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Park in Saint-Genix-sur-Guiers
- either at Place du Pont, opposite the Tourist Office (Repaire Mandrin behind the Town Hall),
- or at the foot of the descent from this square towards the Guiers, Place de la Glière (more spaces).
(S/E) Head towards the banks of the Guiers to follow the "Au fil de l'eau" trail, which passes behind the tennis courts and the campsite. Continue on flat ground along the Jasmin business park until you reach a bend in the Guiers, where you will need to turn left at a place called Le Vorget.
(1) At the crossroads, leave the banks of the Guiers and turn left to join the Pont-de-Beauvoisin road (CD 915A). Take care when crossing this road to take the Chemin du Charat opposite, straight ahead.
When you reach the Joudin road, turn right and continue for 150 metres before turning left to go up Chemin du Carre. At the top, turn left to join Route de Bachelin.
Follow it downhill for a few dozen metres, then turn right onto a level path that leads to a housing estate. Follow Impasse du Magnon down a steep slope to the left.
(2) Without going down to the Haut Joudin crossroads, turn right to go up Impasse du Layat, then right again onto a path that climbs steeply at first, then more gently, to reach Route des Quatre Pierres.
Turn left to descend a little, join the Route de Layat, take it on the right to make a wide upward curve.
(3) Take the first path uphill to the right, which crosses fields and hedges to Chemin de Pétozan (signposted La Trancoulette). Cut across it to go straight up and rejoin Route de Layat at a bend. Continue to the right and stay on this road until you reach the Bachelin-Ecole crossroads.
(4) Turn left onto the Bachelin road and turn right onto the small Bois de Montdragon road, which climbs up the hillside and then levels out. After a few hundred metres, turn right down a dirt track, which joins the Chemin de la Combe further down. Follow it to the left, and it will bring you back to the Bois de Montdragon road in a curve.
(5) Walk down this road for a few steps and turn left onto the path that starts at almost the same level: it descends slightly and then continues level to Chemin Vers Bauge. Walk up this road on the left; it becomes a flat path before descending slightly towards an area that may be damp.
(6) A path comes in from the left, then at a crossroads, do not take the road that branches off to the right but continue for a few more metres and turn sharply left to reach the place called Prévieux. There, take the carriageway on the left which leads to the Rochefort road (CD43).
(7) Turn right and then go up to the left along the circular Boucle d'Urice, which leads to a housing estate. On the ridge, take the rural road opposite, which turns left at a right angle to join the Chemin du Plateau d'Urice. Continue straight ahead along this ridge road, then along the Route du Cellier, passing several houses until you reach a crossroads at the highest point of the plateau (Crête d'Urice).
(8) Turn right onto Chemin du Réalet, which descends steeply into the Bois de Côte-Envers among the chestnut trees. When you reach the tarmac road, do not take the path on the left leading to a property, but just below it, take the path that descends diagonally to the Côte-Envers road.
Follow this road for a long time.
(9) Join the Saint-Jacques-de-Compostelle path (GR® 65) coming up from the right and continue to the left. Enter the forest again and ignore the various paths coming from the right or left.
You will come to a well-marked crossroads in the forest (Chemin de Saint-Jacques).
(10) Turn left and take the steep climb behind you, which turns right and goes up to a ridge at Pas de l'Âne. There, turn left: the path flattens out and leaves the forest. At a small building, turn right to cross an open space with unobstructed views, then descend to Chemin de la Tour.
(11) Keep left to rejoin the Route de Rochefort (CD43).
Follow this road (watch out for traffic) to the right, it winds down to the Pigneux chapel.
This chapel overlooks the Guiers valley and offers views stretching as far as Lyon.
(12) From its forecourt, descend opposite the Route de Rochefort.
(13) At the crossroads in front of a school, continue down Rue du Faubourg. Cross several streets and you will come to a stop sign on the CD1516 road.
Cross it carefully and continue straight ahead under the Vielle Porte to arrive in front of the town hall. Walk along the left side of the town hall, enter the Hôtel de Ville park behind the building, and carefully cross the Pont-de-Beauvoisin road in front of the Tourist Office to return to the starting point (S/E).
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