From Chapelle-du-Bard to Pont du Diable via Beauvoir

Park in the car park at Chapelle-du-Bard, either opposite the school or near the church (depending on the route you choose). There are also a few spaces near the cemetery.

(S/E) Leave the church car park and turn left towards the cemetery. At the fork before the cemetery, turn right, then immediately right again (hiking sign) and climb towards Beauvoir: yellow markings. The small road becomes a path and then a trail and joins another small tarmac road.

(1) Take the road on the left heading north towards Montgaren. This road ends near a house and becomes a path that climbs uphill, leaving the house on your left. Note: when we passed through, roadworks and machinery were blocking the way, but it was possible to get around them via the adjacent field. Reach the hamlet of Montgaren.

(2) Turn left onto the main street, follow it for 150 metres and, at the end of the hamlet, you will see a hiking sign.

(3) Turn right onto Chemin du Replan (tarmac) and climb. Join a larger road, follow it to the left for about 50 metres, then take the path on the right that climbs towards Beauvoir: hiking sign. Join a road at Grange d'Aval.

(4) Cross it and continue climbing on a path almost opposite, slightly to the right. Cross the D109a carefully a little further up and reach Beauvoir through magnificent pastures: the highest point of the hike at an altitude of 862 m.

(5) Descend to the left along the small tarmac road towards Saint-Hugon and you will soon reach the hamlet of La Curtanne. At the end of the hamlet, take the path that descends to the right below the road: yellow markings. You will reach a crossroads of four paths that is not marked on the IGN map.

(6) Descend to the right to reach a small tarmac road, the D209b. Follow the road to the right, pass the hamlet of Fraix d'Aval and look for a sign pointing left towards the Pont du Diable. Head towards the bridge.

(7) Retrace your steps, pass through Fraix d'Aval again and continue until you reach the house at Plan Baron.

(8) Leave the road and take a path on the right, which crosses the access road to Plan Baron and continues opposite. Stay on this path, which makes a wide circular loop to the left, passes Pré Vieux and joins the hamlet of Montgarten. Then turn left to follow the main street.

(3) Continue straight ahead in the opposite direction to the outward journey until you reach the fork you passed on the way out.

(2) Continue left, rejoin the D209b and follow it in the same direction until you reach an inverted Y-shaped junction. Turn right at the hairpin bend and rejoin the uphill route.

(1) Turn left and follow it in the opposite direction to the outward journey to return to the church car park (S/E).

There are several drinking fountains along the route.

(2) On the way back, the choice of route depends on the roadworks encountered on the way up, between (1) and (2).

Buddhist centre in Saint-Hugo: allow an extra hour's walk, but we are not familiar with this route.