Lalouvesc, Mont-Chaix and Mont Besset

de fr

Lalouvesc (at an altitude of 1,100 metres) is the meeting point of theGR® 420 and 430 trails. Lalouvesc has manyPR® (white and yellow) trails. This hike takes you along theGR® 420 and 430 and PR® trails. It skirts around the Chaix and Besset mountains. It stays at a high altitude, as none of the trails described here descend into the valley. Lalouvesc is also a remarkable site from which, on a clear day, you can see the Alps.

Details

n°656723
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 11.53 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 10 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 300 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 299 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 1,174 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 979 m
Downloads
Open in the mobile app
Download GPX GPX
Download PDF PDF

Photos

lalouvesc
passage point no. 8
view
view

Description of the walk

The starting point is Place du Lac in Lalouvesc, where there is a large car park.

(S/E) Start by leaving Place du Lac, take the stairs and follow Rue du Pré Moulin to the left (north). Go around a campsite on the right and, at the next crossroads, turn left onto Rue de la Fontaine. After about 50 metres, you will reach the intersection ofGR® 420 & 430 (Rochelipe).

(1) Take theGR®420on the right. Follow theGR® for about 1.5 km, heading north-east then north, ignoring the paths on either side.

(2) At the Mont Chaix Est signpost, take the path going up to the left, leaving theGR® 420 on your right. Continue along this path heading west-southwest.

(3) At the Mont Chaix Ouest signpost, continue left (south) and follow theGR®430for about 100 metres. At the Les Champs signpost (altitude 1165), turn right onto aPR® path. Pass through Bellevue and continue on thePR® to the south-west.

(4) At the Les Croizières signpost, turn left (south) onto the D530. After about 50 metres, at the Chante-Aucel signpost, turn left off this road and continue straight ahead on a path. Join the D214 and follow it to the right for about 350 metres.

(5) Before a left turn in the road, turn left at an acute angle and follow a path down into the valley. At the end of the bridge over the stream, follow the path on the right that climbs up to a paved road. Follow this road to the left for about 50 metres.

(6) At the Le Val d'Or signpost, follow theGR® 430 trail to the right. At a crossroads, continue straight ahead on theGR® trail and descend to the hamlet of Bobignieux.

(7) Leave theGR® trail that branches off to the right and continue left on the paved road. Follow this road, passing through Le Besset, and reach the D532 at the Gougardière signpost.

(8) Then take the path climbing up to the left (the GPX track avoids the D532). Climb this path for a long time, ignoring the paths branching off to the sides.

(9) At the Les Traverses signpost, the path becomes less steep. Walk along the cemetery (on your right) before arriving at Lalouvesc and its basilica.

(10) Cross the village by taking the main road on the left and return to the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 1,081 m - Place du Lac
  2. 1 : km 0.47 - alt. 1,107 m - Rochelipe
  3. 2 : km 1.91 - alt. 1,135 m - Mont Chaix East signpost
  4. 3 : km 3.22 - alt. 1,174 m - Mont Chaix West signpost
  5. 4 : km 4.36 - alt. 1,124 m - Les Croizières
  6. 5 : km 5.46 - alt. 1,063 m - Start of the trail
  7. 6 : km 6.13 - alt. 1,042 m - Signpost Le Val d'Or
  8. 7 : km 7.56 - alt. 980 m - Bobignieux
  9. 8 : km 9.42 - alt. 1,020 m - Gougardières
  10. 9 : km 10.65 - alt. 1,129 m - Les Traverses
  11. 10 : km 11.18 - alt. 1,081 m - Basilica
  12. S/E : km 11.53 - alt. 1,081 m - Place du Lac

Notes

This hike is not too long and only presents one difficulty at the end of the route with a fairly long climb. It is mostly shaded, so the heat is bearable. However, don't forget to bring water. You can also bring a picnic. Note that the water from the Saint-Régis fountain is drinkable and cool.

As this is a loop, you can start the hike from any point. You can also reverse the route described, in which case the long climb becomes a long sandy and stony descent.

 Always be cautious and plan ahead when you're outdoors. Visorando and the author of this route cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurring on this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

Downloads
Open in the mobile app
Download GPX GPX
Download PDF PDF

Reviews and comments

4.6 / 5
Based on 29 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.7 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.7 / 5
Route interest
4.3 / 5
User 528753

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 18, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

We enjoyed the shade during this hike in the intense heat. The trail can be shortened at several points, which is reassuring when hiking with people who are less experienced. There aren't many views, but the landscape is pleasant nonetheless. We were satisfied and were able to visit Lalouvesc at the end of the afternoon.

Machine-translated

User 3777566

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 11, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Beautiful hike around Lalouvesc
Elevation gain at the end of the route

Machine-translated

Lisa26
Lisa26

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 02, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike with no particular difficulties, except perhaps the climb up Mont Besset, but this isn't very long. There are lovely views of the valley and the trails are often shaded, making it ideal in summer

Machine-translated

Marcopaulo
Marcopaulo

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 18, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike, mostly in the shade, so it can be done in summer. There are some interesting views of the Alps. A few climbs, but none of them difficult.

Machine-translated

pallandre chantal
pallandre chantal

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 18, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

a pleasant route with mostly shaded trails and beautiful views. The final climb is a little dry but not too challenging, and since it's a hike, there are some sections that are less easy. It took us a little over three hours, so we were able to picnic in the beautiful village park.
Thanks to the author.

Machine-translated

philkikou
philkikou

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 12, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike with the only difficulty being the climb up Mont Besset and a short stretch of road before the climb. I really liked the view from Rochelipe and the Val d'Or valley with the Afars and the explanation about the Val d'Or crossing route. From Lalouvesc, I preferred to take Rue de la Fontaine to get to this point

Machine-translated

Vonvon
Vonvon

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 24, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant hike with a few changes to the directions.
Signpost No. 7 is marked Les Sagnes Nord GR 430 and not Bobignieux, which is No. 8 and indicates Lalouvesc 3.5 km via Le Besset.
No. 9 is marked Gougardières (Chemin Sainte Thérèse Couder).
Signpost No. 10 indicates Les Traverses. The path descends for 200 metres to join a small tarmac road on the left which arrives overlooking the cemetery.
The road joins Lalouvesc centre, passes in front of the Basilica and continues along the road until you reach the car park. 350 metres away is the Saint Régis fountain, which has clear, pure water.

Machine-translated

sablonnais
sablonnais

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 01, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

beautiful hike, fairly shaded route, despite a section of tarmac on the way back.

Machine-translated

peyreg
peyreg

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 20, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful course with views across the village.
A magnificent viewpoint overlooking the Alps and the Ardèche mountains.
Due to the children ☹️, we shortened the route from 6 to 10, so no Mont Besset for us!

There's a lovely playground and picnic area in Lalouvesc that's worth noting.

Thanks for the walk!!

Machine-translated

leodu007
leodu007

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 20, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

The first part of the hike is very pleasant, with beautiful paths and excellent views. However, the rest is much less enjoyable, as the route follows too many paved roads, which is really the main drawback of this hike.

Apart from that, the route is relatively easy to follow, except at points 4 and 8.

At point 4, it says to go "straight ahead", but you actually need to turn left immediately after passing the Chante-Aucel signpost.

At point 8, the explanations provided on the GPX route are unclear.

Despite a few places that are not as good as the rest, the hike is still very enjoyable.

Machine-translated

Lenam96
Lenam96

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 03, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk, done with 7 kilos on my back for training, in 4 hours and 5 minutes, which is the estimated time, including short breaks. There were a lot of rocks, which wasn't pleasant after a while, but the walk was really nice with views of Lalouvesc from all angles. Thank you!

Machine-translated

randocalou
randocalou

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 25, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

please note that logging is currently underway in the Besset and Chaix mountains, and sometimes the marker posts and signposts may be hidden or even on the ground.

Machine-translated

RANDONNEUR3807
RANDONNEUR3807

Thank you, Claire Flu. I am also in my seventies. Although I really like the Louvesc region and this short circuit, I think it should remain at medium difficulty because the weather conditions can sometimes make it more challenging.
Thank you for completing this route and for your feedback
Best regards, Randonneur 3807

Machine-translated

Claire Flu
Claire Flu

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 08, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A sunny and mild October day. A very pleasant hike with views of the Alps and Mezenc. We are in our seventies and not particularly fit, and it took us three hours to complete the circuit, which is rated as "moderate" (in my opinion, it could be rated "easy"). We had no difficulty climbing the last section, which was described as challenging at the end of the route.

Machine-translated

JAKO 07
JAKO 07

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 02, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

A very beautiful (family-friendly) hike around Lalouvesc with stunning views of the village and St Régis Basilica... What's more, the route is very shaded, which we appreciated in the heatwave! The signposting and explanations were excellent, the only downside being the tarmac between points 7 and 8 and the steep, rocky climb between points 8 and 9. With the heat, we couldn't see Mont Blanc, but the Vercors on one side and the view of the Gerbier des Joncs and the Mézenc on the other more than made up for it... Highly recommended, with either a tart or blueberry ice cream at the finish!

Machine-translated

Other walks in the area

Walking From Lalouvesc to the Croix des Tramezières

Visorando member
De Lalouvesc à la Croix des Tramezières
↔17.98 km ↗+645 m ↘-637 m ◔7h 00 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Lalouvesc (Ardèche)
Hike between mountains and valleys on the edge of the Ardèche, with the religious heritage of the village of Lalouvesc, a place of pilgrimage dedicated to Saint-Jean-François Régis and Sister Thérèse Couderc. At the end of the route, cross the wind farm.

Walking Peaks around Pailharès

Visorando member
Sommets autour de Pailharès
↔17.04 km ↗+606 m ↘-613 m ◔6h 35 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Pailharès (Ardèche)
From the village of Pailharès at 690 m to the Buisson, Faux and Marchand passes via the Serre du Sardier at 1200 m. Discover the Ardèche landscape stretching to the edges of the Mézenc and Gerbier de Jonc massifs.

Walking The Col du Marchand from Pailharès

Local authority
Le Col du Marchand depuis Pailharès
↔10.55 km ↗+430 m ↘-433 m ◔4h 15 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Pailharès (Ardèche)
A very pleasant hike with remarkable views. The climb to the Col du Marchand is along beautiful trails winding through dense forests and open pastures, offering a peaceful and varied atmosphere. Once at the pass, the route continues towards the Sardier massif, where a superb panorama opens up over the surrounding area. The descent passes through the hamlets of Les Bauds and Nectardechois, adding an authentic touch to the route. This is a pleasant, well-balanced hike that is particularly remarkable for its many viewpoints.

Walking Around Saint-Symphorien-de-Mahun

Visorando member
Autour de Saint-Symphorien-de-Mahun
↔10.71 km ↗+494 m ↘-494 m ◔4h 30 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Saint-Symphorien-de-Mahun (Ardèche)
A walk around Saint-Symphorien-de-Mahun alternates between forest undergrowth and flower-filled meadows, high altitude with panoramic views and bucolic valleys, century-old forest paths built stone by stone by hand and those made with bulldozers. In places, it feels like you are walking on a green carpet. Let yourself be surprised by the diversity of the places and landscapes.

Walking From Brudon to Sauze

Local authority
De Brudon à Sauze
↔3.38 km ↗+125 m ↘-128 m ◔1h 20 ▲Easy
⚑Departure from Vaudevant (Ardèche)
Starting from the village of Vaudevant, this pleasant loop takes you on a journey of discovery through varied and peaceful countryside. The trail alternates between high ground, offering beautiful views of the Ardèche hills, and shaded passages through the undergrowth, ideal for enjoying a little coolness. You will pass through the hamlets of Brudon and Sauze, which bear witness to the local rural heritage, before returning leisurely to the starting point. Easily accessible and without any major difficulties, this walk is suitable for anyone looking to enjoy a beautiful break in the heart of the Ardèche countryside.

Walking The Screes and Mont Chaix

Visorando member
Les Chirats et le Mont Chaix
↔24.82 km ↗+893 m ↘-898 m ◔9h 40 ▲Difficult
⚑Departure from Saint-Symphorien-de-Mahun (Ardèche)
An oppidum, a mushroom discovery trail and a 12th-century church punctuate this superb route, which promises beautiful panoramic views from the heights of the various screes and Mont Chaix overlooking the Ay valley.

Walking From Saint Félicien to Vaudevant

Local authority
De Saint Félicien à Vaudevant
↔5.92 km ↗+195 m ↘-197 m ◔2h 15 ▲Easy
⚑Departure from Saint-Félicien (Ardèche)
This charming loop, starting from Saint-Félicien, takes you on a journey of discovery through authentic landscapes and a charming rural heritage. Following quiet paths, you will first plunge into the Vivance valley, a green setting where the river winds peacefully between meadows and undergrowth. This shady, refreshing passageway offers a moment of true serenity in the heart of nature. Continuing on your way, you will reach the picturesque village of Vaudevant. Nestled in the hills of the Ardèche, this small village charms visitors with its character, old stones, narrow streets and authentic atmosphere. The return to Saint-Félicien is gentle, with the rolling hills of the Haut-Vivarais as a backdrop. An accessible walk, both bucolic and cultural, ideal for getting some fresh air while discovering a preserved local heritage.

Walking Panoramic view from Grand Felletin

Visorando member
Panorama depuis le Grand Felletin
↔4.98 km ↗+338 m ↘-388 m ◔2h 25 ▲Easy
⚑Departure from Saint-Julien-Molhesabate (Haute-Loire)
A pleasant little walk along a wide forest path, surrounded by tall pine trees, to the Grand Felletin orientation table and the magnificent panorama that can be seen from there. In September, take a basket with you, as there are mushrooms to be found.

For more walks, use our search engine .

The GPS track and description are the property of this route's author. Please do not copy them without permission.