Phare de Borne (Borne lighthouse)

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At the heart of the wild Cévennes summits, with magnificent views on Mont Lozère, this hike will take you to le Phare (the lighthouse), by the artist Gloria Friedman, one of the most photogenic sites of the water divide.

This mountainous hike overlooks most of the time the very steep-sided Borne Valley. It will lead you to the Cévennes summits and offers gorgeous sights on the gentle plateaus of the Montagne Ardéchoise on the North side, and on the big escarpment of Mont Lozère on the South side. In these wild landscapes, sparsely inhabited, you will be surprised to see, after a curve in the path on the crest line followed by the GR7, a blue lighthouse... Conceived by the German artist Gloria Friedman, "le Phare" is one of the works on an longer artistic path. It rises proudly on the GR at a place called Moure de l'Abéouradou, exactly on the Atlantic and Mediterranean water divide line. From the top of the lighthouse, the view is exceptional on both drainage basins and enables you to grasp strongly the contrast in relief, landscapes and vegetation that you will perceive along this hike. After the part on the crest line with its wild and grand landscapes, while going down, the walk will be more wooded and go along montane grasslands and the Masméjean Brook : you will be able to freshen up after the beautiful climbs of the first part !

Description

Follow the GR7, on the left of the inn at le Bez, in the direction of Masméjean/ Saint-Laurent-les-Bains. At the first crossways, turn left on the GR7 towards Saint-Laurent-les-Bains. Pass the barrier and close it carefuly after you. The path follows the long climb to the airfield (it loks like a large clearing).
Once at the top, go right for about 30 m, up to a wooden gate. Pass it and follow the path along the crest line (white and red markings). At the top, don't hesitate to sit on the bench to enjoy the landscape in front of you on the South side. You can see up to Mont Lozère which delineates the landscape. After an hour of walking, you will reach a little pass. Take the marked path on the left and start climbing, up to Gloria Friedman's work of art.
You can go in and enjoy the view from the only French lighthouse shared between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. After it, take the track going downhill.
At the crossways, turn right in the direction of "scierie de Masméjean 2.6 km, Le Bez 5.2 km. Follow the track in the woods.
At the crossways, turn right in the direction of "Le Bez, 2.6 km" (Yellow and white markings). First, the path is bordered by fields, then it follows the Masméjean Brook and goes again into the forest. Back to the crossways with the airfield path, turn left and go back to your starting point, the Le Bez pass.

Departure : In Saint-Laurent-les-Bains, take the GR (long-distance path) on the left of the inn in the direction of Masméjean
Towns crossed : BORNE and Saint-Etienne-de-Lugdares

Altimetric profile

Access and parking

From Aubenas, follow the direction of La Croix-de-Bauzon resort via the Lignon Valley, head past it, then continue on the road D19 towards Saint-Etienne-de-Lugdares up to Le Bez.
From the North, via La Chavade, take the direction of La-Croix-de-Bauzon. The road D239 leads directly to Le Bez.

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