Between Cotayet and Trézaillette

Park at Place des Écureuils in Lérigneux, the starting point for the walk.

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(S/E) Walk round the church to the right and take the small flight of steps to reach the D113-2. Turn right towards Montbrison and head for the cemetery.

(1) Leave the D113-2 and turn left towards Essertines. At the next junction, keep right and continue towards a cross.

(2) Turn left before the cross, pass the path leading to the hamlet of La Loge, go between two fields and then come to another crossroads.

(3) Turn right and continue to the hamlet of Fougerolles.

(4) Turn right onto the road, then left onto a dirt track towards Lérigneux. Keep left at the forks in the pine forest until you reach the D113-2.

(5) Cross with care and continue along the track opposite. Cross the stream, reach the hamlet of Chamblanc Sud and carry on to the D44.

(6) Follow it to the right with care, then immediately turn left onto the access track to the hamlet of Frédifont. Continue towards Puy de Montchaud and Viallard. When you reach the tarmac road, carry on until you reach the bend to the right.

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(7) At the edge of the woodland, take the path on the left towards the hamlet of Le Palais. Before the^first house, turn left and go round the houses until you reach the tarmac road. Then take the forest track on the right and you’ll come to a fork where several^{PR® trails} and mountain bike tracks run alongside one another.

(8) Do not take the two paths on the left, but continue along the one that becomes very steep and leads out into a large clearing.

(9) After 50 m on a stony track, turn right and head down into the woods. Ignore the various paths branching off to the left or right and continue along the main track for 1 km.

(10) At the track on the edge of the forest, turn left, pass Le Sapet, then cross the Cotayet stream, very close to its source, and continue to the entrance to the hamlet of Dovezy.

(11) At the corner of the^first house, turn left, cross the road junction (D113) and follow the path opposite which climbs towards the bird observatory until you reach a cross-path.

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(12) Turn right and head downhill to the telephone exchange.

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At the relay station, turn left, walk through lovely woodland, cross the Trézaillette stream and continue along the hillside until you reach a fork in the path, just before emerging completely from the woodland and about fifty metres before a road.

(13) Turn right and head down towards the hamlet of Le Bouchet. Enjoy the view over the Saint-Étienne basin and the Pilat mountains. Do not head towards the hamlet itself, but continue along the main path, which runs almost level before curving to the right and beginning the descent. Look for the start of a path on the left a few metres after leaving the woodland.

(14) Leave the path towards Le Bouchet and continue along the track on the left to the Col à la Croix du Fau and the junction with the D44.

(15) Cross the road carefully and continue along the small road opposite until you reach ^{the second} track branching off to the left. Note the village of Roche on your left and a beautiful view of Lérigneux on your right.

(16) Follow this track, pass through the small hamlet of Chaudabry and continue straight on along a descending track until you reach a fork a few metres after passing a copse on your left.

(17) Ignore the signs for Trésailles and Les Farges and turn sharply right towards Chavassieux. Pass close to Chavassieux Castle and its mill, powered by the Trézaillette stream, then continue along the tarmac road opposite until you reach a crossroad.

(18) Turn left, walk past the Chamblanc Nord farm and return to the Place des Écureuils (D:A).

(S/E) At Place des Écureuils, there is a summary board listing the walking routes in the municipality.
Toilets and a water point are available at the foot of the town hall.
At Le Coin des Écureuils, you can stop for a drink and restock your supplies.

(2) Near the cross, three villages meet: Lérigneux, Bard and Essertines.

200 m from (12) is the LPO bird observatory. Remarkable views in fine weather.

Before reaching (18), you’ll come across Chavassieux Castle and its mill on the Trézaillette (private property).

(S/E) In the village of Lérigneux, numerous squirrels watch you from the street lamps.