The Houx tour in Saint-Pierre-de-Colombier

Date of your route : Jun 27, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Pleasant paths under chestnut trees, then higher up with views, and finally overlooking the river. We recommend taking the path from Ceyla, it's nice.
Big problem: you can't start from the beginning, as the path is blocked by a large construction site. We started from the Prat bridge (or Arsac bridge, depending on the map). A short but steep paved slanting street leads to the route in 1. It is immediately to the right after the bridge.

Machine-translated

Date of your route : Mar 08, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hello,
Thank you for this lovely walk!
One important note about the start: you can no longer start from the car park because the land you would cross has become a (famous) building site. There is no longer a link between the square and Le Prat, and the sign has been removed. The only solution is to start from Le Prat hamlet. This doesn't spoil this very pleasant walk (beautiful views on the descent).

PS: the GPS track is not accurate from the small bridge after Le Prat. The one in your description follows the IGN track, which is incorrect. The actual path turns right after the small bridge (very beautiful paved slanting street). It doesn't matter, it is very well marked.

Philippe

Machine-translated

Date of your route : Mar 18, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Superb! A few brambles, but nothing too bad. Note the wisdom of our ancestors in collecting water,
the magnificent chestnut trees, and their immense talent as builders! See the magnificent structures throughout the walk.
For the descent, it's best to bring walking sticks, especially as wild boars have destroyed many areas.

Machine-translated

Date of your route : May 27, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A lovely walk... However, there are a few points to bear in mind...
At point 3, when you have to find the path that goes downhill and is not marked when leaving the hamlet, the meadows had just been cleared and the brambles were hiding the path... it was very difficult to walk on!
Secondly, watch out for snakes, as several sections of the path are in tall grass. On the other hand, there are some beautiful views.

Machine-translated

Date of your route : Apr 20, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A very pleasant walk, well worth doing...

Machine-translated

Date of your route : Nov 01, 2017
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A very pleasant and well-marked hike. Typical of the Ardèche region, with beautiful slopes, chestnut trees, a crystal-clear river, rocky terrain, ruins and beautiful buildings. My GPS tracker lost the GPX track at the small bridge over the stream in the forest, but picked it up again a little further up.

Thank you for your contribution.

Machine-translated

Date of your route : Apr 05, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Nice little hike, thank you.
An alternative route is possible using the same map:
from Le Prat to Celas.
From Celas, climb up to Col de Moucheyre (858m).
Take the GR (GR de Pays de la Haute Cévenne d'Ardèche) on the left.
After 1.5 to 2 km, turn left onto a small road that winds down towards Les Faugères.
Continue along the road towards Pramiral.
Descend via a path on the right to Moulin de la Croix Belmont.
This is the most difficult part of the route: you have to reach the north-western tip of the circular between Collanges Hautes and Collanges Basses, off the beaten track, crossing the Faulong stream.
This variation makes the hike a 6-hour walk.

Machine-translated

Date of your route : Sep 10, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Great hike, but the signposting is now really well done! It must be recent!
The start is really steep, but the walk is really beautiful.

Machine-translated

Date of your route : May 30, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A magnificent walk, parts of which had been cleaned up and marked out on the route.
Thanks to the person or persons who did this.

Machine-translated

As a resident of Saint Pierre de Colombier, I have done this route dozens of times... For me, it's the "Tour de Célas" and I recommend climbing up to this hamlet to get a glimpse of it. I'm glad, jfd07, that you noticed the recent cleaning and signposting, as these two aspects had long been lacking, and we must thank Noël, the municipal employee, for his work.

As for the hairpin bend where the Célas trail starts, it is clearly visible on the route. It is the second sharp hairpin bend to the right after the wider bend at the exit of the hamlet of Le Prat. You have to climb a little up the embankment at this hairpin bend, then continue keeping to the left (do not go up to the right at the first three-way junction).

I have not heard the name "Pont d'Arsac" used in the commune; it is more commonly referred to as "Pont du Prat". In summer, it is a popular swimming spot. A few years ago, it was possible to walk along the mill (whose water wheel has been renovated and can be seen turning temporarily) and pass between the "maison des hollandais" (Dutch house) and the river just before the bridge. The owners have had this access closed off, but in principle, it has been replaced by a less convenient path on the terrace just above, which you can take on the way back rather than the path suggested on the way up, provided it has been cleared, which remains to be verified.

Machine-translated

Date of your route : Mar 29, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A route that has been marked and cleared. In reality, it is 8 km long because there is a section that is common to both the outward and return journeys. At a leisurely pace, it takes 3 hours. Beautiful scenery and a refreshing drink in Célas is well deserved!
Enjoy your walk!
jfd07

Machine-translated

Date of your route : Aug 13, 2015
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A very beautiful route, the only downside being that we had to rely on the kindness of locals at least three times to find our way due to a lack of signposting or clear directions (for example, which path to take at the hairpin bend? No sign or arrow). For those who want to do this route, avoid the first path that cuts across the bends towards Prat, as it is no longer maintained and is almost impassable. The swimming spot at the Pont d'Alsace bridge makes you forget all these minor details.

Machine-translated