The Serre de La Roue from Saint-Barthélémy-Grozon

Start from the village of Saint-Barthélémy-de-Grozon, south-east of Lamastre and north of Vernoux-en-Vivarais.
Access from the Rhône Valley via Saint-Jean-de-Muzols on the D238 towards Saint-Barthélémy-le-Plain, then Colombier-Le-Jeune and Gilhoc-sur-Ormèze, before reaching Saint-Barthélémy-Grozon.
Park in the village of Saint-Barthélémy to the north, below the village near the football ground.

(S/E) Head up towards the town hall and the D533, which runs through the village.

(1) Turn left onto the D533 . Watch out for traffic. After 200 m, where the road bends left and faces some houses, leave the road and take a sharp right onto an old track leading up into the forest. Reach the old hamlet of Saint-Barthélémy and walk past the church on your right. 30 m after the church, turn left onto Rue du Calvaire to reach a road.

(2) Cross it and head straight on along the road leading down towards the valley. The road then becomes a track climbing up towards a road. Follow the road to the right. After a bend in the road to the left and near houses on the left, you’ll reach a crossroads.

(3) Take this track to the right into the forest for 600 m. Before reaching a stream and the blocked track 50 m further on, turn left and head uphill along an old, barely marked track that has become a path. Follow the path for 400 m, emerging onto a grassy area opposite some houses and reaching a road.

(4) Take this road to the right. Ignore a path branching off to the left towards Le Grand Clot farm and the road branching off to the left towards Le Bois Du Champ. Walk alongside redberry plantations on either side of the road. Ignore the road climbing to the left towards La Grangette. Reach a pass and a crossroads at a place called Les Hières.

(5) At the junction 30 m before the road branching off to the right, leave the road and take the path climbing steeply to the left towards the forest. Cross a fairly short, very stony section. You will reach a flatter area near the house known as La Grange Des Hières. After 500 m, you will reach the junction with^{the GRP®} Tour du Pays de Vernoux.

(6) Turn left here and follow the red and yellow markings. 700 m further on, ignore a path branching off to the right and continue along the ridge. You will reach a new junction in a steep, bare meadow.

(7) Leave the^GRP® here and take the path on the right, climbing up through the meadow along the path in a straight line towards the forest. Cross a short stony section and continue along the gently sloping path towards a large rock offering a beautiful view; this is the Serre de La Roue.

(8) Return via the same route to the previous junction.

(7) This time, take the^GRP® to the right. After 500 m, ignore a path branching off to the left and head right along the^GRP®. You will reach a road and a major junction at a place called Chiregros.

(9) Cross the road and, almost directly opposite, continue along the^GRP®. Head uphill through the forest. After 1000 m, you’ll reach a four-way junction at a place called Fouillouse.

(10) Leave the^GRP® here and head straight ahead to reach a tarmac section 100 m further on. Follow the road for 150 m, then when it turns right, head straight ahead along the path at the edge of the meadow. You will reach a road.

(11) Turn left onto it and follow it for 1,200 m, passing Serre du Truc. Pass close to the Lespinas farm on the right, ignoring the path leading to it. Walk past a house on the left and, 50 m after the house, reach a crossroads.

(12) Take the road on the left. Pass close to the beautiful stone farmhouse at Rouméas on the left. After the farmhouse, the road becomes a dirt track which you should follow without hesitation until you reach a road near Chalamet.

(13) Continue along the road on the left towards the hamlet for 100 m. Before reaching the houses, leave the tarmac and turn right onto a path running along the edge of a meadow. Enter the forest. Ignore a path branching off to the right and continue straight downhill towards the meadows. Reach a road and follow it to the right for 150 m. Walk past the houses in Teyssonnier on your left.

(14) Immediately afterwards, take the path on the right. Walk past a farm building. This path joins the D533 at Grozon. Take great care here due to traffic.

(15) Turn right onto this road towards the centre of the hamlet. Pass by the fountain on the right near the Temple. At the next junction, turn left onto Rue de l’Église. You’ll arrive opposite the church, which is worth a visit. Walk past the church on the right through the grassy area and go down the embankment towards the road. Take the road on the left. Cross the stream Le Grozon. The road then begins to climb. Ignore two roads branching off to the left in succession, the second of which is after a large cross in the meadow. After this second road, continue uphill for 400 m until the road takes a sharp left-hand bend.

(16) Leave the road and follow the path to the right. Ignore a path leading uphill to the left. You will reach a tarmac section near some houses. After 100 m on the tarmac amongst the houses, take a road to the left for 10 m, then immediately take the path to the right towards the forest. After 200 m, you will reach a path.

(17) Take the path on the left. When the path curves to the right towards the house, leave this path and take a much less defined grassy path on the left. This path heads left then curves back to the right at the house. At the house, head left uphill towards the forest. Follow the clear path for 500 m until you reach the Les Layes farmstead, situated below on the right. Ignore two paths leading uphill to the left towards farm buildings and a path leading downhill to the right towards the meadow. Continue through the forest, passing below the farm buildings. Leave the forest and ignore a path coming round the bend from the right. After 100 m, ignore the path leading straight ahead and head right to reach a road.

(18) Cross the road and continue along the path opposite. Follow it almost in a straight line, ignoring paths branching off to the right and left. You will reach a wider path; follow it to the right for 200 m. When the path curves slightly to the left, leave it and take the path winding down to the right towards the house at Fontbonne. You will reach the road leading to this house.

(19) Take the sharp left-hand bend and pass between the buildings. Follow this fairly flat, wide track to a road and the Col de Mazel. First, walk past the Les Girards house on the right, a typical cottage with its flower pots made from old cooking pots. At the crossroads on the pass, cross the D238 road and take the track leading uphill opposite. After 50 m, ignore a path branching off to the right, then, 50 m further on, ignore the path leading towards the farm buildings. On the level stretch, ignore a path coming down from the right. Reach a bend in the road.

(20) Take the road to the left and, after 200 m near the houses, leave the road to follow the path opposite, running alongside the houses now on your left. Continue along the path and cross the forest. You will reach a road at a place called Le Grand Champ and walk between the buildings. After 250 m, ignore a road branching off to the right. Then, 200 m further on, ignore another turn-off to the right and continue downhill.

(21) At the next junction 200 m further on, head downhill at a right angle to the left. After another 200 m on the road, just as the road curves to the left, take the stony path leading steeply downhill to the right. You will reach a road and a bridge opposite. Turn right and cross the rest area, then the footbridge, to climb up towards the village and return to the car park of the Saint-Barthélémy football stadium (S/E).

No water sources apart from those near houses

The villages of Saint-Barthélémy and Grozon.
The old church of Saint-Barthélémy.
The chestnut groves towards Le Grand Clot.
Views of the Mézenc Massif and the Vernoux region from the ridge of the Serre de La Roue.
Beautiful restored stone houses.
In the village of Grozon, don’t miss: the beautiful fortified house, the fountain, the temple and the church.
Beautiful views from the Serre des Fourches near the Col Du Mazel.