Country:
District:
Access: To reach the start of the hike, take the D44 from Malemort (the roundabout after McDonald's) towards Sainte-Féréole. Pass Sainte-Féréole and continue for 14 km until you reach a large roundabout in Saint-Germain-les-Vergnes. Continue straight on towards Seilhac. 50 m after this roundabout, turn right, following the signs for the "Les Poneys de Charlotte" riding club and "Ètang de Lachamp". Follow a small road to the large car park by the lake.
(S/E) Walk up from the car park to the riding centre stables on your right. After the stables, continue straight ahead along the wide path that runs alongside the lake on your left. After about 500 metres, you will see three wooden picnic tables. Continue along this shaded path for another 500 metres or so and you will see a small concrete bridge crossing the lake on your right. Do not take this path, but continue a short distance further to find a wooden pontoon that crosses the end of the pond.
(1) Turn right onto this pontoon, then right again at the end and continue along the pond, which is now on your right. After a slight slope and a small climb, you will arrive at a horse paddock (electric fence).
(2) Take the wide sloping path on your right until you reach a fork.
(3) Leave the path on the right and continue straight ahead on the wide path that climbs slightly away from the pond. You will come to a road, the D9. Cross over and take the small dead-end road opposite until you reach a fork.
(4) Continue straight ahead. After the last house, take the wide path that descends to the left into the undergrowth. Continue in the same direction for about 500 metres, following a narrow path. Cross a small wooden bridge over a stream, and immediately afterwards, pass under a tree lying across the path.
(5) At the end of the climb, turn right at the crossroads. The path widens and you will see houses at Font-de-Gial and a tarmac road that continues straight ahead. Tie up your dogs if you have any. Cross the road at the next crossroads and continue straight ahead along a wide path through the woods, passing three tree trunks that have been cut down and placed there like benches.
(6) After a descent, you will come to a road which you take to the left, towards the Ètang des Pradeaux which you can see below. Continue along the road to skirt the end of the pond on your right, then turn left onto the path that climbs along the pond, which is now on your left. Continue for about 50 metres.
(7) Turn left onto a narrow, overgrown path and continue in the same direction until you reach a wider path and the road. Turn right and follow the road uphill until you reach the "Favars" sign.
(8) Turn right just after the sign and head up towards the cemetery on your right. After the cemetery, take the wide path opposite you into the forest (not shown on the map). Continue downhill to reach the narrow path on the right that you took on the way there.
From there, take the opposite route to the one you took on the way there, i.e.:
Pass by the Étang des Pradeaux again and continue, turn right to go up the wide path in the forest, pass the three cut tree trunks, cross the road at La Font-de-Gial. Continue straight ahead to the last house and take the wide path opposite, which narrows as it descends, then turn left at the fork.
(5) Go up the path to the house with the barn, pass between the two and continue along the road on the right; go up this road for 100 metres.
(4) Turn left onto the small road that makes a first left turn and two right turns. You will see the main road in the distance. Turn left onto the narrow path with a beautiful stone wall and veer right to reach the road and cross it. Continue straight ahead on a small road that turns into a path and you will reach the Étang de Lachamp after a short climb. In front of the pond, turn left and take the path that leads to the car park (S/E).
Visorando member
Moderate 
