Imagine... We are 2 million years ago, a volcanic peak 82 meters high rises like an immense chimney due to the eruption. Between sky and earth, like Mont Saint-Michel, the Chapelle Saint-Michel is positioned at the top of an acute
Route details
Description
In Aiguilhe, from the car park at the foot of the rock of the Saint-Michel chapel, head to the left (back to the rock) and cross the ring road at the pedestrian crossing. Turn right to go towards the hospital center by crossing the Terminal. Go straight up Chemin de Bouthezard to Montade de la Boriette.
Turn right into a grassy passage between two walls. After a few steps, find the road. Go back up to the right, then continue the ascent via stairs. Arrive at the entrance to the Bois de la Boriette; enter it and follow the path which winds up to the edge. Continue opposite until you reach a large crossroads on the ridge.
Take the path to the right of the notice board. Continue on the path which goes down and comes out on a track; take it on the left to join the D 136. Cross (caution!) and follow the small road opposite.
At the intersection, turn left. The road becomes a dirt road and reaches the entrance to Polignac. Cross the road to follow the path opposite, then go up left for 70 m.
At the water trough, climb to the right on a grassy path along a low wall. It continues with a staircase and comes out on rue du Toria. Proceed to the right uphill (rue du Levant) to the church and town hall.
Go down opposite via rue des Écoles. At the bottom, follow the D 136D on the right (route de la Souleie) and leave the village.
At the first bend, go up the path on the left. Pass under a road and immediately turn right and reach the N 102; cross it (be careful!). Head opposite, Impasse des Côtes. Pass the quarry, then the Coste Blanche farm.
After a house at the entrance to a wood, go down to the left along a stony path which passes under the railway line and joins a small road; follow it to the right until the village of Moulin des Estreys.
At the iron loom, turn right along a wall [> cross] on a path which goes up and passes under the railway line. Turn left and follow the track until you reach a road; take it down. At the bottom, in the center of Les Estreys, go right, then immediately left and cross the Borne. Turn immediately right onto a path. Continue straight ahead until you reach the wooden footbridge.
Cross the stream, turn right for a few meters then left on the path which goes up into the woods. Arrive on the Devès plateau. On the perpendicular path, go left for 20 m then right. After 300 m, turn left along the woods, go past the stadium for about a hundred meters.
Turn right onto Chemin des Ombres which overlooks the valley [> view of Saint-Vidal and its castle]. At the exit, follow the road to the right.
At the crossroads, continue straight towards Chazelles. Cross the hamlet in a straight line then, at the exit, take a farm road on the left.
Shortly after, at the fork, turn left. At the junction, under the power line, take the furthest right. Reach a crossroads in the middle of cultivated land: turn right [> view of Mont Bar and the village of Allègre]. The path becomes tarmac. Continue until you reach a right bend where two paths go off to the left.
Take the path furthest to the left: it goes down into a small wooded valley. Cross the stream on the stone bridge and go up opposite. On the plateau, follow a road to the right to cross the village of Pralhac in a straight line. Keep heading along a small road which crosses a valley.
About 150 m after the bridge, go up a grassy path on the left. At home, take the D 25, then the D 906 on the left; cross it (caution!) and enter Loudes via a bridge. Near an iron cross, go left along the street lined with poplars.
Climb to the right through a narrow street and arrive at a battlement tower. Turn left then right, and finally left to reach the Place de l'Église. Opposite the church, head right onto the D 55, direction Vaures. After the grocery store, turn left and head towards Collanges.
At the hamlet, turn left. In the bend after the farm, leave the road for the wide dirt road opposite under the trees. At the fork, keep your left hand. Continue straight on a path which becomes increasingly narrow. Cross a bridge over the Cereix, then join a road on the left (D 252); follow it to the right for 300 m.
Go up the small road on the right to end up in Cereix. Go straight ahead along the main street. At the fountain, take the second street on the right, then left and find the D 252; cross it and take the dirt road which goes down to a stream. Cross the wooden footbridge and go up 150 m.
At the bend, turn right onto a narrow grassy path between the trees. Continue until you find the stream again. Cross over the footbridge and come out on a road; on the left, head towards the center of Saint-Jean-de-Nay.
Turn right into a grassy passage between two walls. After a few steps, find the road. Go back up to the right, then continue the ascent via stairs. Arrive at the entrance to the Bois de la Boriette; enter it and follow the path which winds up to the edge. Continue opposite until you reach a large crossroads on the ridge.
Take the path to the right of the notice board. Continue on the path which goes down and comes out on a track; take it on the left to join the D 136. Cross (caution!) and follow the small road opposite.
At the intersection, turn left. The road becomes a dirt road and reaches the entrance to Polignac. Cross the road to follow the path opposite, then go up left for 70 m.
At the water trough, climb to the right on a grassy path along a low wall. It continues with a staircase and comes out on rue du Toria. Proceed to the right uphill (rue du Levant) to the church and town hall.
Go down opposite via rue des Écoles. At the bottom, follow the D 136D on the right (route de la Souleie) and leave the village.
At the first bend, go up the path on the left. Pass under a road and immediately turn right and reach the N 102; cross it (be careful!). Head opposite, Impasse des Côtes. Pass the quarry, then the Coste Blanche farm.
After a house at the entrance to a wood, go down to the left along a stony path which passes under the railway line and joins a small road; follow it to the right until the village of Moulin des Estreys.
At the iron loom, turn right along a wall [> cross] on a path which goes up and passes under the railway line. Turn left and follow the track until you reach a road; take it down. At the bottom, in the center of Les Estreys, go right, then immediately left and cross the Borne. Turn immediately right onto a path. Continue straight ahead until you reach the wooden footbridge.
Cross the stream, turn right for a few meters then left on the path which goes up into the woods. Arrive on the Devès plateau. On the perpendicular path, go left for 20 m then right. After 300 m, turn left along the woods, go past the stadium for about a hundred meters.
Turn right onto Chemin des Ombres which overlooks the valley [> view of Saint-Vidal and its castle]. At the exit, follow the road to the right.
At the crossroads, continue straight towards Chazelles. Cross the hamlet in a straight line then, at the exit, take a farm road on the left.
Shortly after, at the fork, turn left. At the junction, under the power line, take the furthest right. Reach a crossroads in the middle of cultivated land: turn right [> view of Mont Bar and the village of Allègre]. The path becomes tarmac. Continue until you reach a right bend where two paths go off to the left.
Take the path furthest to the left: it goes down into a small wooded valley. Cross the stream on the stone bridge and go up opposite. On the plateau, follow a road to the right to cross the village of Pralhac in a straight line. Keep heading along a small road which crosses a valley.
About 150 m after the bridge, go up a grassy path on the left. At home, take the D 25, then the D 906 on the left; cross it (caution!) and enter Loudes via a bridge. Near an iron cross, go left along the street lined with poplars.
Climb to the right through a narrow street and arrive at a battlement tower. Turn left then right, and finally left to reach the Place de l'Église. Opposite the church, head right onto the D 55, direction Vaures. After the grocery store, turn left and head towards Collanges.
At the hamlet, turn left. In the bend after the farm, leave the road for the wide dirt road opposite under the trees. At the fork, keep your left hand. Continue straight on a path which becomes increasingly narrow. Cross a bridge over the Cereix, then join a road on the left (D 252); follow it to the right for 300 m.
Go up the small road on the right to end up in Cereix. Go straight ahead along the main street. At the fountain, take the second street on the right, then left and find the D 252; cross it and take the dirt road which goes down to a stream. Cross the wooden footbridge and go up 150 m.
At the bend, turn right onto a narrow grassy path between the trees. Continue until you find the stream again. Cross over the footbridge and come out on a road; on the left, head towards the center of Saint-Jean-de-Nay.