La Paille

Please note: when the days are short, leave early enough to be sure of returning before nightfall because the region is not very populated and the route is long.

Departure from the "SAINT-JOSEPH-DES-BANCS" hiking information sign, church square at an altitude of 660 m. Cross the village by the main road. At the large chestnut tree, take the path on the right which descends through old chestnut groves and, at the pine wood, go down the path on the right to the road. Turn right and cross the bridge.

The village of Saint-Joseph-des-Bancs is an open-air museum: bread is still baked in the ovens of some hamlets and two hydraulic mills are open to visitors.

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➤ THE BRIDGE: Go left between the houses in the hamlet of Le Pont and continue along the track that runs alongside the stream, passing through the hamlets of La Glutière and Le Nougier. Don't miss the renovated bread oven! Le nougier, from the Occitan nogièr (noudjié): "walnut" (tree). Follow the RD 218 to the right for about 100 m and, before the bridge, go up the track on the left. Leave it on the right, ford the stream and continue along the path that winds through the broom moorland to the Chantemerle farm. Go up the small road to the D 122 and follow it to the left for about 150 m to reach the so-called "Roman" road.

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➤ LA PAILLE: Continue left on the D 122 then continue on the “Roman road” to discover the exceptional panoramas of Boutières (the “butter” Ardèche) and the Cévennes (the “oil” Ardèche).

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➤ LA SOUPLEY: Go down the track for about 200 m, then the path on the left (steep descent) which winds through the broom, beech and chestnut trees to the Bisette farm. Follow the road to reach the hamlet of Gamondès (bread oven, worth seeing).

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➤ GAMONDES: Go down to the left by the calade (paved path) passing between the houses, cross the bridge and climb the path on the mountainside which leads to the Col des Fraysses.

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➤ COL DES FRAYSSES: Very beautiful view of the Bise valley. Continue along the track and take the small road on the right which crosses the hamlet of Conchis.

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➤ CONCHIS: Conchis, from the Occitan Conchi (contchi) (from the Latin concha): “Conch, large shell” and also “valley”, “lowland” (in the shape of a conch). Leave the road to dive left towards the old fortified house which you go around before diving into the valley (Please close the gates for the cattle!) Cross the stream on foot and continue to the ridge which you cross before going down a path in the woods to the road. Follow it to the left, pass the hamlet of Le Vernet then shortly after go down the path to the right. Pass in front of the house to reach the bridge of “la Planche”.

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➤ LA PLANCHE: Follow the track to the right for about 50 m then go up to the left by the path to the village to reach the starting point.