The Bois du Ban

Car park at the foot of the path.
A short, gentle circular loop – I usually do it in low-cut walking shoes, with a rucksack and, often, my daughter on my shoulders.

Details

n°71628

Creation:
27 Jul 2014

Last update:
02 Sep 2026

Last review:
11 May 2026

Activity: Walking
Distance: 4.26 mi
Average duration: 2h 40
Difficulty: Easy
Back to start: Yes
Ascent: + 823 ft
Descent: - 810 ft
Highest point: 2,470 ft
Lowest point: 1,755 ft

Country: France
Areas: Massif central, Massif du Pilat
City: Sainte-Croix-en-Jarez (42800)
Start/End: N 45.46056° / E 4.619516°
IGN map(s): Ref. 2933ET
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Description of the walk

(S) Take the D7 to La Croix du Mazet, which is situated at the junction leading to Les Trèves and Le Grand Valluy. Park in the car park, which can accommodate around 10 vehicles; this car park is located at the start of the path.
Head up the small hill opposite for a few hundred metres. You’ll reach the first junction.

(1) Turn left (the return route is on your right).
Climb gently to the highest point, Le Sud, with the Crêt de Monthieux opposite.
Views of the surrounding area: Fonsala, Saint Paul en Jarez, La Terrasse sur Dorlay and Farnay.

(2) Begin a steep, somewhat stony descent. You’ll reach a junction where the track meets the path, following a small flat stretch.

(3) Take the footpath on the right. After two circular bends, you’ll reach a tarmac section.

(4) Head off to the right (straight ahead) towards the hamlet of Ban, a few hundred metres away.
In Ban, turn right (with the riding school on your right) and then left behind the building.
The tarmac continues for a little while longer. Steep climb, right-hand hairpin bend; pass a house below on your right and arrive at a fork in the road with a dead-end road on your right.
Turn left. Continue along the path through the woods until you reach a large junction where there is a designated picnic area.

(5) Turn onto the path on the right. Carry on southwards to return to the original crossroads.

(1) Take the same path as on the way there to return to the car park (E).

Waypoints

S/E : mi 0 - alt. 2,136 ft - La Croix du Mazet car park
1 : mi 0.15 - alt. 2,192 ft - Original crossroads
2 : mi 0.75 - alt. 2,470 ft - The South
3 : mi 1.71 - alt. 1,939 ft - Crossroads at the plateau
4 : mi 2.3 - alt. 1,772 ft - Crossroads towards Le Ban
5 : mi 3.4 - alt. 2,165 ft - Picnic area
S/E : mi 4.26 - alt. 2,136 ft - La Croix du Mazet car park

Notes

Remember to bring sun cream and hats in case of sunshine, as the entire section to Ban is exposed.

Worth a visit

The village of Sainte-Croix-en-Jarez is very close by

Reviews and comments

4.1 / 5

Based on 13 reviews

Reliability of the description
3.9 / 5

Ease of following the route
4.5 / 5

Route interest
4 / 5

User 29273453

11 May 2026 at 10:11 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 11, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely, refreshing little walk. Beautiful scenery. Suitable for beginners.

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Azimut71

19 May 2023 at 15:56 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 24, 2023
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 a few steep hills.
You can also reach Croix du Mazet via La Terrasse-sur-Dorlay and the D7 (M7).

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xmar

22 Nov 2021 at 08:23 3600

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

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

Beautiful views in the first part, but the route mainly consists of wide forest tracks and not many footpaths, which makes the walk less enjoyable.
After point 4, you can take a shortcut via a path at the entrance to the hamlet to avoid a section of tarmac road.

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franfran69

20 Jul 2020 at 21:56 7200

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 20, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Nice hike, sunny all the way to the point (4).
It took us exactly two hours. Easy terrain.
You can forget about the picnic area at the end of the point (4) as it is in poor condition.
However, right at the point (3), there is a nice picnic table in very good condition and sheltered. It's a little at the beginning of the hike, but it's still there.
No issues with the route tracking on the Visorando app.

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mfreyschmidt

11 Sep 2018 at 06:42 7200

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 11, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average

It would be helpful to specify the directions to take according to the signs on the sites rather than "right path" or "path going uphill".

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Clovisramboz

22 May 2018 at 14:14 7200

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 22, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

We start the route with a steep climb followed by a steep descent... I did it in reverse and we finished with a beautiful view of Pilat: 2:05 min.
It's a lovely walk that we thoroughly enjoyed.

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holatourne

16 Apr 2018 at 10:01 7200

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 13, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Hello
The route isn't too difficult, with just enough elevation gain to get your blood pumping.
Took 2 hours and 15 minutes walking briskly, so 2 hours and 35 minutes is a very good estimate.
The views aren't exceptional, but it's a nice half-day trip, especially if you live nearby and don't necessarily want to climb up to Bessat.
Be careful when you get to BAN, you have to go to the right (behind) the houses. If you get distracted chatting, you can get caught out and end up on another path, but the GPS track will correct you straight away.
A good route... for families or... the over-60s (like me).
Thanks to the author. Pierre

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gazok54

26 Feb 2018 at 16:35 3600

Thank you, sully38200
Please feel free to send us your suggestions for improving the description of this passage. The author or we ourselves will adapt the description if necessary.

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sully38200

26 Feb 2018 at 16:09 3600

Overall rating : 2.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 25, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

The first description was "take the front", which was incorrect, so we went in the wrong direction. We did it again a second time, this time taking the right direction, and it was very good.

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gazok54

25 Nov 2016 at 18:49 3600

Hello everyone
Waypoints and details to help you locate the starting point have been added to the description. This should help you find your way around more easily.

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gazok54

19 Apr 2016 at 18:56 7200

No problem, Mireille, we're here to help you if you encounter any issues.

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mireille.manseau

18 Apr 2016 at 21:33 7200

Well, it's me again.
I had to check the site again because... the IGN map is indeed accurate
Everything was there.
Excuse me, I'm really just starting out.

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gazok54

18 Apr 2016 at 19:18 7200

Thank you, Mireille, for your explanations.
The IGN map is THE reference map for all walkers. As you may have noticed, Visorando offers a PDF document for all selected hikes. This document provides a copy of the description and the IGN map extract corresponding to the hike. If you have the technical means to edit it, you should do so before you leave.
See you soon.

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mireille.manseau

18 Apr 2016 at 17:19 7200 • Edited: 25 Nov 2016 at 18:29 3600

Thank you very much for your reply.
I didn't have an IGN map.
Is it mandatory?
That's a shame.
I don't want to cause any harm to this free site.
It's just that I'm new to this. These are mistakes of youth.
I couldn't rate the other sections impartially! I couldn't find anything
See you next time

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gazok54

28 Mar 2016 at 13:50 7200

Thank you, Mireille Manseau, but so far no one has mentioned any problems finding the starting point. La Croix du Mazet is clearly marked on the IGN map. To hike in good conditions, you theoretically need the IGN map, not Google Maps. Did you have it with you?
Sainte Croix en Jarez is nearly 2 km from the indicated starting point, so I don't understand why you parked there.
Your rating of "Very disappointing" across all categories is, in my opinion, very disappointing and not very encouraging for the author of the hike who, whatever you may think, has taken the trouble to describe it. You've just registered on the site, so I encourage you to submit your walks for moderation. You'll see how difficult it is to write in a way that everyone can understand.
However, this hike is a little outdated and could do with a revamp. I'll put it aside and take care of it soon.

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Author

retiaire
1 Route

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