Head to the Baume-Les-Dames exit on the D492, towards Pontarlier. Park your vehicle in the car park at the hairpin bend at the junction with the RD33 leading to Villers St-Martin.
(S/E) Cross the main road and take theGR®59, which climbs up the road embankment. The white/red markings are doubled here by a yellow and blue rectangle pointing towards Croix de Chatard, towards the memorial to Georges Meunier, a great hiker. The climb sets the tone for the day. With a little discretion and a bit of luck, chamois will accompany you to Roche de Châtard, which offers the first views of the Doubs valley and Baume-Les-Dames.
(1) The first squills have appeared along the gently sloping path, which now crosses a carpet of periwinkles. Leave theGR® trail, which descends to the left.
(2) Cross the D112 and take the path opposite. Same yellow and blue markings. Follow the ridge with numerous openings onto the Doubs to climb to the summit of Mont Dommage.
(3) Military geodesic marker. Continue along the ridge marked with green-flowered hellebores.
(4) Leave the country path that descends to the right (return to Baumes-Les-Dames) and turn left to the south-west, towards Silley-Bléfond. After 100 metres, turn right to go to the viewpoint over the Doubs.
(5) Turn around and take the path on the right to reach the intersection with theGR®59(white and red markings).
(6) Turn left heading east then south to reach the village of Silley-Bléfond.
(7) Cross the village, following theGR® markings, which turn left.
(8) In the centre of the village, opposite the bus stop, leave theGR® and take the tarmac road on the left (RD364 - Rue de Baume).
(9) Cross the D112 and take the grassy path opposite. At the entrance to the woods, turn left and descend into the valley. Here you may once again see a herd of chamois.
(10) Leave the path on your left that passes under the rocks carved out by the erosion of the ancient glacier and continue downhill to reach the Moulin de Bléfond and its chapel.
(11) Please note that this is private property. You will need to ask the owners for permission to enter the property on your return to cross the stream that the mill's resurgence has filled with water.
Continue on the left, heading north-east, following the left bank of the stream through the pasture to reach the Bléfond waterfalls and pools.
(12) Note the movement of the water in the tanks. Turn around and return to the mill.
(11) Cross the property with due respect and head back up towards the bottom of the valley through the pasture. At the bottom of the valley, cross the dry stream to reach theGR®59. You can also continue a little further into the valley to see dry vats in a mini-canyon carved out by the stream, then retrace your steps back to the GR®. Take care in this difficult and tricky section. Pass through the gap in the cliff and then under the rocks carved out by erosion. You will arrive at the carriage road under a tunnel of young fir trees.
(13) Turn left onto the GR®.
(14) At the intersection, continue straight ahead, pass the hamlet of Bois Rodolphe and, at the end of the straight line, continue straight ahead on theGR®, which takes a path through the woods along the edge of the cliff. after about 600 metres, at the end of the straight line, leave theGR®59and take the country path on the left, marked with red and yellow markings, which continues along the ridge. Follow this path to the end of the ridge.
(15) Turn right onto an unmarked forest trench, which leads back to theGR®59at the edge of a white cut, but not before noticing two large quartzite sinkholes on your right.
(16) Turn left onto theGR®, which leads to Pont-les-Moulins via a fairly steep descent.
(17) Turn right onto the D21 towards Guillon.
(18) At the fork, turn left onto the D331 and head towards the hamlet of Belle Rive. Turn right just after the bridge.
(19) At the next fork, turn left and follow the pleasant, quiet tarmac road that leads to the hamlet of La Lavaine. This brings you to another tarmac road, the D19, at a hairpin bend.
(20) Turn right and climb gently.
(21) At the end of the straight stretch, at the entrance to the bend towards La Vierge, take the path straight ahead (signposted Roches de Babre). You will rejoin theGR®59. After a steep climb, you will arrive at La Roche de Babre, a rock detached from the massif and ready to fall on Baumes-Les-Dames at the first small earthquake. View of the route taken in the morning. Follow the ridge path, which continues to climb.
(22) At the bend in the path, stop at the viewpoint over the valley, which resembles a model railway. The descent begins along the canal and the Doubs. Leave the path to the right that leads to Villers-Saint-Martin and continue the steep descent until the path turns 90° to the left.
(23). Leave theGR®59by turning left to descend into the valley via the blue and yellow marked trail, which leads to the banks of the Doubs and the canal.
(24) Take the towpath in the direction of the current on the left, until you reach the first suburb of Baumes-Les-Dames. Before the dam, turn left and walk alongside the buildings of a factory, the former Ropp pipe factory. Walk alongside the factory and the workers' housing estate and, after taking a quick look at the green waters of the Cusancin, return to your vehicle by crossing the bridge on the right (S/E).
We really enjoyed this route, the views are magnificent and what can we say about Sesserant, this timeless place... our only regret is having to return to the tarmac. It's true that we stopped at point 20 because we ran out of time (we left too late and took photos). However, we'll be back to complete it and fill in this little gap
. Thank you very much for introducing us to these little corners of paradise