Around Ancey: Combe Piron and Belvédère de la Roche Aigüe

Departure: Ancey Rue Basse car park at the southern entrance to the village.
When coming up to the village from Fleurey, park in the car park at the entrance to the village, on the right.

(S/E) Walk back up towards the village until you reach an intersection with a beautiful church on your left and the town hall opposite.

(1) Leave the return route on your left, turn right onto Rue Carré and then continue along Rue de Panges. Pass the school and, after about 50 metres, you will see a beautiful fountain on your left.

(2) Continue for about 1.5 km on the tarmac road, which turns into a track and enters the pretty Combe Piron, in the middle of the forest. About 300 m after passing under the high-voltage power lines, you will come to a fork in the road.

(3) Leave the path on the left and continue along the track until you reach a hiking trail that crosses the valley on your right. Continue straight ahead for about 500 metres along a path that climbs in hairpin bends on your left.

(4) Take this path and follow it for about 500 m, then turn sharply right. About 150 m further on, look for a small, inconspicuous path (don't miss it) that climbs steeply to your left.

(5) Follow it south, then, at an intersection, turn right and follow the path for about 100 metres to the edge of the cliff.

(6) Admire the view over Combe Piron.
Turn back onto the hiking trail, heading due west, and climb to the summit (altitude 601 m). Descend in the same direction. A right-angle turn to the left will take you back to a tarmac road.

(7) Follow this road up to your right to the Roche Aigüe telecommunications antenna. Below the antenna, enjoy the view from the viewpoint.

(8) Admire the magnificent view of the Ouche valley, the village of Mâlain, and the countryside of Baulme la Roche. Take advantage of the small benches carved out of tree trunks with a chainsaw for a snack or a break.
Head back up towards the antenna, which you will leave on your left, then take the path on the left that leads into the thicket. Follow this path for a few dozen metres, then turn right onto a sloping path on your left. At the bottom of the slope, turn right onto a perpendicular path.

(9) Take this path on your left and descend towards the Roche Aigüe limestone quarry.

(10) Walk along the bottom of the rock face of this quarry (on your left). There are two tunnels in the rock face, which were probably created to enlarge pre-existing caves. Their entrances are protected to shield the bat colonies that live there from human disturbance.
Walk along the rock face of the quarry (on your left) until you reach the last path that descends the mountainside on the right.

(11) Follow this path, which quickly leads to another path, which you follow for about 100 metres. Take the hiking trail on the right, which leads to a clearing under the high-voltage power lines. The marked trail descends steeply for about 500 metres and leads to the village via the Chemin de la Fontaine Neuve. Turn left onto Rue de la Gare, follow it for about 100 metres to the church and the initial fork in the road.

(1) Descend to the right, taking the same route as on the way up, to the car park (S/E).