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In Chastreix, leave your vehicle in the car park near the church. Note the Balirando Le Bois de la Masse hiking sign, the route of which follows the markings in the first section.
Yellow markings, lines and smallPR®® signs
(S/E) Facing the Balirando sign, follow thePR®® arrow towards the corner of the grocery store and follow the street to the left. At the intersection, continue straight on the road.
(1) Turn onto the first road on the right, towards Les Essarts. Cross the Gagne stream and, at the T-junction, turn right.
No markings
(2) At the Les Essarts signpost, take the path on the left towards Cascade for a round trip. At the T-junction with another path, turn right.
(3) Site of the Cascade des Essarts waterfall on the La Gagne stream. Retrace your steps back to the Les Essarts signpost.
Yellow markings, lines and smallPR®® signs
(2) Turn left towards Chauvet. Shortly afterwards, steps lead down to two footbridges over the Gagne stream, downstream from the waterfall. Further on, join a path, not shown on the map, and follow it to the left to reach the hamlet of Chauvet.
(4) Continue straight ahead on the road to cross the hamlet, ignore a path on the left and take the next one. You will soon reach the Chauvet marker and follow the direction of Rimat.
(5) When you reach the hamlet of Rimat, continue straight ahead on the tarmac road, then turn left at the intersection, ignoring the Rimat signpost, which is set back a little on the right but is guarded by an aggressive dog. The tarmac road soon disappears; continue along the path. Further on, enter the Chastreix-Sancy Nature Reserve.
(6) Ignore a forest path on the right and turn left.
(7) A path on the right offers a view of the peat bog.
(8) At the La Masse signpost, turn left towards Les Lades.
(9) At the Les Lades signpost, ignore the path on the left and continue straight ahead towards Source de la Franchette. Just after an old buron (shepherd's hut), leave the path and turn onto a trail on the left. A few metres further on, at the fork in the paths, turn right. Go through a mountain pasture gate and immediately cross a footbridge over the Gagne stream. At the fork in the paths just after, go up to the right. Go through a fence (handle), then a gate, and turn right at the fork, leaving the YellowPR®®.
No markings, directional markers
You will arrive at a trail intersection at the Source de la Franchette marker.
(10) For a round trip to the summer pastures, turn right towards La Pédaire.
(11) Further up, at the T-junction with a path, turn right. Arrive at the mountain pastures of Ma Montagne du Mont, cross the Gagne stream and continue to an information panel on the evolution of the landscape.
(12) Retrace your steps to the Source de la Franchette marker.
(10) Continue to the right towards Le Four. Shortly afterwards, ignore a path on the left and follow the yellow markings.
Yellow markings
Go through a gate (handle), cross the La Gagne stream one last time, then go through another gate (handle) and arrive at the hamlet of Reboisson.
(13) Continue straight ahead on the small road (very little traffic).
No markings, directional markers
(14) At the next intersection, ignore the yellow markings that go to the right and continue on the small road that veers slightly to the left. At the intersection at the Moulin de Piavin marker, continue straight ahead. You will return to the intersection you passed at the start of the hike.
(1) Continue straight ahead on the road for about 150 m, then turn right onto a path at a shed. Ignore a path on the right. Further up, at the T-junction, take the path on the left. Go around the church on the right and don't miss a visit if it is open. At the exit, you will find the car park on the left (S/E).
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