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In Sanilhac, there is a large car park clearly signposted to the left, north of the church.
(S/E) Leave the car park and follow the road to the left for 50 metres, then head down to the right towards a footpath (yellow and white markings). When you reach the tarmac road, continue straight ahead along a lovely drovers' road. At the road, veer slightly to the right, then after a few metres turn left onto a wide path. At the road, take a sharp left-hand bend and, after 100 metres, take the path which climbs to the right and leads to the signpost forthe GR®® de Pays du Tour du Tanargue.
(1) Follow the road to the left for 50 metres and join the drovers' road slightly to the right (marked with both yellow-white and yellow-red signs). You’ll come to the impressive wall of a house (hotel and restaurant), built mainly of dry stone. Keep left as you head downhill once you’ve passed the entrance to the establishment, then turn right onto Impasse du Pouchonnet. Stay on the road, which continues as a wide track leading into a mixed woodland of pines, oaks and the remains of old chestnut trees. Keep left at the Pouchonnet three-way junction (now marked with yellow-red signs only).
(2) Keep left again at the junction with the forest track, cross straight ahead through a first clearing, then through another, wider clearing. You will reach the signpost for Pissevieille.
(3) Head down to the right towards the stream. After crossing it, walk across a large sandstone slab. On the way back up, after the heather, walk straight through the vineyards, then turn left at the ‘Refuge des Renards’ bungalow. Reach a meadow and walk along its left-hand side. The Brison Tower is clearly visible. Continue along the drovers' road at the top of the meadow to reach the road.
(4) Carry on straight ahead and cross the hamlet of Brison, following Impasse Brison on the right. Pass the hamlet of Les Combes, keeping it on your right, and carry on straight ahead along the path. Keep straight ahead to cross the Pissevieille stream again. Keep to the right as you climb this stony path. After a bend to the right, there is a slight plateau, but after a left-hand bend, the path becomes steep and joins the road.
(5) The path is very stony and very steep; it crosses the road again four times. This is the most gruelling part of the walk, but the destination is in sight. If the path seems too difficult, you can walk up the road from one of the junctions further up.
(6) Walk past the tower to admire the view (if it’s too windy, you’ll find the same view a short distance further down the descent). Head back down the road to the first hairpin bend, then take the path on the right (where the yellow and white markings reappear).
(7) The geology changes, with schist replacing sandstone. You’ll come to another lovely viewpoint on the right. Follow the path to the right, which widens as it cuts through a pine forest (heading south).
Turn left to go round the hamlet of Le Greil, a restored traditional farmhouse.
(8) Continue along the road; at the three-way junction, keep to the right, take the path on the right, then follow a stretch of road continuing from this path, and finally a wide track (follow the ‘Versas’ signposting).
(9) Turn right at the Croix du Planas (signpost), keep left at the next three-way junction and stay on the main path as it curves widely to the left and descends. At the road, turn right towards Versas and, at the cross, follow the descent which passes by the castle.
(10) Go down the track on the left just before the castle, take the road on the right for 50 metres and cut across to join the road branching off to the left below (there is no need to go to the hiking signpost at the junction a little further on to the right; follow the signs for Sanilhac from here). Keep to the right at the next junction, then, 200 metres on, take the path on the left and carry on straight on to the Croix de Pète d’Aoure (signpost).
(11) At the junction (marker and viewpoint), turn left onto a paved slanting street leading downhill to reach a pretty bridge over the stream. Head back uphill and carry on straight ahead, skirting the vineyards and ignoring a signpost on the right, unless you wish to extend the walk by taking a detour (downhill, then back uphill).
(12) Walk alongside the vineyard on your right; the path makes a right-angle turn and joins the road, which you follow to the right, leading to La Chapeletté (a small chapel on the right).
(13) Turn left to reach Sanilhac via the Chemin de La Chapellette. Walk past the church and return to the car park (S/E).
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