La randonnée du Pont du Diable

Walk : quite easy MB : impossible Riding : impossible Ski : impossible Handicapped : impossible

Earth : volcanism Earth : panorama

	La randonnée du Pont du Diable
Hike entered by NetRando

A hike in the region Rhône-Alpes

This hike is situated in the heart of the Mountains of Ardèche, a country for which the sky and the hell seem to mix each other in the landscape. This place could have inspirated Faust for his Dante's reading! You will admire beautiful sights on the Mountains of Ardèche and on the volcano of Thueyts. Note that a table of orientation can be used, and some explanations are also presented there.

1- From the place of Champ-de-Mars, back to the war memorial, go on the road N102 on your left (with a wide pavement) and reach the bridge.
2- Take the left track which goes down, and turn to the right in order to pass under the bridge. Continue on the track along the basalt flow. On your right, you will see the waterfall "la Gueule d'Enfer" (the Mouth of Hell). Continue up to reach the road. Take the tarred track in front of you, and continue on it. Go down the stairs, cross the bridge Pont du Diable (Devil's Bridge) and continue on your left up to the next crossing of tracks.
3- Take the right track which rises. Go up in the forest up to reach the observation post. Continue in the forest up to a little stone bridge that you will cross. Take the track that will lead you to the ruins of the hamlet of Fargebelle. Cross the hamlet and continue on a tarred track approximately 50m.
4- Take the track on your right. Continue in the forest, cross the ford, and go up to a crossing. Turn to the right and cross the bridge. Continue on a track which runs along a property up to come at "l'échelle de la Reine" (the ladder of the Queen). Go up the stairs.
5- Continue straight ahead until you reach the road N102. Turn to the right and continue straight ahead to get back to the starting point.

Information

General points

Geographic situation. District : Thueyts (department Ardèche)
Road map with
Starting point : Champ-de-Mars Place, Thueyts.
The length of the stroll is estimated at 4,8 Km and the walk duration is about 2 h .
The stroll is marked out all along
Stroll form : loop
Stroll relief : hilly (alt. mini = 360 m ; alt. maxi = 580 m)
Maintenance : regular (right brushwood clearing)
Exposure : varied (both covered and uncovered areas)

Noteworthy places

Gueule d'Enfer. Water rushes down this two-levels waterfall more than 100 m high.

Chaussée des Géants. The Giants' Causeway is a basalt flow. With its 80 m heigh, it is one of the highest in Europe. Originally on this site, the flow was blocked by scorias, and consequently, it was forced to flow against the slope line: such a feature is extremely rare!

Pont du Diable. The Devil's Bridge goes back to the XVIIIth century. There are many legends going round about this bridge.

Echelle de la Reine. Ladder of the Queen: tairway rising from Ardèche bank. It is composed of 213 steps.

Maps

Carto Exploreur 07 Sud, IGN 2837 OT.

Bibliography

L'Ardèche à pied. (2005 - Coll. Les Départements de France à pied. Fédération Française de la Randonnée Pédestre) : 128 p. Réf. ISBN : 2751400647

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La randonnée du Pont du Diable
(code number : THUEYTS001)