Along the Batifol

Start at the inn at La Forie, go up the small road alongside the war memorial. At the crossroads, turn right onto the small road, then take the first track that climbs to the left into the woods. At the Y-junction, go up to the right. At the D67, turn right for 10 m then straight away left onto the small road (towards La Brousse). Take the track immediately on the right between the fences. Turn right onto the small road. At the Y-junction, leave this road for a track on the right running alongside a low wall.

(1) At La Brousse, at a crossroads of 4 tracks, turn right between the meadows (viewpoint over the Ambert plain on the right). Keep to this good track all the way to the hamlet of Louville. Go past the first house, then follow the track that rises immediately on the left to La Chevaleyre.

(2) At the road, turn right to cross the hamlet. In the hamlet, leave the main road and bear slightly right. At the last house (ignore the grassy track opposite), follow the track on the left that runs alongside it (viewpoint over Valcivières opposite). Continue to the D67 (fine stone cross dated 1883). Follow it to the left and go along the cemetery to enter the village.

(3) Go past the church then the Valcivières inn. 20 m after the phone box, turn right and pass between the houses. At the T-junction, leave the road on the left and take the small path on the right. Go down the path until you rejoin a track. Cross it to set off on a new path opposite.

(4) At the crossing, at the bottom of the descent, turn left to take the bridge over the Batifol. Follow the stony track that climbs and becomes sunken. At the Y-junction, go down to the right (viewpoint over Valcivières on the right between the trees). Ignore the track leaving to the right and keep going down on the left. Stay on this track along the hillside between beech and conifers, surrounded by large jumbles of rock.

(5) At the fork, turn left. On leaving the wood, continue on the tarmac to cross the hamlet of Montgolfier.

(6) At the last house, in a small bend to the left, follow the stony track on the right. Go along the ruin and keep to this track. At the fork, leave the main track and follow the small path on the right. A few metres further on, at the Y-junction, follow the path climbing to the right then drop back down towards La Forie. Go along the boundary wall and continue opposite to take the bridge.

(7) Turn left to follow the Batifol then, at the crossing, take the street on the right to reach the church. Then follow the main road to the right to reach the inn at La Forie.