Hours of walk: 5
Rise: 400 m
Drop: 250 m

Itinerary

The itinerary leaves the village on its northern side and it immediately plunges into the Mediterranean landscape. A forest of holm-oaks stretches widely over dry karstic ground alternating with barren clearings. The trail marks help trekkers to extricate themselves through the net of forest ways which cross the woods of Bois de Laval. This territory is rich in dolmen and menhir, usually indicated and reachable through short route variations. This path is easy and suitable for everyone, but it surely is less interesting than the track going along the left mountain side of the Ardèche gorges. This itinerary presents nonetheless some considerable technical difficulties and is rather long. It is, though, possible to go along a track on the right mountain side, diverting from the GR4 at the four way crossroads at Aven (abyss) des Ingrantières. The route gets back to the GR4 some 2,5 km further on, but with a remarkable lengthening and at least 350m of altitude difference in drop and rise. The track along the left side allows walkers to get back on to the GR4 further on, at Mas de Serret, but it implies the fording of the river. The GR carries further on from Mas de Serret (m 260) into the forest and to Les Crottes (m 265), where there is a small memorial dedicated to the Partisan Resistance of March 3, 1944 to the Nazi reprisal on the civil population which was supportive of the Partisans. The walk carries on in a rural environment up to Labastide-de-Virac.

Food and accommodation

-In Labastide-de-Virac

Gîte rural Le mas de la gazelle
At the entrance of the village, tel. 33 (0)4 75 64 70 70

Gîte rural Elisabeth Peschier
In the village centre, tel. 33 (0)4 75 64 70 70

Ristorante La petite auberge
Tel. 33 (0)4 75 38 61 94

Ristorante Au vieux porche
With accommodation, tel. 33 (0)4 75 38 66 97

Other options for food and accommodation can be found in the historical centre and in the neighborhoods.
Office de Tourisme des Gorges de l’Ardèche 
Place de l’Ancienne Gare, B.P. 5 , Vallon-Pont-d’Arc, tel. 33 (0)4 75 88 04 01