Les Valadous

The start is at Col du Pendu, on the D239 between La Chavade and Le Bez. Parking is available at the edge of the forest on the north side of the road, near the hiking signpost.

(S/E) Take the dirt track heading south-east. Continue to a small wood with picnic tables. Stay at the edge of the wood.

(1) Ignore several paths on the left and continue climbing along the edge of the woods.
When the path turns sharply to the right, continue climbing straight ahead on a grassy track in the middle of the meadow.

(2) At the end of this first climb, you’ll reach an area where you can see two parallel tracks. Continue along the track on the right.
Pass the signposted path (barely visible) on your right heading towards the Croix de Bauzon and continue straight on along the track.
You will reach the summit, marked by a survey marker and a cairn of large stones.

(3) Continue straight on for a few dozen metres, then turn left onto a path running along the edge of the plateau.
From here, the route becomes more challenging. The path, which is fairly visible at first, becomes less obvious further on.
Descend into a small valley, which remains damp even in the height of summer. On the other side, do not climb too high. The best track runs along the edge of the stony slope. Descend towards a small copse of trees where the track becomes somewhat overgrown.

(4) Turn left and cross through the blueberry bushes, keeping the copse on your right, then turn sharply left onto a track that climbs through the blueberries and heather.
Just after passing to the left of another small copse, you’ll come to a three-way junction (barely visible).
Take the track on the right, which rejoins the edge of the plateau.
After a rocky outcrop where the track veers slightly away from the edge, you’ll reach the edge of a very steep ravine, facing a rocky cliff.

(5) At this point, leave the track by turning left through the heather to reach a wide path about ten metres away. Take this path on the left.

(2) Stay on the track on the right, which turns right and heads towards the woods.
At the bottom of the descent, turn left to join the dirt track taken on the way out.

(1) Turn right to return to the start (S/E).

As mentioned in the introduction, the round trip to the summit is very easy, covering 3.4 km with a 140 m elevation gain.

The section between (3) and (5) is more challenging. The path often splits into several tracks, probably once trodden by grazing animals (the ‘cow tracks’ as they say in the Ardèche). You should try to choose the best one, but as the vegetation consists mainly of blueberry bushes and low heather, you can easily navigate by sight and there is no risk of getting lost.
Take care on the ledge sections above a very steep slope. Not recommended for boisterous children.
Although there does not appear to be much grass, this moorland is also used at times for grazing, marked out by an electric wire fence. In this case, please respect the area and do not attempt to cross the fence. You can, however, walk alongside it to the edge of the plateau and then return by the same route.