Garat Loop

(1) Head towards the town hall overlooking the parking lot. Take Rue des Gauchons before the level crossing. Leave it after 200m to take Chemin des Vignes to the left.
(2) After the tunnel, follow the path parallel to the railway to the right at the start, and climb for 800 m ignoring two trailheads.
(3) At the top of the hill, turn right to take Chemin des Chaumes which descends to Rue des Gauchons after crossing the railway.
(4) Go left. Pass the place called les Varennes. At the next intersection, take Rue des Varennes to the left which then turns right, then immediately take the road of Trotte-Renard to the left. Continue until the next fork.
(5) Leave it to follow Chemin des Écureuils to the right. Turn left before the quarries. Climb towards the hamlet of Trotte-Renard. Leave the hamlet by the path that goes off to the right.
(6) On the descent, enter the woods to the left. Follow the white path along the edge of the woods bordering the quarry for about 700 m.
(7) In the hollow, leave the white path for the beautiful maple-lined trail to the right which ascends towards the hamlet of Peu Sec.
(8) Enter the village to the left, then turn left again. Continue straight ahead for 1km passing in front of the Bournis manor.
(9) Turn left on RD 106, then right after 200 m. Continue straight until the village of Grand Arsac.
(10) At the crossroads, take the dead end of Grand Arsac to the right, cross the woods, go up toward Chemin de la Fauconnière and cross Bas Arsac. Notice the remains of a chapel on the left when descending towards RD 410.
(11) Cross to take the path in front that runs along the old mill. Cross the Échelle mill race and continue straight up to the old Denat tile factory.
(12) Cross RD 4 very carefully, head right and immediately take Route des Tuileries de Lacroix. Turn left after the houses and climb towards the village of Bragette – see the hermitage of Bragette, birthplace of Doctor Bouillaud on the left.
(13) At the junction, take Route de Bragette to the left, ignore the next crossroads and continue until the white path on the right. Pass in front of the hunters' house, turn right at the bottom of the path and reach RD939.
(14) Cross carefully at the pedestrian crossing and enter the village of Boisseau. At Place des « Fatigués », follow Rue du Centre to the left, cross Chemin des Abeilles and take the path opposite.
(15) For 1 km, ignore the trail leaving to the left then the one on the right and climb towards the village of Puyrajoux. At the edge of the woods, take the village road to the left. At the T-junction, continue right and descend.
(16) At the bend, descend to the left on the small trail. Follow Route des Étangs to the left and cross to take the path on the right before the washhouse – Château de Dirac on the left. Pass the source of the Anguienne, continue the path up to RD101.
(17) Follow the road carefully to the left. At the bend, climb to the right into the woods. After 100m, turn right. The route meets the GR4 and 36 and their paths will be common until Touvre. Reach the hamlet of Moulin Barret. Turn left at the building corner before RD101.
(18) After 200m, do a round trip to see the washhouses of Moulin Barret and La Tranchade on the path to the left. Return to the path going up to the right towards Garat – don’t miss the viewpoint on Château de la Tranchade. Pass along the housing estate. Cross Rue de la Gravelle to take the trail in front. At the crossroads, take Rue des Moulins to reach RD939.
(19) Cross very carefully. Continue on Rue de Ladoux – at the beginning of the street on the right see the statuette, a remnant of the disappeared Saint-Catherine church. At the intersection, turn left onto Chemin de l’Écrevisse. Continue straight for 1 km.
(20) Turn right before the road. After 400m, emerge to the right on the road and immediately turn right at the bend. Descend to Route Paul Gauguin. Follow it to the right for 50 m before taking the white path to the left. Continue straight for 500 m – at the junction where the path climbs to the left, see the washhouse of Font Belle on the right.
(21) Arriving at Petit Grelet, climb to the left. Continue straight to the 3rd crossroads, then take the path descending to the right towards Touvre. Cross D23 and continue straight to Route du Pontil. Turn right to reach the town hall parking lot.
Don’t leave without seeing the sources of the Touvre, France’s second largest resurgence.