The Masse valley between the Ardèche and the Loire

Take the D121 towards Annonay-Villevocance to the hamlet of Robert, then turn right and follow the road to the car park at the climbing site at the first major left-hand bend.

(S) Head south along the right bank of the stream, following the red/yellow marked path to the first junction.

(1) Take the wide, gently ascending path on the far right. Ignore the paths to the right and a larger path climbing to the left, and follow “Ravoulet”. This wide, carriage-accessible path follows the stream on the right bank. On a flat section, leave the path leading to the Ravoulet Shooting Range on your right.

(2) Continue following the stream, passing the ruins of Montméat on your left. After 300 metres, at elevation 550, ignore the path leading off to the right towards the farm on the other side of the stream. Continue close to the stream, passing a shed on the left near the hamlet of Tramont and, at the entrance to the forest, follow the well-marked bridle path uphill, taking four bends: right, left, right and then left. You will reach a flatter area and arrive at the Croix Fleurie buildings on the right.

(3) Head downhill to the right onto a poorly maintained, muddy path through the vegetation. Walk alongside the woodland on the right and, as you emerge onto the meadow, go through the fence on the right and follow a tractor track along the edge of the meadow to a well-marked path leading to the hamlet of L'Hermus. Reach the tarmac road in the hamlet, follow it downhill, turning right then left at the hairpin bend.

(4) After 20 metres, turn sharply right in front of a house onto a stony then grassy path that starts on level ground and runs alongside farm buildings below on the left. The path then climbs through the meadows to the ridge at elevation 709. Follow the ridge in a straight line along the path, clearly marked by motorbike tracks. All along this ridge section, on a clear day you can see the Alps and the Annonay Basin. At one point, go round a large rock on the right. A steeper section then leads to a patch of meadows on the left.

(5) At elevation 709, follow the dirt and scree path slightly to the right, downhill. Here, you’ll encounter a steep slope of loose stones and gravel for about 200 metres. On the slope, follow the path as it curves to the left; the trail becomes grassy, ignoring the path that continues to descend over stones to the right. Head downhill through a wooded area until you reach a track.

(6) Take the path to the left. Cross the streams via two bridges, ignoring any other path apart from this well-marked one. Arrive at the village of Toissieu and head up towards the church on the left. Take the road on the right that leads downhill.

(7) Leave the village following the red/yellow markings. Soon, take the path leading down to the right of the road. This clearly marked path leads, after a bend to the left, to a wide track which you should follow ‘sharp right’. 200 metres further on, you’ll be back at the starting point.

No notable water sources apart from the La Masse stream.
Shelters near the houses in the hamlets.
The hike can be started from the village of Toissieu, but there are few parking options. That’s what I did, but there was only space for one car.
If you prefer to cross the very steep, stony section below the 709-metre mark towards Les Pignes on the way up rather than on the way down, then take the route in the opposite direction. However, the ridge walk will offer views of Burdignes rather than the Alps.

Near the start, take a look at the Mer de Glace climbing site described on an information board.
The steep-sided valley of the La Masse stream.
The ridge above the hamlet of Hermus, offering views as far as the Alps on a clear day.
At an altitude of 770 metres, looking north, you can see the southern part of the commune of Burdignes with the first houses of the main village and the hamlets of Vireuil, La Côte des Gardons and Beaujon. Here, nature is in the midst of regeneration following the catastrophic fire that destroyed 1,800 hectares on 20 August 2000.