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From the town centre, follow the D589, overlooking a tennis court, towards Le Puy-en-Velay.
(1) Before the last houses, leave the D589 and follow a small tarmac road downhill to the right.
(2) Cross the footbridge over the Rouchoux stream and take a moment to admire the old Pique-Meule mill. Begin the climb by following the winding path that ascends through the woods to join a wide, flat path running perpendicular to it.
(:3) Turn right and continue climbing to the village of Le Chier. Cross the village centre, passing in front of the town hall (covered picnic tables nearby). Continue straight ahead to reach the D589.
(4) Cross the D589 (take care!) to begin a long climb up the small road opposite. Continue straight ahead on the tarmac road until you reach the edge of the forest.
(5) Enter the woods by following the dirt track that continues from the road.
(6) At the intersection with a road, follow the road to the left for about 170 metres. Leave this road and take the second path on the right (the entrance to this path is just before a clearly visible information table on the right-hand side of the road) to walk along Lac de l'Oeuf.
(7) Ignore the first grassy path on the left in a bend.
(8) You will come to a crossroads with a signpost marked "La Baraque alt. 1810m". Ignore the path on the right and continue straight ahead. Be careful, just after this, take the path on the left. After 850m, you will come out onto the road you left earlier.
Follow this road to the right for about 230m, then leave it by taking the first path on the left into the woods (at the signpost "Rougeac Le Clos des pierres rouges"). You will come to an intersection.
(9) Turn left to descend a path through the woods. On the descent, the path gives way to a tarmac road that leads to the hamlet of Dallas.
(10) Cross it to reach the D589. Cross it (carefully!) and follow the sign for "Le Villard".
(11) In the village of Le Villard, take the second tarmac road on the left. At the end of the village, 100 metres after the bend, take a path that descends to the left (signposted "Croix du Grand Rocher" at the entrance). At the bottom of the descent, the path makes a hairpin bend; follow it to the right to climb back up to an intersection. Turn right (ignore a path on the left that climbs) and continue for 50 metres to reach the crossroads you took on the way up.
(3) At the signpost, descend to the right on the path you took on the way up to return to the village of Saint-Privat d'Allier (S/E).
Visorando member
Moderate 
Difficult 
