Le Puy-en-Velay - Monastier-sur-Gazeille

Departure from Le-Puy-en-Velay station.

(S) Leaving the station, turn left into Avenue Charles Dupuy, then left again into Rue Monseigneur Norbert Rousseau. This brings you to the signposted "Chemin de Stevenson". At the end of this street, turn left over the bridge over the railroad tracks and continue straight ahead. After just over 100 m, turn right onto Avenue d'Ours Mons, which you climb for just over 500 m. Then turn right onto Rue Edouard Estaunie, which you follow for about 100 m to reach the Rue des Sources - Chemin de Bel Air crossroads.

(1) Take the Chemin de Bel Air, which rises to the left after the swimming pool (Centre Aqualudique La Vague), just after the red hydrant. After 100 m of asphalt, a track leads you to a Y-junction. Take another track to the right, following the modified itinerary due to road repairs on the Le Puy bypass. After 200 m, you come to a small road on the right, which you follow for just under 250 m, passing under the high-voltage power line.

(2) Leave the road and take the path to the right. Pass under the high-voltage power line again and follow the signs while enjoying the view of Le Puy-en-Velay as you go. After half a loop, you come to the Chemin du Bouchetaud, which you turn right onto. Follow it for about 300 m.

(3) Turn left (shortly after a green tunnel shed) at the Y-junction onto the path ahead. Follow this path along the first soccer pitch, and immediately afterwards, reach the Rue du Stade in Taulhac, opposite a second soccer pitch. Take this road to the left, then pass under the bridge of the new Le-Puy-en-Velay bypass. Continue along Rue du Stade until you reach Avenue des Estelles. Turn left into an industrial estate to follow Avenue des Estelles for 200 m, then turn right into Rue J.A. Cubizolle. At the end of the street, turn left into Rue Louis Jonget, then right into Rue H. Malègue.

(4) Leave the industrial estate (SGEV site, water management company) and continue straight ahead along the path next to a double electricity pole. You have now rejoined the normal route of the Chemin de Stevenson.
Go down this path and after 500 m enter a wood as the path bends to the right. Continue downhill for around 900 m to enter Volhac - Coubon on the Chemin de Taulhac. You arrive at the Place de la Gare, where you cross the Voie Verte for bicycles. Follow a short section (100 m) of the Route de la Gare (D38) to the left.

(5) Turn left onto Route de la Chabanne. At the bottom of this road, turn left onto Rue J.B. Lully, walk about 100 m then turn right to continue down the Montée des Mourgues, and finally turn right for a short distance into Route de Brive. You'll come to the bridge over the Loire at Coubon.

(6) Cross it. You then pass the Place de la Paix, which you leave to take the Route de Dempeyre (D87) direction Chadron / Monastier, next to the Crédit Agricole branch). Follow this road for 200 m, passing the pharmacy, then on the bend turn right onto the Route de l'Olme (direction Les Cabarets, La Planche).

(7) After 450 m, shortly after a cross (by Petalou) next to a yew hedge, continue along this road by turning right at the Y-intersection. After 200 m, pass a cemetery and keep the same direction (L'Olme, Les Cabarets, La Planche). The small road (which you don't leave) then twists and turns for 1400-1500 m, crossing a small wood and gradually bending to the left to reach the hamlet of L'Olme (also written L'Holme). Pass the old wash-house and get to the center of the hamlet.

(8) Turn left onto a small road ("Stevenson" sign clearly visible on the electric post), which becomes a path after 500 m. Keep this path until it becomes a road again before reaching the D37 at a crossroads with an old cross on your left ; you are now on the outskirts of Archinaud.

(9) Continue straight ahead for just under 2 km, paying no attention to the other paths left and right.

(10) At the Y-junction, turn left into the woods. After 800 m, turn right staying in the woods, which you leave after 500 m (you've passed some old quarries on your right). Reach the hamlet of l'Herm : attention from this point onwards, a new modification to the official itinerary has been made.

(11) To follow it, once in the hamlet take the first path on the right and follow it straight on to reach another hamlet, le Mont. As you approach the first houses, you come to a small curved road which you take to the left.

(12) Turn right to cross the hamlet on this little road till it the bends (on your left is a small children's playground). At this point, leave the road and take the path between the playground and what looks like a sand bowling green. Follow this path (which passes close to an antenna) until you reach the entrance to Monastier-sur-Gazeille at the junction of Rue Chamarier and Avenue du Puy - D27.

(13) Turn right onto Avenue du Puy to cross the village, passing the cemetery and the fire station, then follow Rue Langlade all the way to the old abbey church on your left, which is the finishing point of this stage (E).

(6) In Coubon, lunchtime restaurant and pharmacy.
(E) Various shops and accommodations in Monastier.

(S) We recommend arriving in Le Puy-en-Velay the day before to visit the town and its monuments, especially the cathedral, the starting point of one of the routes to Santiago de Compostela.

(E) Also worth seeing on arrival : Monastier and its old town (church, castle, etc.).
Enjoy the rolling Velay countryside, with views over Le-Puy-en-Velay and the Haute-Loire valley.