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The village of Saint-Andéol is located in the Drôme between Châteauneuf-de-Galaure and Saint-Donat-sur-l'Herbasse, not far from Claveyson. Park in the village centre in the dirt car park by the roadside.
(S/E) Start the hike by heading uphill towards the priory. Behind the priory, where there are picnic tables, take the dirt track downhill. Ignore a path on your left and continue on the main path, ignoring the paths on the right, which are only access routes to cultivated fields. You will come to an intersection of several paths.
(1) Take the path on the right. Just before reaching a tarmac road, follow the path on the left that runs parallel to it for about a hundred metres until you reach the road.
(2) Cross the road carefully and take the dirt track directly opposite. Follow this track through the undergrowth, ignoring the first track that branches off to the left. When you reach a fork, ignore the second track that branches off to the left and keep to the right. Stay on the main path, which makes a sharp right turn, and continue uphill until you reach the tarmac road to Saint-Donat-sur-l'Herbasse. Follow the road to the left until you reach the village of Ratière.
Cross the village of Ratière, passing through the village square where there is a fountain at the entrance, the village school on the left and the church at the end. Before the church, take the street on the right downhill to reach the main street.
Take the village street on the left to quickly reach a crossroads with several roads
(3). At this crossroads, leave the tarmac road and take the dirt track on the right, which leads downhill.
Continue along this path until you pass the houses and immediately turn left, leaving the straight path behind.
After following the stone wall, 40 metres further on, take a second left turn. The path will run alongside fruit tree plantations before reaching a tarmac road in a bend.
(4) Turn right downhill. Stay on this road for at least 1 km.
(5) Leave the road and turn left onto an uphill dirt track. A rustic wooden sign at the entrance to this track indicates "chemin de la Tour" (Tower path). At the end of the climb, the path leaves the undergrowth and runs alongside cultivated fields. At this point, you will see the Tour de Ratière tower above you.
(6) When you reach the houses in Les Cottes, leave the tarmac road on the left and continue straight ahead along the dirt track, which appears to enter a property but actually runs alongside it. You will come to another wider track, which you should take on the left (Chemin du Mont Froid).
(7) When you reach a crossroads, turn right. Here, a tourist sign recounts the history of the Tour de Ratières. Continue towards the tower and walk past the private property in the middle of which it stands (it is not open to visitors). Continue straight ahead on a path through the fields until you reach another path. Take this path on the left. Not far away, there is a statue of the Virgin Mary, which you can detour to see.
(8) Join a tarmac road and take it on the left. Continue straight ahead on the road until you reach the village of Saint-Avit. Cross the village until you reach Rue de la Bergerie.
(9) Take the street on the left and continue to the next intersection, where you turn right (rue du 15 novembre 1869).
At the next intersection, turn left towards the church.
On the church square, there is an orientation table with a viewpoint.
Continue by taking the path downhill on the left, with steps made of wooden logs. The path joins another tarmac road where you should turn right downhill.
Go down this path. At the end of the path, when you reach a stop sign, follow the tarmac road on your left and continue straight ahead downhill.
(10) Take the road on the left between the houses. At the end of the tarmac section, continue along the dirt track opposite, ignoring the one that branches off to the left. Continue straight ahead until you reach a tarmac section and then an intersection.
Continue straight ahead on the dirt track, ignoring the tracks that branch off to the right and left. You will reach a tarmac road and then an intersection with a main road.
(11) Cross carefully to take the Sermeret road opposite. Leave the road and take a dirt track on the left between the road you are leaving and an entrance to farm buildings. Then walk alongside a long farm building on your right, make a small first turn left then right, and continue along the dirt track. Pass a pumping station (small pond) and follow the path until you reach the intersection with a tarmac road.
(12) Cross over and follow the dirt track opposite. At the next intersection, take the right-hand track and you will come to a tarmac road.
(13) Cross the tarmac road and continue straight ahead along another tarmac road. Stay on this road, ignoring the first dirt track on the left, then take the second one, also on the left, uphill. Follow this track until you reach a tarmac road, walk past the first house in Saint-Andéol and continue straight ahead along Impasse Peray.
(14) Continue straight ahead along Route des Morands towards the centre of the village of Saint-Andéol.
When you reach an intersection, turn left to return to the starting car park (S/E).
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