Saint-Babel Forest via the Borne des Quatre Seigneurs

This new walk partly follows the route of the old municipal and ONF (French National Forestry Office) walk in the Saint-Babel forest. The new route encroaches on the municipalities of Yronde and Buron to pass by the Borne des Quatre Seigneurs, the Borne du Saut du Cheval and Fayet.

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 10.13 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 00 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 373 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 367 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 805 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 591 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Park in the car park on the edge of the D14 at a place called Pont Russe, 1.6 km from the Saint-Babel stadium (signposted).

(S/E) Follow the forest track due west for 380 metres until you reach the crossroads between the conifers.

(1) Turn left (green and yellow chevron markings), rejoin theGRP® de la Reine Margot (yellow and red markings) and continue to the right until you reach the Puy du Grand Raymond crossroads.

(2) Turn left to begin the ascent of Grand Raymond. At the summit, there is an orientation table. Descend to the crossroads, turn left and follow the marked path. Further on, leave theGRP® by turning right to quickly reach a new crossroads.

(3) Take the second path on the right and follow the green markings to reach the Côte plateau.
There are piles of stones that could be the remains of a burial ground.

(4) Descend from the plateau and walk along the foot of a basalt cliff surrounded by vegetation typical of north-facing slopes. You will reach the junction of two routes.

(5) There are two options here:
- follow the old route marked with green chevrons, which turns sharply to the right to return to the starting point,
- take the new route, marked with red chevrons in a white square (option shown on the map).
Follow the dry stone wall marked with boundary stones that climbs towards the plateau amid remarkable beech trees.

(6) Turn right towards the north-west and follow the flat path to the Borne des Quatre Seigneurs (origin unknown), located at the edge of the ditch of the same name. From this point, you will walk alongside the Vic-le-Comte forest, which is classified as a sensitive natural area. No picking is allowed.

(7) Turn right towards the east and follow the remains of the old ditch. Further on, you will find another very old boundary stone marking the boundary between three municipalities. Be careful on the path at the top of the cliff known as Saut du Cheval. Follow the old, recently maintained path bordering the ditch to the crossroads of Croix Chenude or Croix de Fayet, which no longer exists, but where there are ONF signs and boundary markers.

(8) Turn right, south-east, and follow the path and then the track, enjoying a beautiful view of the Forez and Livradois regions. You will reach the crossroads of a path leading to Fayet.

(9) Turn 90° to the right. In the pasture, follow the light fence and cross a footbridge to enter the forest. Follow the path (still marked with red chevrons) to a place called Le Gros Fayard.

(10): Return to the forest track and the green and yellow markings, follow it for 500m to a place called La Mare. Turn left heading north, then right after 100m to reach Puy de Rayat. Here you will find the undated ruins of an ancient village.

(11) Follow the marked trail and return to the first crossroads you passed at the start.

(1) Take the left-hand path to return to the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 591 m - Car park at the start of the forest track.
  2. 1 : km 0.35 - alt. 620 m - Crossroads of the circular
  3. 2 : km 1.36 - alt. 695 m - Crossroads with signposts
  4. 3 : km 2.52 - alt. 695 m - Crossroads, second path on the right.
  5. 4 : km 3.13 - alt. 764 m - Tombelles
  6. 5 : km 4.3 - alt. 735 m - Red signpost junction
  7. 6 : km 4.8 - alt. 782 m - Crossroads, on the right
  8. 7 : km 5.66 - alt. 797 m - Borne des Quatre Seigneurs
  9. 8 : km 6.29 - alt. 721 m - Crossroads at Croix Chenude, on the right
  10. 9 : km 6.93 - alt. 669 m - Fayet crossroads, on the right
  11. 10 : km 8.31 - alt. 685 m - Gros Fayard crossroads
  12. 11 : km 9.2 - alt. 685 m - Puy de Rayat
  13. S/E : km 10.13 - alt. 591 m

Notes

The hike is mainly in the forest.
Wear good hiking boots and long sleeves and trousers to protect against ticks and other forest insects.

(3) It is possible to shorten the hike and return to the starting point by following the yellow chevron markings on the right.

(Between 7 and 8), the passage at the Saut du Cheval cliff requires great care.
There are ruts due to forestry operations.
Bring a drink in your rucksack as there is no water source in this wood.

Worth a visit

This hike goes around the communal forest of Saint-Babel.
It is a deciduous forest that has unfortunately been spoiled by a few conifer plantations. It contains some extraordinary old trees.
A forest that was once count's, then royal, then ducal and then national property, in the 19th century it belonged to wealthy bourgeois who marked their territory with remarkable ditches and boundary stones that can be found throughout the route.
In the heart of this forest, numerous sites have revealed traces of human presence over the centuries.
This hike includes the ascent of several old volcanoes in the county dating back 20 million years, allowing you to discover basalt columns, scree slopes and basalt flows beneath the oak and beech trees.
An orientation table and paths through the meadows offer superb panoramic views.

Reviews and comments

4.2 / 5
Based on 11 reviews

Reliability of the description
4 / 5
Ease of following the route
4 / 5
Route interest
4.5 / 5
Kikidu63
Kikidu63

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 29, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant route to do in summer to enjoy the coolness of the forest. However, it is best avoided after rain, as many parts are muddy and wet (which was the case for us). There are no particular difficulties in terms of orientation, except for a small section between 9 and 10 where the route crosses a field to rejoin the path.

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gogol63800
gogol63800

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 04, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

This hike is best done in summer as it mainly takes place in the forest, shaded by beautiful and varied trees. Avoid doing it after heavy rain as the paths can be soggy and muddy. It is essential to take a map with you given the "random" placement of the signposts.

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Les couzes
Les couzes

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 23, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike that I did twice: on 1 January in the snow and yesterday in fine weather...
Difficult to follow the route on the map due to unusual markings... but no problem with the GPX track.
Not recommended in rainy weather or after heavy rain: muddy terrain in places.
Randolescouzes

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henri57
henri57 ★

Hello,

Thank you for your feedback.

Please note, however, that the trail markings are sometimes poorly located or poorly maintained in certain sections of the forest.

The maintenance of the paths and the signposting are not the responsibility of the author or Visorando.
"Plotted on map" does not refer to the quality of path maintenance, but rather the accuracy of the route as it appears on the map in relation to the actual terrain.

See you soon!

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lucaflam
lucaflam

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 28, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A fairly varied route in terms of both changes in terrain and vegetation. A great immersion in the forest with panoramic views to discover at the edge of the woods. Be careful, however, as the trail markings are sometimes poorly located or poorly maintained in certain sections of the forest. The average duration of the walk is 4 hours for enthusiasts who are used to walking. I particularly recommend this walk in autumn, when the colours are beautiful and a feast for the eyes.

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henri57
henri57 ★

Hello,

Thank you for taking the time to give your opinion.

We got lost in the middle of the woods.

Finding your way in the forest isn't easy because it can sometimes be difficult to match the map to the terrain. In this specific case, we recommend using the GPS app in addition to the description and map.

This tool, offered free of charge by Visorando, allows you to validate waypoints and thus remove any doubts about your location.

See you soon!

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sylvie.chabillon
sylvie.chabillon

Overall rating : 2.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 18, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average

Beautiful route through the forest but very poor signage from point 5 onwards: dry stone wall marked with boundary stones disappeared?
And from point 9 onwards, it was impossible to find a footbridge to enter the forest, so we couldn't find the path and got lost in the woods. People who say that this route is well marked must have a mobile phone with an internet connection, I imagine, but for people like us who only had paper directions for the route, it was impossible!

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MANIEZHERVE
MANIEZHERVE

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 02, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

An interesting route in hot weather, but difficult to find the signposts.

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magile
magile

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 13, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

After the storm in October 2018, the mayor informed us via a local notice that the forest was dangerous and that hiking there was at your own risk.
In the absence of wind, we decided to go ahead.
Many broken trees and branches obstructed the well-marked trail.
We found this route interesting, with beautiful views at Grand Raymond, beautiful trees (not all of them have fallen, far from it), and a beautiful route mainly through the undergrowth.
We completed the circular in 3½ hours without rushing and despite the obstacles.

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gisou63
gisou63
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 22, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A magnificent hike despite a lot of hesitation and some difficulty understanding and following the route. We had to ask hunters for directions twice. It took us 3 hours and 20 minutes to complete because we walk briskly, despite going back and forth. But still, it was a treat because it was a very interesting walk.

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REDONDIE ARLETTE
REDONDIE ARLETTE

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 16, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Perfect weather for this hike, beautiful trees in the forest, with a superb view at Grand Raymond, very well marked trail.

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raffio
raffio

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 02, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A walk in the forest, beautiful trees, flowers, newts in water-filled ruts, sliding in the mud... a wonderful experience, but be careful on the descent from Grand Raymond, which is very slippery after rain.

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Les Randonnées du Cerisier
Les Randonnées du Cerisier

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 12, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A very beautiful hike on a trail where walking was made difficult by large rocks and very wet ruts on that particular day. The route was followed on a smartphone using the GPX track and a printout of the document. It should be noted that the trail is very well marked (except for the section near the hamlet of Le Fayet).
At this time of year, there are carpets of flowers: anemones, periwinkles, a few daffodils, lungwort, etc. There are also many trees (a wide variety).
Best done in good weather for the views and in June-July for the martagon lilies (please respect them!).

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