The Tower of Brison and the hamlets around Rocles and Beaumont

Park at Pont du Gua, on the D203; please note: there are few parking spaces.

(S/E) With your back to the Pont du Gua, head towards Joyeuse. Cross the Ruisseau de la Boucharade. Immediately leave the tarmac and take the wide path on the left for about twenty metres. You will then come to a footbridge on the left.

(1) Cross the Boucharade and begin the ascent on the right, carefully following the yellow PR® and yellow-red GRP® Tour du Tanargue signposts. The first part of the climb is over rocky ground: it isn’t really dangerous, but you should take the time to look up now and then to keep an eye on the signposts.
Follow a slightly gentler slope until you reach a Fork in the road marked by a signpost for Saint-Pierre de Malet.

(2) Continue to the right through the woodland before reaching a second rocky outcrop. Follow the GRP® markings carefully until you reach another signpost: Small Pass of Berle.

(3) Turn right to climb up to the Tour de Brison. The path starts off gently through the woodland, but the slope then becomes steeper with a lovely chimney; you can go round it on the right.
Reach the tower and enjoy the panoramic view.

(4) Carefully make your way back down to the previous junction.

(3) Head off to the right, following the yellow markings, now on a wide path. Reach a small road and follow it for a few metres to the left. Just after the first bend to the right, look out for the path branching off to the right.

(5) Take this path. You’ll reach a small road; follow it straight ahead, keeping to the right towards the hamlet of Le Pierrier. Just after a hairpin bend to the right and before the houses, look out for the path branching off to the left.

(6) Take this to reach the hamlet of Leyval with ease.

(7) Take a hairpin bend to the right. At the next junction, turn left to cross the hamlet and you’ll soon reach a small road. Leave the tarmac and take the path on the left alongside the house. You’ll then begin a long, gentle climb on good paths. You’ll arrive near L’Adreyt.

(8) Take the track on the left. Follow a series of hairpin bends to reach the hamlet of Les Pradettes. Cross the hamlet and you’ll come to a Y-junction.

(9) Leave the road and take the grassy path opposite. Cross the Ruisseau de Rocles and reach a small street at the corner of the cemetery. Turn right to walk alongside the cemetery, then past the church at Rocles. Reach a small road and follow it a few metres to the left to reach a crossroads marked by a signpost.

(10) Take the path leading uphill on the right. Pass the hamlets of Gardette and La Croze to reach a crossroads with several routes.

(11) Leave the tarmac road and head straight ahead, following the yellow markings, descending into the forest, passing the hamlet of Les Fontanelles, and reaching the signpost for Le Sauze.

(12) Take the path on the left and, after a short climb, begin the somewhat ‘leg-breaking’ descent to reach the D203.

(13) Follow it along on the right. At the junction, take the D24 to the right. You’ll soon reach another junction at the hamlet of Pied de Bœuf.

(14) Leave the D24 and turn left onto the small road; after a short but steep climb, you’ll reach a hairpin bend just before the village of Champussac.

(15) Turn left onto the track, cross a small stream, then continue down the slope to reach the hamlet of La Parot and the D24.

(16) Follow it to the right as far as the bridge. Cross the Beaume river via the bridge on the left, then immediately turn left onto the ascending footpath. This cuts across two bends in the small road before rejoining it.

(17) Follow the road to the left until you reach a right-hand bend. Stay on the yellow-marked trail.

(18) Leave the tarmac and take the path opposite towards Peytot. Continue on level ground, or even slightly uphill, until you reach a stream. Cross it and head roughly southwards to reach the hamlet of Peytot, where you’ll find the Peytot signpost. (In June 2026, there was a large fallen tree just before the hamlet: you can pass underneath it without difficulty).

(19) Turn left towards La Roche. Note: this section is the wildest part of the route. The path is very narrow and not always well cleared. Take care and keep an eye out for the Yellow Rectangles.
You’ll reach a fork in the road. Take the right-hand path to reach a small stream (footbridge); cross it, then walk up a gentle slope to reach the isolated house at Vaneyre. Please note: there are gates in this area; make sure you close them properly.

(20) Take the wide path to reach the hamlet of La Roche.

(21) Continue to the right along the road, passing the Font de la Roche stopover lodge. Leave the road at the crossroads and take the Yellow trail on the left. You will soon reach a crossroads of paths marked by a signpost.

(22) Head down to the left along the stony path with tight hairpin bends to the Pont du Gua car park (S/E).

The walk is fully signposted in yellow and yellow-red. For maps, use the OpenStreetMap hiking base map.

At nearly 20 km with 1,000 m of elevation gain, and 90% of the route on footpaths: make sure you’re well equipped (walking boots, poles).
Make sure you take enough water with you. I haven’t checked whether there’s any in the hamlets, but I think there is (especially in Rocles).
(18) There were roadworks on the first section of this path in June 2024. Apparently, a wide downhill path is being created, which you must not take under any circumstances.