From the heights of Bonnan to the village of Roussayrolles

This is a little-used route, reserved for lovers of wild nature. They will only tread on paths, in diverse landscapes.
There are many different viewpoints to discover, including the Bonnan valley, Lexos rock, a petrified waterfall and a tumulus-dolmen. Climbs and descents along the edge of cliffs or through the undergrowth and scrambling up the Bonnan stream will delight sports enthusiasts.

Details

1684510
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 14.21 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 5h 30 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 505 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 507 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 425 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 134 m

Description of the walk

Park in the car park at Montrosier Town Hall.

This route is virtually unmarked. The few yellow markings encountered belong to the Vallée de Bonnan route or to a route unknown to the author.
Very short section on theGRP® Cordes-Penne-Coustous, marked in red and yellow.

(S/E) With your back to the town hall and the wrought iron calvary on your left, head towards the east corner of the square and turn right into the cul-de-sac.

After 50 metres, take the path on the left between two houses. Walk along the slight incline between woods and hedges to reach a track suitable for vehicles. This is the cul-de-sac, which you quickly left at the start of the route and which you now find yourself back at.

(1) Follow the track to the left, which changes from tarmac to gravel. Continue climbing until you reach a fork. Take the right-hand branch, a dirt track, to enter the forest. Continue climbing until you reach the T-junction at an altitude of 317 metres, ignoring a path coming from the left.

(2) Turn right onto the communal path. Climb up to La Peyrière, elevation 347. Leave the communal path and veer left. The end of the right-hand bend marks the end of the climb. A wide clearing opens up with a view of the Rocher de Lexos and the Bonnan valley.

At the fork, go straight ahead along a narrow path that is not shown on the IGN map. Stay alert as it is not very visible. Walk along the cliff and further on you will find a left-hand bend at elevation 371. Descend very carefully along the bend to the edge of the Ruisseau de Bonnan. The slope is very steep.

(3) Make a round trip to discover the tufa waterfall. To do this, go left. At the bridge, continue along the wide track opposite. Walk about a hundred metres to reach the foot of the waterfall.

(4) Petrified waterfall. In summer, the waterfall is dry, but in winter, the spring flows abundantly or becomes covered with stalactites when it freezes. It is possible to climb up to its source.

After exploring the waterfall, retrace your steps to the previous point.

(3) Continue straight ahead along the stream. Walking up the stream is great fun if you stay on the left bank. There are numerous fords that allow you to cross to the right bank and rejoin the widePR® trail in the Bonnan Valley. Walking on the left bank involves ascents and descents where you will need to use your hands on the rocks.

(5) Ruins of an old chapel. Continue until you reach the Sentier de Bonnan trail.

(6) Cross the stream of the same name one last time. Follow the yellow marked trail, which winds its way through the woods. Walk alongside a cattle enclosure and then a wooded pasture. You will come to a wide track suitable for vehicles.

(7) Turn left. Pass a tree with a small signpost on your right. You will arrive at the entrance to a meadow with a large shed. Continue to a crossroads, elevation 378.

(8) The path runs alongside the Touron farm where cows graze freely. Do not forget to close the pasture gates behind you. At the T-junction, turn right. At the road, continue to the right to enter Roussayrolles. A visit to the church is a must.

(9) Roussayrolles Church dates from the 13th century. Continue on and pass by the picnic tables. Walk through the hamlet, between the houses opposite.
At the triangular crossroads, follow the wideGRP® Cordes-Penne-Coustous trail on the right. Ignore the Clavillières access road. At the next crossroads, leave theGRP® trail on the left. Stay on the trail and continue to a path marked by a small cairn on the right.

(10) In front of the cairn, turn onto the path.

(11) Discover the tumulus-dolmen. Return to the track via the tracks heading west. Follow it to the right. Reach the Pas de la Clède junction.

(12) Turn onto the track on the right. Keep heading generally north-east. Ignore a path on the right. Keep right at the fork. Reach the track at the T-junction, elevation 327.

(13) Follow the road to the right, which has three hairpin bends. After the last bend, find a dirt track leading off to the left. Turn onto the track. Continue to the X-shaped crossroads.

(14) Stay on the wide track. Continue along the left branch of the X, heading north. Lean into the bend to the right at the fork. You will reach an inverted fork junction.

(15) Turn sharply left. After 50 metres, there is a long descent. Head north to the bottom of the valley, in front of Bordés. Go around the building to reach the D34. Turn right. Note the pretty little Church of the Nativity of Our Lady as you pass. Continue straight on the road to return to the village and its town hall (A/D).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 147 m - Car park at Montrosier Town Hall.
  2. 1 : km 0.72 - alt. 213 m - Crossroads with wide carriageway
  3. 2 : km 2.05 - alt. 317 m - T-junction
  4. 3 : km 3.51 - alt. 204 m - Bonnan stream
  5. 4 : km 3.63 - alt. 196 m - Petrified waterfall - Cascade de Bonnan
  6. 5 : km 4.15 - alt. 240 m - PR Vallée de Bonnan junction
  7. 6 : km 4.43 - alt. 255 m - Bonnan stream, last ford
  8. 7 : km 5.95 - alt. 367 m - Fork in the road to the left
  9. 8 : km 6.35 - alt. 377 m - Crossroads above Le Touron
  10. 9 : km 7.01 - alt. 413 m - Church of Roussayrolles
  11. 10 : km 8.56 - alt. 413 m - Cairn and trail entrance
  12. 11 : km 8.7 - alt. 419 m - Tumulus - dolmen
  13. 12 : km 9.64 - alt. 341 m - Pas de la Clède
  14. 13 : km 10.21 - alt. 325 m - T-junction
  15. 14 : km 11.03 - alt. 373 m - X-shaped crossroads
  16. 15 : km 11.69 - alt. 365 m - Left turn
  17. S/E : km 14.21 - alt. 147 m - Car park at Montrosier Town Hall.

Notes

Water source at the cemetery, only in summer.
Water source, toilets and picnic tables in Roussayrolles.

Route completed by the author on 26 December 2018 and rechecked on 17 February 2019.

Worth a visit

Dolmen of Orsayrolles (former name of Roussayrolles).
Tufa waterfall.
Church of Roussayrolles decorated by Nicolaï Greschny.
Ask for the key and a guided tour (free of charge) at the town hall.
All the ceramic plaques in the village (street names, explanatory signs, etc.) were created by Marie Costes.

A little history about the two frescoes in this church, painted in 1950.
N. Greschny's work had to be done on fresh concrete.
Each of the frescoes was completed, from the first pencil stroke to the last brushstroke, in the space of 15 days.

The12th-centuryChurch of the Nativity of Our Lady is built on a Latin cross plan with a projecting transept.
The south arm of the transept is flanked by a sacristy. The choir ends in a flat chevet.
Guided tours are offered every year during Heritage Days.

The village of Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val and its famous Sunday market
The banks of the Aveyron, with its leisure and picnic areas.
Numerous canoe and kayak hire companies.
Numerous hiking routes starting from the village of Saint-Antonin.

Always be cautious and plan ahead when you're outdoors. Visorando and the author of this route cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurring on this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

Reviews and comments

4.4 / 5
Based on 8 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.1 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.1 / 5
Route interest
4.9 / 5
madydou
madydou ★

Thank you for your feedback.
It is clearly stated that this route is not marked as such, and obviously the Visorando app is recommended for following it.
As for the names of the tracks and paths, this does not prevent you from understanding the route.

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pc.montagne
pc.montagne

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 12, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Download the GPX track because the explanations are sometimes fanciful: "meadow or cows grazing freely" since 2017, they are no longer there... "tree that has absorbed a small directional sign" too bad you can't see it because it's in the opposite direction of the walk...
Don't confuse the paths or trails with farm tracks. Finally, between 12 and 13 and without GPS: you're bound to get lost!!! You risk ending up in Feneyrols and then on the road along the Aveyron.
But it's still a lovely walk, reserved for those who know how to find their way...

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biscardel
biscardel

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 04, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

This is a superb, challenging route with few signposts, so you need to follow the GPS route carefully. The steep descent is not recommended for those with knee problems. Walking poles are useful. In summer, the route along the Bonnan riverbed is superb. Great photo opportunities! A stop at Roussayrolles is a must. The hamlet is well equipped with tables and benches for around fifteen people. We were lucky enough to find a local guide who showed us around the hamlet's beautiful church.

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Helbenbou
Helbenbou

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 15, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very pretty circular path, shaded enough to be enjoyed in summer (but still best to set off in the morning!)

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jab31
jab31

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 19, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hello Mady and everyone else...

A very beautiful hike, a bit wild at times, especially with the spring vegetation!

I agree with previous comments about the route, especially the descent to Bonnan, which is very technical: it's a difficult section!

I extended it to Roussayrolles and beyond (Peyralade) to make it 20 km.

Otherwise, the scenery and nature are magnificent!

I'm going to suggest the longer route for experienced walkers!

Thank you!

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maxlamb
maxlamb

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 10, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A very beautiful hike! Especially the first part, up to Roussayrolles! A walk worth taking.

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madydou
madydou ★

Thank you, Yvon.
Happy hiking!

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yvon81
yvon81

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 24, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A very beautiful hike, which can be extended for those who want a full day out.
As with any good hike, please remain mindful of the terrain.
Well done, Mady!

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plombinA
plombinA

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 08, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Hello,
A very beautiful route, but be careful on the descent to the stream in wet weather. The trailhead, at elevation 371, is not easy to find with the map.
Thank you.

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madydou
madydou ★
• Edited:

Indeed, mea culpa.
GRP = Red Yellow
I will keep my eyes peeled.
I will correct this after my next visit to the area, which is planned for next Sunday, if it doesn't rain...

Best regards.

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CLEMAURIN
CLEMAURIN

Hello
Thank you for your reply. The GRP signage, which is not white and red but yellow and red, no longer exists after the fork I mentioned. It is important to report this change as I believe that the GR signage is used by many walkers for orientation.
CLEMAURIN.

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madydou
madydou ★
• Edited:

Hello,
Thank you for your feedback.
I was in the area yesterday and indeed, at the moment, the paths are muddy.
You were able to admire the waterfall – videos taken along the way.
I'll make a note of your suggestion to take a detour from point 347.

On the other hand, last Sunday I set off from Roussayrolles.
The GRP signage is still there, with red and white markings still visible.
The changes to the Pas de la Clède are not clearly explained, as I passed this crossroads.

The point (13) will be expanded.

Best regards

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CLEMAURIN
CLEMAURIN

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 04, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Excellent hike, more interesting than the route starting from Milhars. Many thanks! A few comments, however. Avoid after heavy rain (especially the descent to the waterfall, other muddy and quite slippery descents) and take care in icy conditions (black ice in northern areas, particularly treacherous at elevation 317). Regarding the route description (bearing in mind that we don't use GPS and don't refer to the description most of the time), I would say that at coast 347 you have to turn sharply to the left (leaving the inter-communal path) and once you reach it, you must not leave the edge of the cliff and abandon the track (4x4) as soon as it moves away from it to take the path that leads down into the valley. Further on, we preferred to go via Roussayrolles, which is worth a detour. We also noticed that the GRP Pennes Cordes no longer passes through Pas de la Clède but branches off between Les Clavilières and point 9 onto an old path, not marked on the maps, leading towards the Laussière valley. According to its managers, the trail was modified about ten years ago, a change that is not reflected on IGN maps. This change is worth noting since there is no longer a GRP between point 9 and point 10. Finally, the explanation at point 13 needs to be clarified because if you go straight ahead, you end up at elevation 394. Finally, as has been noted repeatedly, the numbers on the map obscure it too much.

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