Grandval loop

From the three cirques of the mountains and their pastures to the intimacy of the beech woods, the valley of a thousand springs is discreet and unspoilt. Saut de la Truite, Livernade, Arbre de la Biche, Grandval and Traou de Lougue: so many waterfalls to discover along this route. The various facilities built at these sites let you make the most of the variety of landscapes. You can simply go there and back to the Saut de la Truite waterfall, or do a shorter loop by turning right after the Arbre de la Biche waterfall.

Start: take a well-marked dirt path on the right, lined with low stone walls.

A fine shaded path leads to a small clearing beside the Livernade stream. From there, you enter the forest, following the stream across a footbridge.

Soon you see the waterfall pouring into a beautiful cirque. Reach the Saut de la Truite waterfall along a specially built path that lets you get close safely.

From the Saut de la Truite, a path climbs on the left; bear slightly right to look down over the waterfall from a purpose-built balcony. Continue along the path beside the Livernade stream to the Livernade waterfall, 400 metres away.

Go down to the right to reach a staircase and a platform from which to look at the double waterfall. As you climb, you can see on the left, on the other bank, the Livernade site, a restored 18th-century buron and its barn (private), which you will walk past on the way back. Then set off again, through the woods, to the Arbre de la Biche waterfall (180 m). You reach the waterfall 30 metres further down, by a fairly steep path, going there and back.

Continue along the path on the right bank until you leave the woods in the Grandval cirque.

Here you get a fine view towards the Col de la Tombe du Père and the Col de la Pourtoune, on the left.

Turn right towards the Grandval waterfall. The loop continues at first on the same bank, going down along the Livernade, in the woods.

Then, after 300 metres, cross the torrent and follow the fence, on the wood side. After another 300 metres, the path turns right and goes down a long way through the beeches.

It finally joins the Livernade path close to the Arbre de la Biche waterfall. Go back down through the woods to the restored Livernade burons.

The path passes close to the Traou de Lougue waterfall ("the cooking-pot hole") and reaches the place known as La Dolvadenche, then the Sanissage car park.