Sentier de chevreuil, La Gante, Labastide-Rouairoux

Sentier de chevreuil, La Gante, Labastide-Rouairoux. This walk is found by taking the D64 up from the little town on the route to the lakes. After a wide bend in the forested road you will come to a very large dolmen (tomb). There is a small parking area here with stone picnic benches. (The main walk is 12km but the smaller one appeared to be around 7km. There are several new walks up there including a yellow walk, but I'm not sure where it started, possibly down in the valley below. The route that we took was an old path marked with yellow deer symbols.The walk was beautifully managed for the first half and then the route appeared to vanish. When we finally found it again it had become abandoned but still very beautiful. I think the new yellow walk must have replaced it). So here we go "Sentier de chevreuil" following little yellow deer. We loved this route, so cool and pretty. No views but butterflies and flowers, a cool breeze and 20c (It was 33c back at our house in the valley). Once you have parked up, turn right and follow the wide track to reach a tiny path to your right leading into the trees. The trees are marked here both with GR and yellow deers. The path makes and circuit up to the ruins of a tiny chapel and then skirts around La Gante. It heads north through beautiful woodland and then reaches the PR yellow/red. We followed the route to reach a wide track that is also a cycle route but it was here that we found it difficult to find the continued route. Finally turning left and then finding another deer sign on a tree we followed a few orange markers into the trees and then picked up the deer signs once again. It went over a dry stream and the along a small ridge to find some old wooden steps leading down the pretty little wooded ravine and follow a tiny path that went up to an old ruin. The path should go behind the ruin but it's blocked so look for a down path a very short way on. This picks up the deer signed path to reach the bottom. Carry on until it come down onto a wide path marked yellow and Red/white. Now turn left to cross the stream and continue up towards the parking. Don't follow the deer signs on your right as this is the longer route. Continue on and shortly you will arrive at the dolmen again. Great cool walk but very tricky to follow. Fun though.