Circuit du Mortehan

This forest route follows a variety of paths, including many sections of the Pays Sedanais mountain bike routes and various forest trails in Villers Cernay, Francheval and Pouru-aux-Bois.
The elevation changes are not excessive and the numerous streams that line the route add a special charm to this route.

This is a difficult route requiring some portage.

Details

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  • Mountain biking
    Activity: Mountain biking
  • ↔
    Distance: 30.47 km
  • ◔
    Duration according to the author: 4 hrs 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 600 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 598 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 426 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 229 m
  • ⚐ Country: France
  • ⚐
  • ⚐ City: Givonne (08200)
  • ⚑
    Start/End: N 49.7514° / E 5.020853°
  • ❏
    IGN map(s): Ref. 3009SB

  • ◶
    Type of surface: Not specified
  • ⇧
    Bike carrying: Not specified
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Not specified
  • Hour-by-hour weather

Description of the route

Start and finish at the car park of the La Chapelle cross-country ski chalets, 4 km from Givonne, towards Belgium and less than 1 km from the E 46 motorway exit.

(S/E) From the cross-country ski chalets, follow the mountain bike trail markers for routes 8 to 12.
Head south-east, cross the RD 977 and continue straight ahead to cross the motorway via a tunnel. Turn right and immediately keep to the left.
Continue on mountain bike trails 8 to 12 until you reach the Route Forestière de la Première Tranchée.

(1) Go up the forest road to the signpost for Première Tranchée.

(2) Turn right and follow mountain bike trails 9 to 16 to the Wargué pond.

(3) Turn left and head towards a nearby fence. Walk along the fence and then turn left. Cross a stream. Turn left at the next junction and join the Route Forestière de la Fange aux Loups.

(4) Turn left and follow the forest road for 300 metres until you reach the forest path that borders plot 93.

(5) Turn right. Initially stony, this lane becomes grassy with a few wet patches. Continue in the same direction for as long as possible before turning left.
At the next two crossroads, take the path on the right to reach the top of the Ruisseau de la Fange aux Loups.

(6) Cross the stream and take the right-hand path twice, following the stream first on the left bank and then on the right bank (there are some attractive rock formations on the left before you change banks).
At the junction of several paths, take the one that goes left (plots 54 and 89) to follow Rouge Ruisseau on its right bank. Climb up to a path on the right (yellow fork sign) which allows you to ford Rouge Ruisseau.

(7) Turn right and wade across Rouge Ruisseau. At the next junction, continue in the same direction. At the second junction, turn right and after 2.2 km you will reach the Apsonsart stream.
20 m before the Grande Couture signpost, turn left onto the path that runs along the left bank of the Apsonsart stream for 1 km before fording it. Head left for 100 metres until you reach the Apsonsart signpost (junction of the Louis Val, Crayonnerie and Douze Cents forest roads).

(8) Turn right and then immediately left at the Louis Val signpost to join the Pragnou forest road. Continue in the same direction until you reach the hunting lodge.

(9) Turn left, cross the Dérobé stream and immediately turn right to join the Fange des Bouleaux forest road, then the Froide Fontaine forest road at the junction with the Voie du Pommier (Dérobé signpost).

(10) Turn right onto Voie du Pommier and, at the first bend, leave the forest road and turn left, then left again shortly afterwards. After a steep descent, you will reach the Route Forestière du Morthean (tarmac).

(11) Go up to the left along the tarmac road for 3.6 km until you reach the Route Forestière du Paquis.

(12) Turn right onto the Paquis Forest Road and, at the first bend, continue straight on to the French-Belgian border.

(13) At this point, join mountain bike trails 11, 12, 15 and 16.
Turn left onto the border line for about 1.5 km, then turn left and head for the signpost for the Bois de l'Aire des Oiseaux.

(14) Continue right on the mountain bike trail to Gros Chêne (a remarkable tree).
Two signposts will confirm the route (Pré Lamquin; Gros Chêne).

(15) Follow the tracks for 3.1 km until you reach the signpost for La Motte.

(16) Turn right, pass by the pond and stay on mountain bike trails 8 to 12 until you reach the bridge over the Bonne Fontaine stream.
The route passes under the motorway and turns left onto Route Forestière Maurice Arnould. Join and follow Route de Corbion (RD 4) to the right and after 150m, leave the road to the left (west) to follow the Bonne Fontaine stream on its left bank. Reach the bridge over the stream.

(17) Do not cross the stream, leave the mountain bike trails by taking the path opposite that goes uphill, and after 700m you will reach the starting point (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 357 m - La Chapelle cross-country skiing chalets
  2. 1 : km 1.78 - alt. 349 m - RF of the First Trench
  3. 2 : km 2.69 - alt. 393 m - Directional signpost at the Première Tranchée
  4. 3 : km 3.22 - alt. 363 m
  5. 4 : km 4.08 - alt. 383 m - RF de la Fange aux loups
  6. 5 : km 4.47 - alt. 401 m - Path at the edge of plot 93
  7. 6 : km 5.36 - alt. 377 m - Fange aux Loups stream
  8. 7 : km 6.66 - alt. 380 m - Fording Rouge Ruisseau
  9. 8 : km 10.37 - alt. 231 m - Apsonsart directional signpost
  10. 9 : km 12.62 - alt. 294 m - Hunting lodge
  11. 10 : km 14.53 - alt. 350 m - Voie du Pommier
  12. 11 : km 15.63 - alt. 269 m - RF du Morthean (tarmac)
  13. 12 : km 19.28 - alt. 412 m - RF du Paquis
  14. 13 : km 20.05 - alt. 426 m - French-Belgian border
  15. 14 : km 21.95 - alt. 349 m - Woods of the bird area directional signpost
  16. 15 : km 23.62 - alt. 347 m - The Big Oak (remarkable tree)
  17. 16 : km 26.71 - alt. 389 m - La Motte directional signpost
  18. 17 : km 29.69 - alt. 358 m - Bridge over the Bonne Fontaine stream
  19. S/E : km 30.47 - alt. 358 m - La Chapelle cross-country skiing chalets

Notes

Shelter available under a canopy near the hunting cabin (9).
Basic shelter near the Big Oak Tree (15).
Tables at the starting point.

__PLEASE NOTE: this route passes through various hunting areas in state-owned and union-owned forests.
From 1 October to 31 January, it is important to check the hunting days before setting out on this hike.

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The GPS track and description are the property of this route's author. Please do not copy them without permission.