Circular Rapailles route from Bémont to Le Syndicat

Credit where credit is due: this permanent hike was mapped out by members of the Le Syndicat "Sports Loisirs" Association. This association is part of the French Federation of Popular Sports.
The trail is marked with the logo of the International Federation of Popular Sports (an "i" and two "V"s).
As the trail is extremely well marked, brave little walkers can easily serve as guides for their parents.

Details

1914597
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 10.43 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 40 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 239 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 241 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 609 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 399 m
  • ⚐ Country: France
  • ⚐
  • ⚐ District: Le Syndicat (88120)
  • ⚑
    Start/End: N 48.024956° / E 6.683454°
  • Accessible from the train station Gare de Le Syndicat.
  • ❏
    IGN map(s): Ref. 3519OT, 3618OT, 3618OTR
  • Hour-by-hour weather

Photos

Description of the walk

The walk starts at Le Syndicat in the town hall car park.
The initial departure point, as normally planned, is at the Têtes en Granite roundabout near the bakery. To avoid disturbing customers in the shops, it is preferable to depart from the town hall.

(S/E) Head towards the green house and take Impasse des Gémeaux. Enter the forest.

(1) At the first crossroads, turn left until the next crossroads after a right-hand bend.

(2) Walk past a few houses on your right and turn sharply left at the Moulin de Jardin.

(3) Turn right onto the private road that goes uphill and reach a wide gravel road. Turn right and follow it for 800 metres.

(4) Turn left, then immediately right and follow the path.

(5) Opposite, continue along Rue du Chastelet, then straight on along Rue du Feing des Loges.
Turn left onto Impasse de l'Ère Clos and 50 metres further on, on the left, between two houses, take a small path lined with broom. As you climb, cross a path and further on you will reach a tarmac road.

(6) Go up to the left and leave the tarmac road for the wide Chemin des Rapailles de Bémont.

(7) Reach the highest point of the route. Begin the descent to the left.

(8) At the edge of the forest, turn left along the edge.
At the tarmac road, continue straight ahead for 200 metres, then turn left into the meadow.
At the white houses, the wide path climbs up to the left, then becomes a trail and descends steeply.

(9) Turn right, then take the wide path on the right again for 400 metres.

(10) Turn almost completely left. At the next crossroads, turn right and head towards the first houses in Bémont.

(11) Continue left and descend slightly onto Route de la Verte Pierre. Further on, continue between the car park of a transport company and the D417 to the Têtes en Granite roundabout.
Turn left into the town hall car park. (S/E)

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 401 m - Le Syndicat town hall car park
  2. 1 : km 0.42 - alt. 423 m - Crossroads
  3. 2 : km 1.02 - alt. 422 m - Crossroads
  4. 3 : km 1.52 - alt. 436 m - Private road in Beaufaing
  5. 4 : km 2.32 - alt. 446 m - Left-right
  6. 5 : km 3.01 - alt. 449 m - Tarmac road
  7. 6 : km 4.18 - alt. 573 m - Tarmac road
  8. 7 : km 4.57 - alt. 609 m - Highest point of the route
  9. 8 : km 6.27 - alt. 502 m - Forest exit
  10. 9 : km 7.38 - alt. 452 m - Crossroads
  11. 10 : km 7.8 - alt. 440 m - Turn around or almost
  12. 11 : km 8.8 - alt. 431 m - Bémont. Passage near the - Cleurie (rivière)
  13. S/E : km 10.43 - alt. 401 m - Parking at Le Syndicat town hall. Close to the - Moselotte (rivière)

Notes

No drinking water along the route.
Sheltered picnic table at the end of the route.

Worth a visit

Between (5 and 6) Sarrasin Stairs: stones protruding from a wall to allow you to climb up.
Doing this hike on a Saturday or Sunday allows you to admire the road transport company's lorries, each decorated according to the driver's wishes.

Reviews and comments

4.7 / 5
Based on 7 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.9 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.9 / 5
Route interest
4.3 / 5
Catchat
Catchat
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 23, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Pleasant hike, thank you for the route.

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Jyfop88
Jyfop88

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 28, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Nice walk
Note that there is a climb of about 1.5 km, so you need to be reasonably fit.
Be careful, as there are several fallen trees on the descent.

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jremy
jremy

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 19, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

A pleasant route that is easy to follow thanks to clear explanations, the route on the app and IVV signposting. It is impossible to go wrong.

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Petitours29
Petitours29

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 19, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful circular hike with no real difficulty, even if the last kilometre is of little interest (between a road and an industrial area). The signposting is perfect. The advice to park at the Syndicat Town Hall car park is wise. Thank you to the members of the "Sports Loisirs" association, who created this circular hike.

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GuyHocquaux
GuyHocquaux

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 09, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

paths quite soggy, rainwater channelled

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oural
oural

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 03, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

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michbad54
michbad54

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 29, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

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