Le Champ de Mars (depuis le Mazoyer)

➤ From the INFO RANDO sign, cross the bridge over the Fédou and turn right to follow the hamlet of Mazoyer from below.

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➤ MAZOYER BAS: take the paved path that climbs to the left alongside the houses. At the top of the hamlet, the path joins a track that you follow on the right for a few meters before taking the path that climbs to the left (Remember to close any gates you come across).

The trail climbs through chestnut groves and scree slopes before crossing the Lavanches stream (a place name likely suggesting an avalanche). From there, things get serious: the trail winds up through beech trees and blueberries and leads to an old farm.

This isolated farm was no less important. Located between mountain and valley, on a steep but well-exposed and sheltered slope, it was equipped with a water-powered mill. The stream water was diverted by a levade (small dam), then led into a béalière (small canal) 350 m long which fed a reservoir basin. The latter, once full, provided the pressure necessary for the operation of the mill, thanks to a penstock located at the bottom of the basin and leading to the spoons of the roudet (horizontal wheel located on the lower level of the mill and directly driving the millstone on the upper level). Some farms in the hills brought their grain there to be ground. The béalière also allowed the irrigation of the faïsses. From the path, these elements of this small identity heritage of the Cévennes are in advanced ruin but nevertheless identifiable.

After a long climb, the path opens onto a wide, flat path. Follow the path to the intersection, take the slightly rising path on the right and open onto a meadow at the crossroads "Le Coulet Gras".

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➤ LE COULET GRAS: Follow the wide path locally known as Voie Romaine to the left towards Mézilhac until you reach the Bourlateyron junction. On this section, you are walking on the GR de Pays de la Haute Cévennes d'Ardèche, marked in red and yellow.

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➤ BOURLATEYRON: A round trip to the top of the Champ de Mars and its interpretation table is offered, and it's well worth it! Allow 1,9 km and an additional 60 m of elevation gain. Otherwise, continue the trail towards Mézilhac until the Bois de Rauset junction.

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➤ BOIS DE RAUSET: Take the left track towards Mazoyer, follow the forest track for about 3 kilometers. The track climbs to skirt the Pradou peak then swings to the south slope where it descends with a hairpin bend and reaches the "Le Chabrol" post.

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➤ LE CHABROL: Leave the track and take the path on the left that plunges into the Fédou valley under forest cover, towards Mazoyer. The path winds close to the stream before joining another track below. Follow it on the left for about a hundred meters then take the path on the right that descends into the embankment. The path serves the old Fédou farm, still occupied in the 1930s. Cross the stream under the ruin then return to the path on the other bank.

The last few kilometers to Mazoyer are under the beech forest then between chestnut trees and pastures, slaloming on both sides of the Fédou stream (once again, please close the barriers).