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Start near the Jean Diot bunker, a Maginot Line fortification located on the outskirts of La Neuville-aux-Joûtes heading towards Chimay.
Local signage: Red
(S/E) Head south along the D34 and, immediately after the village sign, take a path on the right until you reach a small tarmac road. Follow it to the right, pass through the Plaine Jean Diot and descend to another small road. Turn left onto the Route Forestière des Colonies. This is the boundary between the departments of Aisne and Ardennes.
(1) Head left up a slope alongside a pasture and enter the forest. Generally keep heading in the same direction along the Aisne-Ardennes boundary until you reach the Route Forestière de Gratte Pierre near the Maison Forestière des Logettes.
(2) Turn left, then left again before a detached house. Keep left and, following a sunken path lined with hedges, reach the first houses of La Neuville-aux-Joûtes. Turn right and head down towards the church and the village square.
(3) Head down towards the River Gland (which rises at Regniowez). After the river, turn right towards Any. Before leaving the village, head up to the left to reach a small tarmac road. Turn left and follow this small road, which runs along the edge of the village, until you reach a crossroads. Leave the road by turning left. At the next grassy crossroads, take the path furthest to the left to descend along a sunken track lined with tall hedges to the Route des Sablières.
(4) Head up to the right, then, at the next junction, go down to the left to the D34; turn right along the road and, as soon as possible, take a small path on the left leading to a recently restored wash house.
(5) From the wash house, walk to the Route de la Rouillette, turn left, cross the Gland stream again, pass close to a farm and turn left as soon as possible. At the fork, take the left-hand path and head towards Les Noues.
(6) Turn right into the forest and take the path furthest to the right. At the first junction of forest plot boundaries, turn left towards the north. Cross two transverse boundaries, then, at the third, veer left to reach the Bloc du Grand Marais Est.
(7) Head north to another cross-boundary line and turn right towards the Bloc du Grand Marais Ouest.
(8) Continue to a forest track at the bottom of the valley. Turn right. Note the anti-tank ditch as you pass (information board).
(9) At the next fork, keep left to cross the Mulle stream via a footbridge and turn left again to return to the other bank of the stream. Walk along the pastures to the entrance of a private property.
Turn right, pass the Bloc de la Pisselote and, continuing in the same direction, return to the starting point (S/E).
