On footHardBoucle

The Dore terraces (Mayres)

Start: Chapelle Notre-Dame de la Roche, Mayres

Starting from the lovely site of Notre-Dame de la Roche, this route takes you from one side of the Dore to the other, with plenty of viewpoints over the village of Mayres, the Dore valley and the Monts du Forez.

Distance: 10.7 km
Elevation gain: +427 m
Elevation loss: -412 m
Duration: 3 h 15 min

Route on the map

Base map © OpenTopoMap (CC-BY-SA): route licensed under ODbL via Données : Parc Naturel Régional Livradois-Forez · rando.parc-livradois-forez.org — sous licence ODbL.

The route in detail

From the car park, take the track that goes down, then pass under the railway line and go down to the road. Turn right, then after the last house of Le Merle, follow the track on the right for 300 m.

(1) Take the first track on the left, climbing steeply. Take the track on the left along the hillside for a good kilometre. At the road, turn right and go through Compains.

(2) On leaving Compains, follow the track on the left after the farm buildings. Keep to the same track all the way. At the road, turn left and reach La Marcherie. Go through the hamlet and continue to the D 201 (view of the Arlanc plain and the Monts du Forez).

(3) Cross the D 201 and take the track that goes down on the left (view of Mayres, the Arlanc plain and the Monts du Forez). In Mas Marchet, follow the D 201 to the right and go through the hamlet. At the last house, before a right-hand bend, go down the tarmac track on the left, which quickly becomes a grassy track. At the fork, carry on to the right as far as the D 906a.

(4) Turn left for 10 m, cross the road, then take the track immediately on the right. Cross the stream, then follow the forest track slightly to your left (view of the Monts du Forez). At the road, carry straight on to enter Cubelles. Go through the hamlet and keep to the same road.

(5) 150 m further on, turn left to enter Les Combaux. At the entrance to the hamlet, follow the track on the left. At the fork, stay on your right. At the junction near the first ruins of Gardaillat, take the track going down on the left to the Dore. Take the Varre bridge and climb back up by this track to Le Procureur.

(6) Cross the D 38 and the railway line and, 30 m further on, climb straight ahead towards Le Besset (view of the Arlanc plain and the Monts du Forez). In Le Besset, carry straight on along the same road.

(7) At the D 38, carry on slightly to the right and, 250 m further on, follow the track on the right running alongside a plantation. Go through the pine wood, then rejoin the D 38. Take the track opposite for 100 m, then go down to the left along the field to reach the chapel.