it's better to start from St Jean where there is a large car park.

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gabrielle07
gabrielle07

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : May 12, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Beautiful route. Lovely streams. Charming hamlets.

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Marc LB
Marc LB

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Mar 25, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

Superb hike, crossing chestnut groves, hamlets and Ardèche bridges. At the Hameau du Puech trail just after the small stream, bring your GPS.

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superyoda86
superyoda86
• Last modified:

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Sep 20, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Beautiful hike! Be careful, because many sections require attention (you need to have GPS tracking, otherwise it's really difficult, especially at point 2 where the path is barely visible). In my opinion, some of the route must have changed (especially after the wooden bridge to go back up, but there are clear markings)

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joorange
joorange

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Jun 28, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

I had forgotten another small problem:
After Pont de la Planche, I tried to follow the trail by passing under the house, but I came up against some rather unpleasant brambles. It seemed that the path continued by entering the property, but I preferred to avoid it. So I turned back and climbed up the marked trail to the "La Planche" signpost, where I turned right.

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joorange
joorange

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Jun 28, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

A beautiful but challenging hike.

I extended it a little by going through Bruziges after point 7: well-marked trail number 10, which I had walked a few years ago and really enjoyed. I rejoined the normal route at the "Les Alrassets" sign.

A few difficulties on this route:
- At point 2, access to the downhill path is obstructed: you have to go down on the left at a tree marked with a yellow mark. After that, the trail is well marked, but sometimes obstructed by brambles.
- When this path joins the D207, take the wide path opposite and immediately turn right (GR arrow) to descend between the houses.
- After point 15, the GRP turns left just after the "La Metge Propriété Privée" sign.

This is a really demanding but very enjoyable hike: the paths, bridges and hamlets are very beautiful.

With my extension, the route is 18 km long with a 900 m elevation gain (according to the Visorando app).

Exhausted but happy. Thank you

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saint victor
saint victor

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Jun 01, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

A beautiful, varied hike with lots of hills, very pleasant in the old chestnut groves. We did this loop starting from the car park at point 4, covering 11.5 km with an elevation gain of 505 m, in 3½ hours. There are places to swim at the moment, but... the water is cold.
Thank you for this beautiful route.

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s.mellado
s.mellado

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Aug 07, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A pleasant hike in the Ardèche countryside surrounded by chestnut trees.
Admittedly a little long, but so enjoyable to be immersed in the trails surrounded by nature.

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christineoha
christineoha
• Last modified:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Mar 27, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

We did the hike from Termes. A very beautiful hike with lovely bridges and pretty hamlets. The weather was magnificent, and the cherry trees were in bloom.

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patrick furminieux
patrick furminieux

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Jan 14, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

very beautiful but challenging hike (rocky path throughout) with traces of human activity!
beautiful viewpoint

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jejeea2011
jejeea2011

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Oct 23, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A really enjoyable hike through ancient chestnut groves, perfectly restored remote hamlets and small bridges spanning rivers. It's a truly magnificent route! For those who want to picnic during the hike, I would recommend the village of Saint Jean next to the beautiful church.
Be careful not to set off without a GPS track, otherwise you'll spend your time getting lost. The start of the hike is difficult because two crossroads have disappeared due to forestry work...

Here's a question for anyone who knows the answer: how do you know if you can pick up the tonnes (yes, tonnes) of chestnuts on paths that seem to have been forgotten? Because we came across a "no picking" sign in the middle of nowhere, and there was really nothing to indicate that it was maintained (or even that the chestnuts were being picked)

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