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Park at Mayres on the Place du Chambon.
(S/E) Head towards the Ardèche and cross the Pont de la Vierge to reach the starting point, which runs parallel to the river on the right bank. Turn right and walk for about 300 m.
(1) Take the yellow-marked path on your left: a signpost reads ‘Les mines, le Rieu’. Opposite, on the other bank, you can see the Roche Trouée, a natural wonder and the pride of the village. The well-graveled path climbs gradually up to a chestnut tree with a sign reading ‘chemin d’en haut, chemin d’en bas’ (upper path, lower path), as the trail splits into two.
(2) It doesn’t matter which one you take; both paths lead to the same place and are identical: the route described here follows the lower path. After passing the ruins of the Rieu barns, a reminder of times gone by, the path joins the forest track.
(3) After crossing the track on the left-hand side, the path, signposted ‘Rocher des Taillade, Tour des Poignets’, continues to the right into the woods. It crosses a stream then turns left through a cluster of stone huts before joining an old track abandoned by cars but open to walkers. Please note: this track is rarely used and the pedestrian crossing is poorly marked. Turn right.
(4) Please note: at this point the track splits into two; the number 48 is marked on a tree on the left. Do not turn left but carry on straight ahead; a yellow marker indicating the direction is painted on a rock to the left of the track immediately after the junction.
(5) Once you reach the summit, on the flat area, turn right onto the yellow and white signposted path marked ‘Mayres via the Bois des Rabeyres’. Once past the highest point, the path descends towards the Col des Pergeyres.
(6) Once you reach the pass, take the marked path “Mayres via Cautet” which branches off to the right. A long descent with tight hairpin bends ends on the forest road.
(7) The route to follow continues along the track and not along the path shown on the IGN map: the latter has been abandoned due to the difficulty of maintaining it. Therefore, continue down the track.
(8) After about 500 m, take the path branching off to the left signposted ‘Cautet – Mayres’. This path ends at the tarmac track, at the southern entrance to the hamlet of Cautet.
(9) Walk through the hamlet to the last house, situated at a bend in the road.
(10) Take the path on the right: please note that a gate blocks access, so do remember to close the gate behind you. To the left, opposite, at the foot of the mountain, stand the ruins of the Château des Montlaur and the Chapelle Saint-Médard. A little further on, the ruins of old mines line the path.
(1) Continue straight on. Cross the Pont de la Vierge again and you’ll reach the Place du Chambon (S/E).
Visorando Member
Difficult 
Very difficult 
