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(S/E) From the car park in front of the church (with your back to the hiking sign), go up to the right for about 100 m on the RD243 towards Freyssenet. At the first fork (mast), turn right and follow the small road to a bridge. Cross the bridge and immediately after it, go down a fairly wide path on the right, following the Tracol stream. Ignore the various paths on the right and continue straight ahead until you reach a house a little further down.
(1) At the Précipice mast, leave the house on your right and follow the yellow and white marked trail on the left towards Aizac-Chastagnier-Gourd. This very pretty trail crosses the Bésorgues River in a remarkable spot above small gorges. At the next fork, just before the houses, continue straight ahead. Follow this path overlooking the Bésorgues until the next crossroads.
(2) At the Pont de Gamarnès mast, climb up to the left towards Aizac. Join the road, cross it and, after about ten steps to the right, take the path climbing up to the left, between the stone walls.
This path climbs between terraces and leads to the hamlet of Chastagner Gourd. Join a paved road.
(3) Take this road on the left. At the next three-way junction, stay on the road going up to the right. Walk past a few houses.
(4) Just before the last one (pink plaster), turn right and climb through the chestnut grove. Pay close attention to the yellow and white markings. You will reach a fork that is not marked on the IGN map but is clearly visible on the ground. Turn left, heading north, onto the marked trail.
A little higher up, this path forms a small 90° angle, turns north-east and becomes a mule track climbing between the rocks, offering a magnificent and grandiose panorama of the valley. Continue climbing up the mountainside between rocks that sometimes take on amusing "fantastic" shapes (with a little imagination). You will reach a crossroads and the Pargeades mast.
(5) Climb up opposite, heading east towards Lachamp-Raphaël 13.8 km, then north. Continue along this main path, ignoring the various small paths that join it. You will reach a flat area and the start of the Rouyon ridges.
(6) The trail does not climb to the top of the ridge but goes around the mountain to the right, continues through the forest, and joins a small fork a little further on.
(7) At the Faux-Fay mast, continue straight ahead.
(8) At the next junction, take a very small path on the left, which runs along a low wall and climbs up to the Rocher de Faux-Fay, where there is a superb view. Back at the junction, leave the marked path and follow a slightly downhill track on the left, off the marked trail, through various types of trees.
After two hairpin bends, continue straight ahead. About 50 metres further on, on the right, there is a first wide path heading north-east into the undergrowth, which is not very visible as you pass: be very careful. The terrain is slightly different from the IGN map: the various paths crossing the main path have been removed or abandoned and form false starts. The path taken on this section is still the "right path" and is well marked.
About 100 metres further on, at the next crossroads, go down to the right, heading north-east, along a wide path (a little grassy in spring, so less obvious). This path is clearly visible and seems steep at first but gradually levels out, becoming a well-marked trail that you should never leave. It joins a track further down.
(9) Keep to the right and follow this track, which passes under the beautiful basalt rocks of Chiarde before reaching a fork. Continue straight ahead, ignoring the track on the right with a barrier. Continue to the end of the track until you reach another barrier. You will reach a small tarmac road; follow it straight ahead. Then, leave the signposts for a short detour, continuing straight ahead for a few dozen metres. On the right, very close to the Pioule stream, there is a small paved slanting street leading to a very pretty waterfall.
Return to the road/track junction and descend the tarmac road, following the signposts.
(10) At the end of a right-hand bend, go down to the right, following a path marked with yellow and white signs, to the hamlet of Agland (a remarkable and curious house). Further on, at a fork, turn right to reach the tarmac road. Follow it to the left for a few metres.
(11) Take the path on the right and descend towards the south-west. At the next fork, continue straight ahead. At the next three-way junction, turn right until you reach the tarmac road.
(12) You will reach the paved road. Follow it to the right, cross the bridge over the Bésorgues, and continue to the next crossroads.
Turn left onto Route de Freyssenet. Cross the hamlet of Freyssenet via the RD354.
At the cross, descend to the left between the houses until you reach the road. Follow it to the left for about 50 metres, then turn right onto a path that cuts across a bend in the Prade road and reach a crossroads.
(13) Turn right and follow the Prade road, running alongside the Bésorgues downstream for about 1.8 km. At the next two junctions, continue left on the same road. At the next crossroads, leave Chemin de la Plaine on your right and continue straight ahead on Route de Torte. At the 90° right-angle turn, the road continues, running alongside the cemetery. At the first crossroads, continue straight ahead and turn right at the second crossroads. When you reach the RD243, turn left to reach the car park (S/E).
Visorando member
Difficult 
Easy 
