The secluded Ardèche

D1 Arrival in Tournon

Things to see :
The Rhône Valley. Wines of the Côtes du Rhône: Hermitage and Croze Hermitage.

Dinner and night in a 3 star hotel.

D2 From Lamastre to St Cierge sous le Cheylard

According to the train schedule (cf services and options) :
Transfer with your luggage to station at Saint-Jean-de-Muzols (6km).
transfer aboard little train of the Vivarais to Lamastre (trip 1hr45).
On other days: taxi transfer from Tournon to Lamastre.

17,4 km with total uphill 400 metres (level 3/5). Duration about 4hrs.
This first walk along the former rail track is fairly long but has no major difficulty. The countryside is varied, giving a good idea of the nature of the Ardèche mountains.
There are many traces of the fine architectural civil engineering works of the former railway, along with stretches taking you through typical rural farms.

Dinner and night in a restored former farmhouse, now a fine hostelry.

D3 Around St Cierge sous le Cheylard

10,3 km with total uphill of 363 m. Level 2/5. Duration around 3hrs45.
Now you are really deep within the authentic and quite secret old Ardèche.
Landscapes hewn with the labour and patience of generations, on land won from an austere and wild nature: terraces, orchards, fields of crops. And vestiges that witness the erstwhile vitality of a region that today conceals the ruins of its memory... uninhabited farms, abandonned ruins...

D4 From St Cierge sous le Cheylard to Chalencon

21,2 km with total uphill of 940m. Level 4/5. Duration about 6hrs50.
This is the longest walk of the holiday. You need to be fit to complete it, so don't overestimate your capacity.It's a ridge walk with lofty passages and fabulous views. The descent to the Valley at the end of the day is the trickiest part.

The climb towards Chalencon offers wonderful panoramic views over the valley.
The itinerary takes you across terraces and through chestnut woods.

Dinner and night in 3 'épis' guest house in the heart of the village.

D5 Around Chalencon

15,7 km with total uphill of 650m. Level 3/5. Duratio about 5hrs20.
Two distinctive landscapes - the valley of the Eyrieux and the plateau of Chalencon - make this a particularly rewarding day of discovery.
The route takes you through the chestnut woods so typical of the Ardèche; note, to, the granite outcrops of the valley of the Eyrieux. Splendid views on the way up, then the surprise of the plateau of Chalencon and its contrasting stretches of forest and cultivated farmland.

Towards the end of the day's walk, you'll see the remains of the old castle of Chalencon.

Dinner and night at the guesthouse.

D6 From Chalancon to Ollières sur Eyrieux

18,2 km with total uphill of 500m. Level 3/5 Duration 5hrs30.
The way is mainly downwards, but by no means a long straight line as it follows hither and thither the maze of ancient terraces carved into the hillside. You have to be particularly careful along this particular itinerary, even if its along the GR (Grande Randonnée, the route of a long distance footpath) for most of the way! And you need to be well-shod given the sometimes tricky descent.

Dinner and night in a charming guesthouse in an old coaching inn.

D7 Around Les Ollières

9,8 km with total uphill of 350m. Level 2/5. Duration about 2hrs50.
A somewhat shorter outing today that brings into focus another facet of the area whilst helping you to recover from the treks of the previous days. The walk begins through the orchards, rising gently above the valley of the Eyrieux and continuing through decidedly Mediterranean vegetation before winding down through a majestic forest where broad-leaved trees, box and thorn bushes flourish side by side.

Dinner and night in the guesthouse.
 

D8 Transfer to Tournon

Departure after breakfast.