A walk in the Bois sous le Knoll in Le May

(S/E) Set off south-east and head uphill towards the last house (the start of the route is on the^GR®46). The small road soon gives way to a track. Less than 100 metres after the last house, take an unmarked track which joins the D121. Then follow this road to the right (take care, as the road is quite narrow with limited visibility).

(1) About 150 metres after coming out of a wide left-hand bend, take a path (forest track) on the left that climbs gently (marked G440). Head north-north-east along this steeply ascending path and enter the forest. Pass the path leading to the hamlet of Branceau on your right.

(2) Continue along the forest track, which takes a hairpin bend to the left. Carry on straight ahead along this steeply ascending forest track. Further on, as the track changes sides of the hill, it levels out and then descends slightly through the area known as ‘le Bois’, crossing a small valley.

(3) At the junction, just before the D128, turn sharply left. Pass close to a spring (area protected by a wire fence; sign). Continue along a path that descends and overlooks the D128. Just as the path reaches the base of a small spur, it becomes a forest road. On reaching the western face of this spur, the forest track descends steeply until it joins the D128.

(4) Follow the road to the left (yellow and red markings of^{the GRP®} des Monédières). After about twenty metres, take a path on the left. Head towards the edge of a small copse on your left. Cross a small strip of woodland before following it to your right. Turn right with the path.

(5) At the T-junction, turn left.
N.B.: if the path on the left is impassable, take the one on the right as far as the D121 road. Turn left when you reach it and head back to the point where the original path ends.
The path eventually joins the D121 road: follow it to the left and you’ll reach the first houses in Chauzeix.

(6) Walk through the village, continuing straight on along the D121. At the last houses, turn right onto the small road leading uphill (there is a house on the corner where the two roads meet). This will take you back to the car park (S/E).

The car park is located near the village of Chauzeix on a small road branching off the D121 to the east of the village, serving two houses and continuing as a farm track. Parking is available on the verge of this small road in the grass at the bend and/or on the other side of the road just below the last house (see GPS coordinates).

This hike, which takes place over varied terrain and in the mountains, requires suitable footwear (preferably high-top boots, as the forest track is very stony).

Part of this route is unmarked and crosses marked paths. It is advisable to follow the directions in the description and on the map, whilst also observing the landscape. A large section of the route follows the^GR® 40, marked in red and white.

Hike completed by the author on 29 May 2018.

Monédières Massif (source: Wikipedia and Le Parisien)
The Monédières Massif is a granite range forming part of the Massif Central and situated to the south-west of the Millevaches Plateau.
Towering more than 300 metres above the Corrèze section of the Limousin Plateau to the west, the Monédières form one of the most striking features of the Limousin mountains, presenting an imposing contrast due to their abrupt rise and offering a view stretching for several tens of kilometres to the west. This abrupt change is accentuated and caused by the geological differences between the massif (granitic) and the plateau (gneiss).
Covering a total area of approximately 60 km², it lies between the towns of:
Treignac, Affieux, Veix and Lestards to the north;
Pradines, Grandsaigne and Saint-Yrieix-le-Déjalat to the east;
Saint-Augustin, Chaumeil and Sarran to the south;
Madranges to the west.
It is separated from the Limousin plateau to the west by the Vimbelle and Madrange rivers, and from the Millevaches plateau to the east by the Corrèze and the Corrèze de Pradines.
Its rounded peaks rise 150 to 300 metres above the surrounding valleys:
- the Puy de Monédière, the highest point at 919 metres,
- the knoll au May, at 908 metres, from where one can see the whole of the Auvergne Volcanoes Regional Nature Park (Chaîne des Puys, Monts Dore, Cézallier, Monts du Cantal) and the rest of the Millevaches Regional Nature Park in Limousin (Mont Gargan, Mont Bessou), where there is a viewpoint;
- the Puy de Chauzeix, 893 metres;
- the Peuch Géant, 856 metres;
- the Puy Charrin, 869 metres;
- the Puy d’Orliac, 705 metres.

Suc au May (source: TourismeCorrèze and Le Parisien)
Situated at an altitude of 908 metres, the Suc au May knoll orientation point offers a magnificent panoramic view where the Limousin Mountains meet the Millevaches Plateau. The Monédières massif forms a series of ridges and gentle, flat-bottomed depressions. In fine weather, you can admire the landscapes of Auvergne: the Monts Dôme, the Monts Dore and the Monts du Cantal.
The word ‘Monédières’ means ‘mountains of the day’, hinting at the play of light on the landscape. The massif has, however, suffered three major fires (the first was started by Julius Caesar to eliminate the powerful local druids, the second by the proconsuls (for the same purpose) and the third was ordered by Louis de Pompadour, the Baron de Treignac, during the Wars of Religion).
The Bol d’Or des Monédières cycle race, launched by the accordionist Jean Ségurel, takes place in the massif.
The massif is home to a Natura 2000 site, the Landes des Monédières.