The Impradine Valley

Walk along the Impradine, from pastures to villages rich in beautiful old houses. Like us, you may encounter a herd of horses, deer and a fox.

Details

n°780367
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 3.50 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 00 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 453 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 469 ft

  • ▲
    Highest point: 3,940 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 3,524 ft

Description of the walk

On the D680, between Dienne and Le Puy Mary, take the slip road on the left towards La Chapelle. About 400 metres further on, park near the recycling bins, at the top of the cemetery.

(S/E) Continue along the road, leaving the chapel on your left, below you.

(1) At the Fork in the road, by a drinking trough, keep right, following the yellow signposting towards ‘La Gandilhon’. You can buy cheese at the cheese shop on your left. Cross the road and carry on straight ahead. Climb the winding road, then follow the small road which veers left towards the west. When the road bends to the right, carry on straight ahead along the track, ignoring the few paths branching off to the right.

(2) At La Gandilhon, take the road to the right, then turn right again a few metres further on. You’ll come out onto the D680; follow it to the right and cross the bridge over a stream. Shortly afterwards, leave the D680 and take a small road on your left.

(3) Pass through the hamlet of Le Mignalou, then continue along the path that runs parallel to the road. The path continues to descend, then the gradient becomes steeper. At the Fork in the road, take the left-hand path, cross a stream and then the Impradine via two successive footbridges. The island between the two streams is a lovely spot for a picnic.

(4) On the other side of the Impradine, keep left (yellow signposted ‘la Courbatière’) onto a lovely path that climbs gently. Go through a gate to cross a meadow where you may come across a few cows (and a bull), which are, incidentally, very peaceful. Beautiful rocks dot the moorland here. Shortly afterwards, go through another gate to leave the meadow. Continue along this lovely path, high above the Impradine. At a fork in the road, keep to the right.

(5) When you reach La Courbatière, you’ll come to a small road between two beautiful old houses. Note, on the one on your left, a roof partly covered with old slate tiles and its stone cross. On the road, opposite the fountain, turn right despite the yellow signpost which directs you to continue to the left. You’ll pass the front of the house that was on your right when you joined the road. Note the superb carving on the door and window frames. Continue along the road, which takes a hairpin bend to the left. At the entrance to the hamlet of La Gravière, by the fountain, take the road opposite and to the right (Black Cross). Also note the beautiful porches on the old houses in this hamlet. Further on, at the crossroads marked by a cross, carry on straight ahead. You are approaching the Impradine, which flows into the Santoire at this point. Look out for a grass snake painted on a slate slab on the ground to your right, then, further on, a yellow signpost indicating ‘la Chapelle’.

(6) At the next junction, keep right to cross the Impradine. Continue straight on along this small road until you reach the junction from the outward journey.

(1) Return to your car, at the top of the cemetery, via the same route as on the way there (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 3,589 ft - La Chapelle Cemetery
  2. 1 : mi 0.11 - alt. 3,583 ft - Start of the circular loop
  3. 2 : mi 0.96 - alt. 3,891 ft - Path on the right
  4. 3 : mi 1.39 - alt. 3,835 ft - Le Mignalou
  5. 4 : mi 1.7 - alt. 3,730 ft - To the left
  6. 5 : mi 2.61 - alt. 3,684 ft - On the right. Passage close to the - Santoire (rivière) - Affluent de la Rhue
  7. 6 : mi 3.11 - alt. 3,530 ft - On the right. Bridge over the - Impradine (ruisseau) - Affluent de la Santoire
  8. S/E : mi 3.5 - alt. 3,596 ft - La Chapelle Cemetery

Notes

Easy hike, standard hiking equipment required.

Worth a visit

Discover more walks in this area, complete with descriptions, or via the Visorando app here

In the villages, you’ll notice old houses typical of this region, with slate roofs, often topped with a stone cross, and doors and windows framed by carved stone.

Reviews and comments

4.7 / 5
Based on 10 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.8 / 5
Ease of following the route
5 / 5
Route interest
4.3 / 5
Alouette Lulu
Alouette Lulu

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 16, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Thanks to Grandin for this lovely walk, which was very easy. There are plenty of views across the valley. We all enjoyed it.

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Topino8921
Topino8921

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 05, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A fairly easy hike without any major difficulties.
The scenery is very beautiful.

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Didier Boisset
Didier Boisset

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 02, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant hike. The cheese is delicious. I would go back to continue the trail at point 4 and venture deeper into the valley to enjoy the view of the Rolland breach, which cannot be seen on this route. I would also buy some more cheese ;-)

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patounette42
patounette42

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 31, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

A pleasant, easy route. We came across herds of horses!
Suitable for children or people who are not used to walking.

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lolorandos
lolorandos

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 04, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk, but a bit too much tarmac. We were nearly bitten by a farm dog at a place called La Gandilhon. The hamlet of La Courbatiere is very beautiful.

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legendarme
legendarme

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 10, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant walk in the Impradine Valley. Easy, enjoyable, suitable for families.

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KarLKoX
KarLKoX

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 22, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

As indicated in the description, this is a short walk.
Surprisingly, even though you're not high up, there are beautiful panoramic views and landscapes all around you.
No foxes, but a foal taking a nap and its mother, who made it clear to me not to disturb it
Very few hikers, perfect for those seeking peace and quiet and introspection.

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colettecollot
colettecollot

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 14, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A superb little walk at the foot of Puy Mary and Puy du Peyre Arse
in autumn, this short hike offers absolutely splendid colours

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PierretteClaudine
PierretteClaudine

Not done yet!

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Pounty
Pounty

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 30, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

We did this hike as a family in April and enjoyed the beautiful scenery. There are a few small streams to cross along the way, but nothing insurmountable if you have the right footwear, even with children. The hike is easy, with very reasonable elevation gains. I highly recommend it!

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alchen
alchen

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 18, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

With the snow melting, you need to be well equipped because the paths are like small torrents.

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