The tour of the Mézenc from Chaudeyrolles

This walk around Mont Mézenc offers stunning views stretching far and wide in all directions: the Massif Central, the Ardèche, the Alps, the Pilat Massif… It is possible to climb Mont Mézenc during the route. The route offers the best possible view of the stunning Cirque des Boutières. The route also includes a walk through the village of Chaudeyrolles on the way back, as well as a loop around Mont Signon.

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 13.06 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 7h 40 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 1,867 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 1,857 ft

  • ▲
    Highest point: 5,472 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 4,163 ft

Photos

Description of the walk

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).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 4,347 ft - Chantemerle
  2. 1 : mi 0.65 - alt. 4,551 ft - Access track for gliding
  3. 2 : mi 1.49 - alt. 4,797 ft - La Roche Pointue
  4. 3 : mi 1.9 - alt. 4,911 ft - Junction after the Grosse Roche
  5. 4 : mi 2.23 - alt. 4,948 ft - Geodetic marker
  6. 5 : mi 3.72 - alt. 5,151 ft - Peccata Cross. Near the source of the - Lignon du Velay (rivière)
  7. 6 : mi 4.4 - alt. 5,469 ft - Final stretch - Mont Mézenc
  8. 7 : mi 5.37 - alt. 4,948 ft - Col de la Croix de Boutières (1502m)
  9. 8 : mi 5.47 - alt. 4,918 ft - Lacet. Near the source of the - Saliouse (cours d'eau)
  10. 9 : mi 6.84 - alt. 4,383 ft - Turn left onto the D410
  11. 10 : mi 7.62 - alt. 4,373 ft - Médille stopover lodge
  12. 11 : mi 8.07 - alt. 4,521 ft - Pass and wind gauge access
  13. 12 : mi 9.23 - alt. 4,455 ft - Junction with the GR73
  14. 13 : mi 9.55 - alt. 4,298 ft - Les Cris Turn left and cross the - Rimande (ruisseau)
  15. 14 : mi 10.67 - alt. 4,183 ft - Path on the right
  16. 15 : mi 11.03 - alt. 4,331 ft - Junction towards Vierge
  17. 16 : mi 12.26 - alt. 4,482 ft - Crossroads
  18. S/E : mi 13.06 - alt. 4,350 ft - Chantemerle

Notes

The Croix de Peccata (5) and the Croix de Boutières (just before (8)) are the only places where you’ll find other people on the route. These are two car parks that are usually packed, from which it’s easy to climb to the summit of Mont Mézenc.
It is, of course, possible to skip the circular route around Mont Signon at the end of the walk.

Worth a visit

After (1), a glider take-off point above the Chaudeyrolles peatland (you can walk up to the take-off point to admire the view).
At (2) there are bolted climbing routes.
Between (3) and (4) there are numerous patches of Arnica montana, a medicinal plant with a distinctive scent (please note: smell it but do not pick it!).
From (6) onwards, it is possible to reach the summit of Mont Mézenc (in fact, there are several summits to reach); allow 45 minutes in total.
After (8), enjoy the splendid views over the Cirque de Boutières and, further afield, Mont Gerbier des Joncs.
At (10) is the stopover lodge and guesthouse at the Médille farm.
After passing the starting point once more, on the way towards Chaudeyrolles, the peatland areas occupy an ancient crater known as a maar, the result of a so-called phreatomagmatic eruption (the interaction of water and magma).
At (16), you can head up to the right towards the summit of Mont Signon and enjoy the view and the numerous information boards explaining how slate was quarried. See the corresponding Visorando route.

Always be cautious and plan ahead when you're outdoors. Visorando and the author of this route cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurring on this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

Reviews and comments

4.7 / 5
Based on 24 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.5 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.6 / 5
Route interest
4.9 / 5
User 10185112

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 01, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Superb route.
I took the opportunity to make a little detour to the summit of Mezenc

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logocecile
logocecile

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 22, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very good description of this beautiful hike. The directions are concise and very clear, I never had any difficulty choosing the right route.
The hike is beautiful, even though the weather this weekend didn't allow me to enjoy the landscapes, which look magnificent. I split the hike into two days, stopping at the Médille farm (meal + overnight stay), which I highly recommend!

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le dav 42
le dav 42

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 15, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Superb route. Magnificent scenery, with a 360-degree view from the summit of Mount Mézenc.

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Annie Hélène
Annie Hélène

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 01, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very beautiful views throughout the route, alternating with sections through woodland.
A bit long, but no difficulty and little elevation gain.

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Chambon joelle
Chambon joelle

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 31, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Actually, I started with the tour of Mont Signon and then set off on the second circuit. Very beautiful views.

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SOLIGNAC
SOLIGNAC

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 12, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Beautiful landscapes, peace and quiet, pure bliss.

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BLANCmur
BLANCmur

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 12, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We set off from the car park at Croix de Peccata (we actually missed the hamlet of Chantemerle on the way there).
We didn't do the Mont Signon loop and returned via Chantemerle to get back to Croix de Peccata.
A magnificent route. A beautiful day and few people encountered along the way.
We'll definitely be back.

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valy38
valy38

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 26, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We only did the first loop, but we climbed up to Mount Mézenc, which is definitely worth doing for the view. If you only do this loop, I suggest parking at the first paragliding car park. The route is very varied, which means you don't get bored, and the climbs and descents are regular. We ended up doing 17 km

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Tranquillos
Tranquillos
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 12, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike that we thoroughly enjoyed, especially as the weather was superb. There was too much heat haze to see the Alps from the various viewpoints along the route, or from the summit of Mézenc.

We made a mistake when we reached marker 4. We started to descend after marker 4 because we thought we hadn't reached it yet... In fact, we didn't spot the GR exit between 3 and 4, so we were missing a piece of information.
No big deal, just a little extra climb to retrace our steps and the rest of the hike went well.

We found people around the Mézenc and at the summit, as indicated in the guide. Otherwise, we came across 6-7 people, but no more.
A little homemade ice cream at the Croix de Boutières... Perfect!

A visit to the wind gauge is not to be missed!

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randonnée07
randonnée07

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 13, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike in September under sunny skies.
Discovery of Mont Signon, a beautiful lauzère (stone hut) with information panels explaining a craft that has almost disappeared.
Thank you

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mustangdolpo
mustangdolpo

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 25, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Superb hike. Breathtaking views! Plus, the famous wind gauge is worth a detour. Exceptional!!!!

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marche st nizier de fornas
marche st nizier de fornas

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 09, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very beautiful hike with breathtaking 360° views
We set off from Chantemerle
Not much elevation gain

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jrf
jrf

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 25, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very beautiful hike with stunning views
Be careful at the numerous crossroads, which are well signposted.
It can get a little crowded at the car parks at La Croix de Peccata and La Croix de Boutières (where light refreshments are available)
There is a short stretch of road between Chaudeyrolles and the gliding car park (which is the best starting point)
Be careful of traffic at weekends
The length is not a problem. There is little elevation gain and it is very evenly distributed along the route
There is a beautiful view of the Mézenc on the way back from Mont Signon

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Laurent Dinelli
Laurent Dinelli

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 26, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A very beautiful hike. In my opinion, it's better to start from the paragliding car park, where it's easier to park. Either way, the scenery is magnificent. I deviated from the route to climb to the summit of Mézenc, which was well worth the detour. I camped near the Médille stopover lodge along the route to enjoy the setting.
This hike is truly wonderful, especially between points 7 and 8, where the view is spectacular.
The route is very reliable.

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gamakl
gamakl

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 08, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

there's only one word for it: MAGNIFICENT

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