The route is signposted along almost its entire length and follows, in particular, severalGR®® trails (GR®®7–GR®®420,GR®®73) as well as theGRP®® “Tour du Mézenc-Gerbier”.
It starts a few metres from the houses in the hamlet of Chantemerle, in front of a stone cross (parking available on site) by the side of the D274 road.
(S/E) Follow theGR®®7(red and white markings) past the houses in Chantemerle and head up the D274 road.
(1) Turn right onto the path leading to a paragliding launch site. Follow theGR®®, which turns left after the car park to rejoin the road further up. Continue up this road and, after a right-hand bend, follow theGR®® along a track to the left which rejoins the road at La Roche Pointue.
(2) Leave the road behind, following theGR®® at right angles to it. Climb up and go round the Grosse Roche, keeping it on your left. You’ll reach a junction near the Grosse Roche.
(3) Carry on straight ahead along a grassy path at the edge of the woods. Ignore theGR®® which turns right onto the track. The path joins theGRP®® (red and yellow markings) at a sharp bend. Carry on straight ahead for a few dozen metres until you reach the triangulation point.
(4) Enjoy the unobstructed view of the Alps. Retrace your steps, then follow theGRP®® straight ahead, which takes a straight track through the forest. The track joins theGR®® that you left behind further down and climbs with it to the Croix de Peccata.
(5) Turn left onto the wide, signposted path leading to the summit of Mont Mézenc. The path climbs steeper and steeper and emerges from the forest.
(6) It joins another path coming from the right of the Croix de Boutières. Take this path, which descends past a scree slope before entering the forest again.
(7) After several hairpin bends, you’ll reach the Col de la Croix de Boutières, where you’ll join the road and theGR®®73. Head down the road to the left, following theGR®®, until you reach the hairpin bend.
(8) Opposite, still following theGR®®, take the track which climbs slightly before levelling out. Enter the woodland and descend via a few hairpin bends. One of the last hairpin bends on the right leads off to the access path for the ruined Gandoulet farm. Leave the woodland, cross some old meadows and join the D410.
(9) Follow this for about 1 km. You will then reach the access road to the Médille stopover lodge at the pass of the same name.
(10). Do not head towards the farm, but instead take the path opposite, between the two roads, which crosses the meadows, reaches the edge of the woods, and leads to a small pass
(11) Here, be sure to visit the windograph by taking a path that climbs to the right (footpaths and ‘Le Pays du Vent’ signposts are clearly marked). The path continues along the ridge and leads to the famous windograph. Enjoy the exceptional view, then retrace your steps to return to the small pass.
(11) Head down the track to the right following theGR®®73, but leave it at the first junction on the left to take a good path through the woods. Climb gently at first, then steeply, before following the contour line to reach another small pass and theGR®®73.
(12) From there, head slightly down to the left along theGR®® and join a small road in front of the isolated Cris house.
(13) Head back up this road to the left and return to Chantemerle and the starting point.
(S/E) The route ends with a loop around Mont Signon. To do this, follow the D274 road towards Chaudeyrolles. Turn left, then right, and make the most of the descent to admire the peatlands (peat bogs) situated within an ancient, almost perfectly circular volcano.
(14) Before reaching the small road that climbs back up towards the church, take a path on the right which passes a few houses and leads to the village centre at a large car park. You’ll join theGR®®7. Follow it to the left, then right twice to climb into the village and reach a junction near a pylon and a statue of the Virgin Mary.
(15) Leave theGR®® here, which heads off to the left, and take the path opposite that climbs towards Mont Signon, marked in yellow. From there, you’ll soon reach the woods.
At the three-way junction, do not follow the right-hand branch which climbs to Mont Signon; instead, continue along the wide path which skirts around it, following the contour line. As you emerge from the woods, the path joins the yellow-marked trail coming from Mont Signon. Follow this trail downwards to a crossroads.
(16) Ignore all markings and carry on straight ahead on the flat. The path joins theGR®®7and, after a short descent, soon leads to the Croix de Chantemerle (S/E).
A visit to the wind gauge is not to be missed!