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In the centre of Fontfreyde, leave your vehicle in the car parks available along the main road, near Place du Coudert, a large leisure area on the south side of the village.
No signposts
(S/E) Head north towards the centre of the village, passing a large circular fountain with a wash house on your left, and continue along the main street until you reach Rue des Petits Beaunes on your left, at a stone cross. Turn left, passing the chapel on your right, and continue to the end of the street, where you will find a fountain-trough and a large wash house. Go around the wash house on the right and follow Rue du Soleil Levant, which climbs to the left. Pass in front of a pretty old restored house and, at the end of the street, turn right to go behind the house. Shortly afterwards, the tarmac disappears; continue along the path. You will come to a fork in the road, with the Fontfreyde sign a little further ahead on the left.
(1) Keep to the right to join a small road, follow it to the right for about 50 metres, then take the path that branches off to the left (lined with beautiful trees). Join a path and look out for a yellow disc marker.
Yellow disc marker
Follow the path to the left until you reach an intersection with a path leading off to the right.
(2) Follow this beautiful path, covered by a tunnel of greenery, which once served cultivated plots surrounded by dry stone walls. About 450 metres further on, notice a very pretty "sculpture garden" on the right (free access, please respect the site). Further on, you will come to a road.
(3) Cross over to find yellow arrows on the other side and continue straight on towards Laschamps, into the woods covering the solidified lava flow of Mercœur. Ignore a path on the right shortly afterwards, and another about 450 m further on. You will come to a T-junction with a wide path.
(4) Follow it to the left. Ignore a path on the left that is part of a fitness trail and you will come to an intersection of several paths, where you will see yellow signs.
(5) Follow the direction of Monteillet, ignoring the path that immediately branches off to the left and continuing straight ahead for a few dozen metres before following the path that veers to the left. Immediately afterwards, ignore the path that branches off to the left into the ferns and continue straight ahead on the path that enters the undergrowth, ignoring a small path on the right. Stay on this path, which climbs quite steeply in places, to reach the pass between the Mercœur and Lassolas hills.
(6) Continue along the path, which descends steeply, and you will come to a path markedGR®® at a marker marked 1058 m. Leave the yellow disc markings.
GR®®4red and white markings
(7) Turn left towards Montlosier and continue to a crossroads with directional signs. Turn left, still heading towards Montlosier. You will arrive at an intersection with a short steep descent and a beautiful beech tree whose base is protected from trampling.
Blue markings
(8) Leave theGR®® and follow the path on the left, on loose pozzolan, marked in blue, which climbs very steeply to the top of the Puy de Lassolas crater. At the top, continue along the edge of the crater until you reach a path descending to the left.
(9) Do not take it immediately, but continue along the top of the crater to the end of the authorised access point to enjoy the view. Retrace your steps to the previous intersection.
(9) Turn onto the path that descends steeply to the right until you reach an unnamed pass between the Puy de Lassolas and Puy de la Vache. Ignore the path (strongly discouraged) that descends to the right and continue straight ahead to climb to the summit of the Puy de la Vache crater. Several sections have steps that are eroded in places. You will reach the top of the crater, where there are large blocks of volcanic rock.
(10) Continue along the ridge, around the edge of the crater, to reach the top of the long flight of steps leading to the summit. Descend. Much further down, at a fork in the path, turn right and you will come to a clearing on the right: the adventitious crater of La Vache, which was once used as a quarry.
No markings
(11) Leave the trail temporarily to explore this beautiful area (information panel), then return to the trail.
Blue markings
(11) Continue downhill until you reach a road, at a car park.
Red and whiteGR®® markings
Cross the road, then continue straight ahead across the car park opposite and follow theGR®® marked path to an intersection with directional signs.
Yellow disc markings
(12) Leave theGR®® and follow the signs to Fontfreyde on the left, back into the forest that covers the solidified lava flow of Mercœur.
Yellow disc and greenPR®® markings
At the T-junction, turn right, also following the direction of a greenPR®® sign.
(13) Further on, ignore a path on the right, then another on the left just after. You will come to a fork in the path.
(14) Follow the grassy path on the left. Further on, ignore a path on the left, then continue straight ahead at an intersection of several field paths (not shown on the map), and return to the intersection you passed on the way there at the Fontfreyde marker. Continue straight ahead for a few metres.
No signposts
(1) Turn right to return to the village of Fontfreyde via the same route you took on the way there. At Rue du Soleil Levant on the left, leave the route you took on the way there and continue straight ahead down the street. Pass an old shepherd's caravan (very well preserved) on your left. You will arrive at the main street of the village at the large circular fountain/wash house. Follow this street to the right to return to the car park (S/E).
Visorando member
Easy 
