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Leave your car at the western exit of the hamlet of L’Abbaye.
(S/E) Walk up the road for about 400 m. When you reach the plateau, turn right onto a path leading towards the woods. As you approach them, the path turns left at a 90° angle to follow the edge of the woods. Pass the first path on the right and continue straight on until you reach a cross-path.
(1) Turn right at the junction and follow this lane until you emerge from the woodland. As you approach the Parc farm, the view opens up. Turn left just before the farm, and follow a small road up to the crossroads at the edge of the forest.
(2) Turn left to return to the woodland, and before it blocks the view again, take a moment to admire the panorama from this high vantage point, particularly the Claie valley and, further afield, the Landes de Lanvaux. Follow the almost straight forest track that runs along the ridge for about 1.5 km. As you go, pass a path on the left and then another on the right. You’ll reach a T-junction (elevation 122).
(3) Turn right into the lane, then immediately turn left to take the track heading north-west, which leads into the woods (mountain bike markings). Alternating between wooded sections and the edges of farmland, this path eventually leads onto a small road that heads towards the village of Les Prescles.
(4) In the village, stay on the small road overlooking the RD 10, and cross the village until you reach the road leading up to La Motte Rouge. Then turn left and follow the road for just under a kilometre to reach the RD 151. Cross this road and continue for about fifty metres.
(5) Turn left onto a path that winds its way beneath a property, crossing a recently felled woodland. Pass through the bottom of the valley, which may be rather wet, and climb slightly to the right to return to the wooded area. A path joins from the right, before climbing the hill to rejoin the ridge at the crossroads at elevation 91.
(6) Take the first path on the left, which immediately curves to the right towards the east. Follow this path until you reach a road. As you pass, note the cross by the path just before the first left-hand bend. At the road, turn left then immediately right to enter the visitor area of the Kerfontaine bog.
(7) Take a moment to read the information board about the bog, then enter it via the path that branches off to the right before reaching the RD 151. Information boards line the path that has been laid out through the bog. They provide details about this very distinctive habitat and the flora and fauna found there. They also mark the path, which you must not leave under any circumstances. This is partly to protect this fragile area, and partly to avoid any accidents due to the extremely wet nature of the terrain.
Follow the path as far as possible, and in particular until the valley opens out and the foot of the slope you are following curves to the left. Follow the edge of the woodland as far as the path allows, then cut through the woods when this is no longer possible. Whilst the edges of the marsh are sometimes overgrown, the woodland itself is open and can be crossed without much difficulty. Keeping the southern edge of the woodland in sight, you will soon emerge onto a field which you follow up, then onto a stony track. Please note: you are now on private land and off the beaten track. If you are not comfortable with this, you should turn back to the visitor centre, then follow the A-road for over 800 metres, before turning right onto the path described above.
(8) Turn right onto the track and follow it until you reach the hamlet of Trévéro. Turn left on reaching the village, which you cross to return to the starting point. (S/E)
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