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Departure from the car park at the foot of the old village of Poët-Laval, at the pumping station (dry toilets available in the car park).
(S/E) From the car park, go down Route de la Queue du Serre on the left, then at the crossroads turn left again onto Route de Fontgary.
(1) At the crossroads (post boxes), turn right. After passing a large, very unusual house on your left, turn left onto Chemin de Ribesseille, which goes around the house and a lavender field.
Follow this path, which turns into a small tarmac road, ignoring the turnings on the left and right.
(2) As you pass it, note the Route du Plat on your left, which you will take on your return. When the tarmac gives way to stones, continue on the Sentier des Huguenots.
(3) Cross the Ruisseau des Rivales stream via a wooden footbridge to enter a forest of pine and oak trees.
As you cross the woods, there are two sets of clearly marked signs in yellow and red and white. In addition to the description, pay attention to the different signs as there are multiple trailheads (or use the app's GPS).
At the next two forks, keep to the right and then to the left. Continue straight ahead on the main path lined with ferns and tall pine trees. After a footbridge, go up to the left and then straight ahead. At the crossroads, continue up the widest path until you reach a crossroads in a more sparse area. Go straight ahead and climb a small hill to reach a T-junction.
(4) Continue left on a path lined with broom that runs alongside vast meadows.
At the end of a stony climb, the path opens onto meadows. There is a beautiful view of the old village of Poët-Laval on the left. Ignore a marked path on the right and continue straight ahead on the Sentier des Huguenots until you see a small house standing in the middle of a field a little further on, on the right. Go around this field to enjoy a superb view of Dieulefit from the road opposite.
(5) Return to the trail and continue straight ahead on the wide carriageway (Chemin des Plattes). This path leads to a tarmac road leading to the Banc car park.
When you reach the information board at the Vitrouillères site, take the wooden steps to the left of the board, which descend quite steeply to the clay quarry. Continue down the path on the left.
At the wooden sign: Chemins de randonnées La Dame Blanche, descend to the right into the ochre cliffs via another set of steps and a steep path. Take care!
Follow the Dame Blanche markings opposite.
(6) The path skirts around the cliff of yellow ochre and white columns on the right to arrive at a pool at the foot of the Dames Blanches. Then climb back up into the forest on the left.
Please note: follow the yellow markings that lead away from the site on the left, as the path that runs alongside it closes the loop around the cliff and takes you back to the starting point of the discovery trail.
The climb through a sparse pine forest is quite steep. Then turn left twice, following the yellow markings.
(7) Continue along the wide path that curves left in a hairpin bend (chain on the right, no entry). Descend along a fenced meadow, go around it on the right, cross a stream and arrive at a dog kennel and beagle farm. The dogs bark a lot but are locked up.
Rejoin the tarmac road, follow it straight ahead for several hundred metres, ending up on Route du Plat and reaching the T-junction you passed on the way there.
(2) Turn right, walk about 150 metres in the opposite direction to the outward journey, then turn right onto Chemin des Roberts. A little further on, follow the sign for Robert on a wooden sign on the right.
At the crossroads, stay on the tarmac road on the left. The road then becomes stony.
At the crossroads, go straight ahead into the woods (yellow markings), then straight ahead again until you reach the tarmac road on the left that you took on the way there: Route de Fontgary.
(1) Return to the car park via the same route you took on the way there.
After a break in the pretty wooded park with picnic tables, don't hesitate to visit the old village and explore its narrow streets; suggested route:
(S/E) From the car park, take the footbridge and cross the park to reach Rue des Remparts. Turn left and follow the ramparts. Go around them on the right, leaving a car park on your left, and enter the village through an entrance slightly higher up on the right.
(8) From there, take your time strolling between the old walls to the keep of the castle of the Ancienne Commanderie des Hospitaliers (13th century), admire the Romanesque choir of the Saint-Jean chapel (13th century), topped by its bell tower, before descending below Rue des Remparts (stairs) to return to the car park (S/E).
Don't forget to enjoy the superb panoramic views at various points along the way.
Visorando member
Moderate 
Difficult 
