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At Vernet-Sainte-Marguerite, park on the north side of the village, along the D145 and not far from the cemetery, in a small car park for hikers (local hiking sign "le Puy d'Alou" which does not correspond to the hike proposed here).
(S/E) With your back to the village and the car park on your left, take the path on the left to climb up to the Plateau de la Serre. At the intersection with a path coming from the left and a directional signpost, continue straight ahead towards La Pinarde. At the T-junction, follow the path on the right.
(1) Cross the road and continue on the path opposite. Ignore a path on the left.
(2) Be careful further on: leave the path and take a grassy path that descends to the left. You will come to a small road (towards Cluchat). Walk a few metres to the left to reach a wider road and follow it to the right. Cross a bridge.
(3) Immediately afterwards, leave the road and follow the path on the left. After 250 metres, take the grassy path on the right (if this path is not sufficiently maintained in spring, you may need to wear trousers). You will come to a wider path.
(4) Follow it to the right. You will arrive at a road (with little traffic).
(5) Follow it to the left.
(6) Take the first path on the right, then the first path on the left. At the crossroads of four paths (marked "La Pinarde"), continue straight ahead towards La Couvange. You will come to a road.
(7) Follow it to the right (following the yellow disc markings). Pass a fountain on your left and, just after, at a fork with yellow signs, follow the street to the right. At the crossroads, with several road signs and yellow signs, continue to the right. Shortly afterwards, at the Auberge de l'Âne, turn left onto Chemin des Sagnes and follow this street, which immediately turns left in front of an iron cross. Walk past a water treatment plant.
(8) At the T-junction, turn right onto the path. At the fork in the path, bear left.
(9) At the next intersection, at the "La Couvange" signpost, climb to the right onto the Plateau de Champille, towards Trapa. At the T-junction, continue right onto a path overlooking the Ruisseau de Lambre valley. Further on, the path turns right and then comes to a road at the yellow signs.
(10) Follow the road to the left. At the junction with a path coming from the right, continue straight ahead on the road towards the castle. Ignore another path on the right, then take the next one that runs alongside the road, descending towards Lambre.
(11) Before the first house, turn right and, about 30 metres further on, take the path on the right.
(12) At the crossroads of four paths, turn left. You will come to a street in the hamlet of Cluchat (very dilapidated, not at all touristy), turn right. At the hiking signpost, continue straight ahead on the street (towards Le Vernet). Shortly afterwards, turn onto the path that branches off to the left.
(13) Ignore a path on the right. At the end of the path, you will arrive at the D145 road. Follow it to the left to return to your parking spot (S/E).
Visorando member
Easy 
