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The starting point is a shady car park at the entrance to the village of Thueyts on arriving from Aubenas, to the right just after the bridge over a stream, the "Merdaric".
(S/E) Leave the car park by the lane at the far end leading towards the "Château de Blou". Turn left to reach the "Rue du Pouget". Follow this street to the right. Continue slightly to the right along the "Rue de l'Église", then the "Rue Haute".
(1) At the end of this street, bear left, then, at the end of the parapet, drop down to the right into a stream bed paved with flat stones. Follow this up to the left, then head right, up the slope, to reach a good path.
On this section, the route is complicated and does not match the IGN map, since the old lane which was closer to the hamlet of "Dardet" has been enclosed in private ground. However, it is easy to avoid getting lost by following the signs Chaumienne or Croix de Brige.
Continue on the path up through the chestnut trees. When it widens, ignore a lane to the right which leads past a house (take no notice of the white and yellow waymark) and arrive at the cross Croix de Brige after about a hundred yards.
(2) Ignore the road leading down towards Brige on the left and take the lane on the right.
(3) On emerging from the chestnut forest, at a little saddle, ignore a lane arriving from behind on the right. At the next fork, head left, then, at the hiking sign, bear left again towards Mayres (Le Fenadou).
A little later, ignore a path joining from behind on the right, and continue along the path leading along the south flank of the ridge with an open view of the whole valley of the Ardèche.
(4) At the sign Le Fenadou, turn right along the path marked Montpezat. This descends gradually along the north slope, now giving views of the valley of the Fontaulière and the edge of the Ardèche Plateau. Carry on along this path as far as the sign La Croix Blanche.
(5) Head left towards Montpezat. Continue along the path, which skirts the head of the valley of the Merdaric and then leads over the summit of "Prat Berland".
(6) Ignore the track on the left which leads to the nature trail around the volcano "La Gravenne".
Carry on along the lane, which becomes a wide forest track. Ignore a lane on the left and continue to the right to reach a tarmac road. Follow this road to the right, ignoring the lane to the "Rocher d'Autureyre" on the left.
(7) Leave the road to take a rough stone path to the right, which leads down towards Thueyts and arrives at a tarmac section.
(8) Continue straight on, then head right along the road which leads down and veers left. Carry on along this road (the "Chemin du Cros de Laval"). At the next junction, turn left along the "Grand Font" road.
(1) Then head back along the route taken on the outward leg to return to the car park from which the walk started (S/E).
Visorando member
Easy 
Difficult 
