Circular from Yzeron via La Croix de Pars, Col de Malval and Les Rivoires

Park in the car park near Yzeron Town Hall, below the D25 road to Thurins .

(S/E) From the car park, join the D25 road and turn right, continuing for 20 metres. In front of the town hall, you will see a sign on the right.

(1) At the "Yzeron-Village" sign, turn left (south-west) towards Le Planil, via Montée de la Chazière.

(2) At the "Le Planil" sign, turn right (west) towards Le Petit Pré via Chemin du Planil. After 50 metres, ignore Chemin de La Cornelière descending to the left and continue straight ahead. Pass in front of the Hacienda campsite. At the crossroads, take the descent to the right, running alongside the cemetery. At the bottom, turn left onto the ascending D122 road until you reach the first road on the right, opposite the Yzeron Résidence building.

(3) At the "Le Petit Pré" sign, turn slightly right towards the Ronzey lake. At the intersection, at the corner of the lake, turn right (north) to reach the opposite corner.

(4) At the sign for "le Plan d'eau du Ronzey", turn left towards Frigaud. At the end of the lake, keep left, cross the Yzeron and you will come to a path. Take this path to the right, along the river, to reach an intersection.

(5) At the sign for "Frigaud", turn left onto a path leading uphill towards Le Tiollet. After a left-hand bend, you will reach an intersection. Go up to the right through the woods, ignoring the side paths. You will reach an intersection near a pumping station. Leave the path opposite and turn right, going in the opposite direction. Pass at the foot of the reservoir before reaching a road in front of the Tiollet farm.

(6) At the "Le Tiollet" sign, follow it to the left towards La Croix de Pars. Ignore the dead-end road on the left towards Le Pilon (elevation 816) and continue to the junction with Route D489 (elevation 818).

(7) At the unmarked sign, continue towards La Croix de Pars. Cross the road and climb the path on the right up the embankment. At the fork, keep right, leaving the path on the left. Enter the Bois de la Verrière. You will come to a crossroads (elevation 812) and cross Route D25.

(8) At the sign for "La Croix de Pars", take the road on the right, Chemin du Cazot, towards La Chapelle St-Clair. Ignore the roads on the right leading to the Gilet farm, then the Cazot farm, and the paths on the side. Continue to the crossroads of a road and paths (elevation 833) located in front of the ruins of an old chapel.

(9) At the sign for "La Chapelle St-Clair", take the first path on the left (north) towards La Petite Vernay. After about 250 m, ignore the forest path descending to the left. Continue straight ahead across open ground, then descend through the Grand Bietto woods and cross a wide track diagonally. Continue straight downhill to reach a junction in front of a house.

(10) At the "La Petite Vernay" sign, continue straight ahead towards La Grande Vernay. After 100 m, ignore the path going in the opposite direction on the right and go to a crossroads (elevation 755).

(11) At the "La Grande Vernay" sign, leave the^first path (east) on the right and follow the^second path on the right (north-east) towards La Garine. At the first fork, go up to the right and, 150 m further on, at the second fork, ignore the path on the left and continue along the path ascending to the right. Join the D311 road.

(12) At the "La Garine" sign, take the D311 on the left towards Col de Malval. About 200 m further on, at the crossroads, leave the road and take the path that runs alongside it on the left. On the descent through the woods, ignore the side paths. At the fork in the road (altitude 835 m), ignore the path on the left. Ignore two paths on the left, one after 200 m and the other about 700 m further on. Join the D50 road and follow it to the right until you reach the crossroads (altitude 732 m).

(13) Do not cross the D25 to reach the "Col de Malval" sign, but immediately turn right onto the^first ascending path, going in the opposite direction (south) towards Les Jumeaux. Ignore two paths on the right, one after the other. Cross the D311 road (elevation 776) and continue along the road descending opposite to reach a crossroads (elevation 728).

(14) At the "Les Jumeaux" sign, stay on the road towards En Bibelain. Pass the hamlets of Les Jumeaux Nord and then Les Jumeaux Sud and, in the left-hand bend in front of a reservoir, leave the road and take the path opposite. Cross the Ruisseau de la Milonière stream and you will come to a crossroads.

(15) At the "En Bibelain" sign, turn onto the path on the left towards Les Pillonières. After 250 m, take the first path on the right. You will come to a small road; take it on the left. Immediately, ignore the path on the right. At the X-shaped crossroads (elevation 699), leave the road on the left, cross the hamlet of Le Soupat opposite, and reach a crossroads on the Milonière stream.

(16) At the "Les Pillonières" sign, turn right (south) towards Crêt de Piraluron. Ignore the side paths and tracks to reach an intersection (elevation 674).

(17) At the "Crêt de Piraluron" sign, turn right towards Les Rivoires. Immediately cross a path, then about 500 m further on, in a left-hand bend, cross the Ruisseau des Aduts (elevation 675). You will reach a fork in the road.

(18) At the sign for "Les Rivoires", continue right towards Les Esselards. In the hollow of a valley, pass in front of the Goutte Chérine farm. At the fork marked with a cross, ignore the path on the right towards Les Esselards and continue straight ahead. You will come to a road, the Chemin des Essalards.

(19) At the "Les Esselards" sign, turn right towards Pimongon. At the hamlet of Le Trossin, leave the road and keep left to pass between the buildings. Continue along a steep path (north-east) which, after a left turn, climbs (north-west) to join the D113 road. Take this road to the left, and after 250 m leave it for a path climbing up to its right. You will come to a crossroads (elevation 816).

(20) At the "Pimongon" sign, take the second path on the left, towards Crêt de la Madone. About a hundred metres after a left turn, ignore the path on the right and continue on flat ground to reach Crêt de la Madone (elevation 861) near the start of a long zip line.

(21) At the "Crêt de la Madone" sign, follow the signs for La Rivière. Descend the path that passes by the imposing statue of the Virgin Mary, then, after a few hairpin bends through the woods, lower down, you will arrive at a slightly sloping path. Follow it as it curves sharply to the left. Go back down to the D113 road. Take it on the right, and just before it curves to the right, leave it for a path going down to the left. After a passage through the undergrowth, turn left onto a path going down the hillside. Turn left onto the D489 road and go to an intersection.

(22) At the "La Rivière" sign, head towards Yzeron-Village. Cross the D489 road and go up Chemin du Chatel opposite. At the fork, leave the street opposite and go up the one on the right. At the top of the street, turn left towards the square. At the end of the square, pass in front of the town hall and continue straight on to the car park (S/E).