Walk around Chaucombet Hill, starting from the Caintin sports complex

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A pleasant walk of about an hour, on the outskirts of Saint-Étienne, which takes you up to higher ground and offers beautiful views of the surrounding valleys and hills.
At the start of the walk, there are signs prohibiting dogs from entering.

Details

n°1534743
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 2.89 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 1h 40 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 381 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 381 ft
  • ▲
    Highest point: 2,313 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 1,913 ft
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Photos

Chaucombet – the plateau
Saint-Étienne South
Ondaine Valley

Description of the walk

Park in the sports centre car park.

(S/E) Enter the complex via the main entrance; turn left before the changing rooms building and walk between the two football stadiums.

(1) At the corner of the stadium (behind the large wooden shelter), the path climbs to the left. Immediately turn left onto the path that climbs most steeply and leads to the housing estate. Follow Rue de la Rivoire, which runs between the Combes mine shaft and the housing estate. Continue along this road (tarmacked at the start) via the forest track. When you reach the house at the end of the road, take the path on the left. Follow this path to the edge of the new housing estate.

(2) Turn sharply right onto the path leading uphill. Pass a farm on your left.

(3) Turn right before reaching the road; at the farm, turn left towards the road and join it.

(4) Turn right onto the road, then immediately right again just before the small housing estate. Go past the estate, continue straight on past the factory (on the left), then turn left and head towards the mobile phone mast.

(5) At the mast, turn right and head back down towards the pine forest. Once in the forest, take the path on the left and follow it as it winds its way down towards the sports grounds. Finally, go round the complex along the path that runs along its outer boundary; then climb the few steps leading back to the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 1,932 ft - Car park at the Caintin sports complex
  2. 1 : mi 0.18 - alt. 1,959 ft - The trail starts on the left
  3. 2 : mi 0.8 - alt. 2,139 ft - Junction, turn right
  4. 3 : mi 1.07 - alt. 2,297 ft - Turn right
  5. 4 : mi 1.47 - alt. 2,257 ft - Road, on the right
  6. 5 : mi 2.12 - alt. 2,126 ft - Mobile phone mast
  7. S/E : mi 2.89 - alt. 1,932 ft - Car park at the Caintin sports complex

Notes

Note for walkers accompanied by their pets: dogs are generally not permitted inside the complex, which is entirely justified to keep the site clean. Nevertheless, I believe it is acceptable to walk through the complex with your dog on a lead, kept firmly ‘at heel’, and without allowing it to relieve itself.

Worth a visit

The path runs alongside the Combes mine shaft (disused, but the building is still there).
It is a former coal mine that forms part of the industrial heritage of Saint-Étienne and La Ricamarie.

Reviews and comments

3.2 / 5
Based on 4 reviews
Reliability of the description
3.8 / 5
Ease of following the route
3 / 5
Route interest
2.8 / 5
User 23038451

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 26, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Very busy route : No

Not particularly pleasant for most of the route.
The GPS route was generally good, except at the start after the stadium (waypoint 1), where I had to go back and forth quite a bit to make sure I was on the right track.
The car park was empty that Sunday, but it was late July.
I wouldn’t recommend it, except for a purely athletic run.

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lemarcheur65
lemarcheur65 ★

Hello sergio0342
In the practical information section:
=> Note for walkers accompanied by their pets: dogs are generally not permitted on the premises, which is entirely justified to keep the area clean. However, I think it is acceptable to walk through the complex with your dog on a lead, well under control, and without allowing it to relieve itself.

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sergio0342
sergio0342

We couldn’t go on the walk because, when we arrived at the start, there were signs prohibiting dogs – which, after travelling 20 km to get to the start of the walk, really put us off and meant we wasted our afternoon.
The least they could do is warn people, as I don’t think we’re the first ones this has happened to.

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madydou
madydou ★

That’s just the nature of the season.

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Yann Frmtx
Yann Frmtx

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 28, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

Unfortunately, regarding the section (3) “ Keep to the right before reaching the road; at the farm, turn left towards the road and join it.” >>> The small path is not maintained and is overgrown with tall grass and stinging nettles. It’s a shame.

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louatoz
louatoz

Overall rating : 1 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 23, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Route interest : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Very busy route : Yes

Just past the stadium, we couldn’t find the path on the left that goes uphill. No signposts, just loads of little paths criss-crossing each other, so… We ended up going round in circles 😕

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Trtb
Trtb

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 13, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Hello,

The route is perfect.

It’s great for a short ride.

Thank you

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