The Sentier des Granges trail

At the heart of the Monts D’Ardèche Regional Natural Park, Laboule is the ideal starting point for a walk with a variety of contrasting atmospheres. At the summit of the Sentier des Granges trail there is an unparalleled panoramic view (Mont Blanc, Mont Ventoux, Mont Bouquet, Mont Lozère...) a day’s walk across the third-highest summit of the Cévennes range (at 1,548 m) with its rocky mountains and luminous rivers.

This walk is part of a multi-day hike: Le Massif du Tanargue

Technical sheet

45038
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 13.93 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 6h 10 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Difficult

  • ⚐
    Return to departure point: Yes
  • ↗
    Vertical gain: + 773 m
  • ↘
    Vertical drop: - 764 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 1,408 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 669 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Start at the Laboule stopover gite next to the church. Head on through via the steps, to the right of the multi-purpose hall.

(1)Take the path 10 m ahead of the glass cube which heads up to the north-west of the village behind the houses above the car park, follow the mule track marked with yellow and white. Steady climb. After the second barn(follow the right bank), under the hazelnut trees. A new crossing point precedes two hairpin bends and a climb through an oak wooded area, (short, steep climb). narrow passage with a water source, then afterwards a new stream crossing, and then through and out of the beech woods into the gorse heathland.
A long walk across the hillside southwards which leads to the crest of the Pialade. The path follows hairpin turns through the gorse bushes and rejoins a poorly marked pass to the west of a beech wood(small pass). The sheep pen can be seen to the north.

The small track crosses the Anglanier stream. Along long hairpin bends, cross the Redonde plains through the gorse bushes to come out 140 m above the Ranc des Barres. When you arrive on the path, turn right at the crossroads to meet with a sheep enclosure and the GR route.

(5)Follow the path to the summit for 2.5 km (an excellent opportunity to eat lunch with a view over Mont Gerbier des Joncs the source of the River Loire.) Head in an easterly direction towards the Langoustines pass along the Tour du Tanargue GRP route, marked in red and yellow.

(6) At the Cros de L’Aygues, 400 m before the Langoustines pass, head downhill along the southbound DFCI (forest fire prevention pathways) on your right for 5 km which takes a natural approach to Laboule. (Enjoy the magnificent view and take the opportunity to take photos of: Mont Gerbier de Jonc, Cham du Cros, Basse Ardèche, the valleys of Cévennes, Mont Lozère... )
Depending on the amount of rain before your visit, the pebbles on the path may be loose in places.

(7)For braver walkers and those who love steep climbs, at the Langoustines pass, a short extra loop is an option: The tower of Mont Aigu (1 hour 15 minutes) is a beautiful walk before heading back down to Laboule.

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 669 m - Car park at the back of the church
  2. 1 : km 2.24 - alt. 934 m - Changing banks
  3. 2 : km 2.73 - alt. 1,026 m - short, sharp climb to the right
  4. 3 : km 3.98 - alt. 1,293 m - small collar
  5. 4 : km 5.37 - alt. 1,391 m - track joining the GR
  6. 5 : km 8.83 - alt. 1,269 m - Cros de L'Aygues
  7. 6 : km 13.56 - alt. 700 m - Les Cebeyres
  8. S/E : km 13.93 - alt. 671 m - Car park at the back of the church

Practical information

Water available at the ascent.
Be careful when fording during floods.
It is not advisable to walk this route during storms, snow or fog.
Shelter (hunters') half-way down the hill on the descent.
Bring good hillwalking shoes and an IGN map of the area.

In the nearby area

An amazing diversity of vistas all along the walk: views over Mont Gerbier des Joncs, Vercors, and in fair weather even Mont-Blanc, and on the way back down, Mont Ventoux, Cham du Cros, lower Ardèche, Mont Bouquet, and Mont Lozère...
Visit the village of Laboule and its numerous artists and artisans.
Farm produce including local preserves (chestnut, raspberry) at the stopover gite next to the church.

 Always stay careful and alert while following a route. Visorando and the author of this walk cannot be held responsible in the event of an accident during this route.

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

Reviews and comments

4.6 / 5
Based on 38 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.5 / 5
Clarity of route map
4.6 / 5
Route interest
4.8 / 5
Kevengwen
Kevengwen

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : May 16, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Beautiful walk with superb views over the ridge: Mt Bouquet, Ventoux, Mt Gerbier de Jonc and the Alps.
A pleasant climb through undergrowth along the torrent.
After the 1st ford, the path does not follow the GPX track. No consequence, the two join after a few hundred metres.
A long descent on a DFCI track. Be careful, at a green cistern, the GPX tracks take a path on the left and the markings continue straight ahead. The two also merge, but it seems a little longer if you follow the signs.
This is probably one of my best hikes in the Ardèche because of the superb views from the summit.
Thanks for sharing!

Automatically translated

Kwiss07
Kwiss07

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of walk : May 08, 2024
Reliability of the description : N/A
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Busy trail : No

The climb through the undergrowth was great, and the view over the ridge magnificent. On the other hand, the descent, which was almost entirely on a large, slippery track on which we were overtaken by cars and mountain bikes, was disappointing, especially as the start of the circuit on a small path looked promising.
It took us 4 hours 15 minutes to complete without the lunch break, so I'd classify it as medium difficulty.
But thanks to the person who suggested the route, we have absolutely no regrets about the start or the view!

Automatically translated

Yankélée
Yankélée

Good evening
Thank you for your comment. It's important for us to know that you liked the tour.
See you soon
Yankélée
https://www.gite-randonnee-ardeche.com/

Automatically translated

anais.rando10
anais.rando10

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : May 10, 2024
Reliability of the description : N/A
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Hi, we did the walk in May in bright sunshine. It's a very nice walk with beautiful scenery.
The start of the hike is in the undergrowth for 3/4 of the climb, then the rest of the hike is out in the open! ☀️
Otherwise the trail is super well signposted, I 100% recommend it 😁

Automatically translated

DALLIERE CHRISTIAN
DALLIERE CHRISTIAN

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of walk : Sep 11, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Busy trail : No

Hello, I hiked the sentier des granges from the village of Laboule with some friends. The signposting was correct on the first part of the circuit, but taking the gr back towards Cros de L'Aygues was more complicated. 08/09/2022 hike.

Automatically translated

Yankélée
Yankélée

Thank you for your comments

Automatically translated

L.M GREGOIRE
L.M GREGOIRE

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Nov 11, 2021
Reliability of the description : N/A
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Very nice circuit, nicely completed by the upper part of the Ferjasses circuit.

Automatically translated

Yankélée
Yankélée

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Dec 22, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : Yes

This tour was done in the middle of winter, at the beginning of December to be exact, so it's quite pleasant even in the cold season.
You just have to be aware of the rainfall that preceded it: the small streams can easily overflow and prevent you from crossing them on foot.
Otherwise, this route is just as enjoyable as ever, and you never tire of it because of the variety and nuance of its scenery, colours and itinerary.

Automatically translated

Yankélée
Yankélée

Hello Jean Marie,
Thank you very much for your message.
We're delighted that you enjoyed this itinerary and that you had a good time.
In fact, this walk is particularly beautiful in spring when the broom is in flower: the photographers enjoy creating colour effects with the relief of the rocky bars and the grey-blue sky.
The many barns are more visible before the dense foliage of the fayards appears.
For the pleasure of your eyes, long live sport and long live the mountains!
Sincerely
Yankélée

Automatically translated

jeanmarie.chopin
jeanmarie.chopin

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Sep 12, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

A really lovely walk, on a sunny day too.
I climbed on a good, steady path through a wide variety of forests, with some lovely views. And all the way to the top of the Tanargue range: an absolutely splendid 360°C panorama over the whole of the Ardèche, Mont Ventoux and even a little of the Alps (but it was the afternoon, with the sun shining down on us). Admittedly, the descent on the way back is a bit monotonous, but there's still a lovely unobstructed view to the south, and the path (which cuts the bends in the middle of the descent) provides a relaxing alternative....
And this hike must be even prettier in May/June when the junipers, which cover much of the top of the climb, are in flower !!!!:
There's absolutely no problem finding your way around with the route shown on the Viso map (and also the little comment about finding the start of the path in the village: fortunately it's given....)

Thank you very much for this route

Automatically translated

shapiro
shapiro

Quite a challenging walk, but the "Difficult" rating is exaggerated. Interesting ascent on a fairly steep path; monotonous descent (on a forest fire-fighting road) with, nonetheless, beautiful views over the valley and wild forests. No comment on the views from the ridge, as we were there in the fog. We did see some golden eagles, 10m from us, on the way down, which makes up for it!

Automatically translated

ELYANE
ELYANE

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Oct 25, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

parish specific to Brittany with some lovely views...
some rivers to cross with a lot of water as there had been heavy rain on 20 October...
thank you for this beautiful route!

Automatically translated

vonvonfan
vonvonfan

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Jun 09, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Tres belle randonnéé malgré la pluie paysages magnifique en crete
done on 9 june

Automatically translated

JEF ROUSSEL
JEF ROUSSEL

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : May 27, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Superb hike, but it is advisable to be trained or a good walker, there is only one ascent but it is long and very steep in places. Hiking boots and equipment are compulsory. You'll need to be patient for the panoramic views, as the first part of the hike is through the woods, and it's only once you reach the moorland and broom that you can finally enjoy the view, first to the south. Once you reach the top, a few hundred metres after the sheep pen, this is probably the most beautiful spot in the TANARGUE range and indeed in the whole of the ARDECHE !!!! The Ardèche mountains are well worth the diversions, only the wind and cold forced me to come back down quickly. For those who are thinking of doing this trip, I think that in the next few days (early June) there should be the transhumance, perhaps an opportunity to do a different hike?
Finally, is the distance in kms given by the author (13.93kms) correct? Personally, I counted 2.5 km more (I don't think I took any detours). For a good walker, this circuit can be done in 3.5 hours (that's how long it took me, but I didn't stop, especially because of the cold!)

Automatically translated

Coralie W
Coralie W
• Last modified:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : May 25, 2019
Reliability of the description : N/A
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Strong gusts of wind forced me to abandon the ridges. So I climbed up to the highest point (shortly after point 4), and returned by the same route. So I'm only commenting on the first part of the loop.
The Tanargue is superb, wild and well worth a visit, especially during this green and flowery season. The gradient is well distributed, alternating some steep sections with moments of respite, on a path that is well gravelled but not very difficult.
At the moment, there are numerous fords along the way. On reaching the ridge (4), there is a sheepfold, drinking troughs and paddocks ready for the herds.
The views are magnificent, to the south on the way up, and to the north once on the ridge.
It's a shame we weren't able to enjoy the summit for longer!
In the end: 11km and 750m ascent and return.
Thanks to the author!

Automatically translated

For more walks, use our search engine .

The GPS track and description are the property of the author. Do not copy them without permission.