The best MTB trails around Astet

Etymology: comes from Mas d’Adam, name of the old domain which was located at the site of the current village which was ceded by the lord of Géorant to the bishop of Viviers to allow him to found the abbey of Mazan. It all begins with the foundation of the Cistercian abbey in the heart of the village. This takes place between 1119 and 1122. At the beginning of the 12th century, canons came to settle on the site of Mas d’Adam (toponym that would evolve towards MAZAN), and were joined by monks from the abbey of Bonnevaux. These religious men built an immense abbey, of which only the remains are left today, which experienced a period of apogee that lasted until the Hundred Years' War. It gave birth to four other abbeys which are Bonneval, Sénanque, Sylvanès and le Thoronet as well as establishments of nuns. After this prosperous period, misfortunes followed one another at the abbey of Mazan: it was plundered by the great companies of the Hundred Years' War, then attacked by the Huguenots in the modern period. Before this last pillage, the monks, according to legend, would have melted a golden bell with all their treasures, which they would have buried somewhere, opposite and in front of the bull's eye, within earshot of the cock's crow. https://www.montagnedardeche.com/patrimoine-culturel/village-de-mazan-labbaye-2387/

Lovely turtleneck!

The view from the pass over the Monts d'Ardèche Regional Natural Park is breathtakingly beautiful. The new Meyrand viewpoint, a little south of the summit of the pass, was inaugurated in July 2024. It offers an exceptional panorama of the Monts d'Ardèche, the Cévennes, and you can even see as far as Mont Ventoux.

Climbing up to the Col du Meyrand from Valgorge, you get a magnificent view of the gorges of the valley from which you came. To do this, you have to overcome sixteen kilometers at an average of 5.1%.

Break for lunch at the Lanarce pizzeria, a treat, and always well received

The Col du Pendu from the Col du Bez is short (3 km) but with an average gradient of 7% peaking at 1,435 meters above sea level with sections at a maximum gradient of 8.5%.

This watershed limit is actually a bit random, because it is difficult to locate precisely, as the geography can change. It hydrographically divides the watersheds. In this case here that of the Mediterranean zone and that of the Atlantic zone. Very often, a watershed is associated with a pronounced difference in climates.

A small village typical of the Ardèche des plateaus, Loubaresse is at the heart of a network of hiking trails for young and old. The village is located in a natural area made up of hay meadows, moors, broom, heather and forests.