Gagne (rivière) walks

This loop trail with little elevation gain takes you along beautiful paths through meadows, forests and summer pastures to the heart of the Fontaine Salée glacial cirque, in the Chastreix-Sancy Nature Reserve at the foot of the Sancy. Best done in clear weather.

A pleasant walk through the forest, undergrowth and meadows, with the pretty, round crater lake of Saint-Front, the highest in the Haute Loire, as your destination. Views of Mont Mézenc and the Monts du Velay, and you will be on the edge of the summit of Les Roches, an ancient volcano which is a climbing site on its southern slope.The name of thePR® trail that we follow most often is "Entre pins et fayards" (Between pines and beech trees), which is very apt. We added the tour of Lake Saint-Front, as it was too tempting to resist.

This peaceful route starting from Saint-Front allows you to enjoy the contrast between the steep-sided valleys of La Gagne, the Machabert stream and the tributary of the Aubépin on one side, and the gently sloping Mézenc plateau with its sweeping views on the other.

This route offers views over the wild gorges of the Gagne valley from La Pradette to the hamlet of Villard, as the valley floor is impassable. There are numerous viewpoints and minimal passage through undergrowth. This route is therefore ideal in spring and autumn, with only very hot summer days to be avoided.