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The gymnasium car park is located at the entrance to the village when coming from Châteauneuf-de-Galaure. Use the car park at the rear so as not to inconvenience regular users of the sports complex.
(S/E) Continue on foot towards Châteauneuf-de-Galaure. Ignore the return road coming from the right and continue straight ahead.
(1) At the four-way intersection, turn left onto Chemin des Faisans, which leads to a small ford crossing the Ruisseau du Bancel stream.
(2) Cross the ford; the path is no longer paved. The slope is quite steep (10% for the first 600 metres), but it soon levels out and becomes easier, disappearing before thesecond kilometre. You will reach a crossroads that marks the end of the steep slope.
(3) Take the path on the left, which climbs a little less steeply and further on crosses another path, the "Chemin de la Faite", which is part of the Grande Boucle des Collines. Behind this crossroads, you will see a fire hydrant. Continue left along the ridge and, after 500m of flat path, you will arrive at a hunter's hut.
(4) Be careful, less than 100 metres after this hut, take the path on the left that descends towards a place called Le Télégraphe, where it joins a tarmac road.
(5) Leave this road immediately and turn left again onto the Chemin des Bois Rotis. You are now in the woods, on a relatively flat section, then the path begins to descend. After 100 metres, the woods on the left give way to a field.
(6) Take the path that descends to the left, which first runs alongside the woods and then separates two fields. Please note that this path does not appear on IGN maps. However, it does exist and joins another path further down, which is well marked on the map.
Cross the Ruisseau du Bancel stream again to pass in front of a building on the left that looks like both an old farm and an old chapel. It is indeed an old chapel.
Continue on, cross the D132 road with caution and take the path directly opposite. Be sure to turn around to see the ruins of Mantaille Castle behind you. A fable refers to this castle as the castle of "Bluebeard".
(7) Start this new climb and at the first fork, take the path on the left. At the second fork, take the path on the right. At the top, follow the fence on the left to reach the tarmac road.
(8) Follow the road to the right, pass a chicken coop, and take the first path on the left (about 150m), the Chemin de Chalandard. Climb up to the farm, towards the woods on the ridge (altitude 332m).
(9) Just after the farm, a path descends to the left. If you are tired, you can descend directly to the village of Mantaille and save a good two kilometres.
For others, continue along Chemin de Cogne, which starts a wide loop to the right. Join the tarmac section, Chemin des Teppes et Moilles, then take the road on the left for about 100m.
(10) Turn left, then right onto Impasse des Moilles. This path gradually descends to the hamlet of Les Billes.
Cross another small ford, then walk alongside a horse farm before arriving at the D132 at the bottom of the descent.
Turn left to return to the village of Mantaille and the gymnasium car park (S/E)
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