Head to the central square in Chavanay. Park.
(S/E) Leave the square and take Grand Rue towards the east, then turn right onto Rue des Services and continue to the bridge over the river.
(1) Just before the bridge, note the water jousting basin and the old tower. From the bridge, our route follows theGR®65trail for quite a while (white and red markings). Once you have crossed the bridge, turn right. Once in La Choréry, turn right again.
(2) After a few metres, turn left. The path climbs steeply. It passes in front of a chapel.
(3) Shortly after the chapel, turn left. Continue straight ahead, ignoring the paths coming from the left. You will come to a small tarmac road. Follow it to the left.
(4) At the next crossroads, descend into Ribaudy to cross the hamlet. At the end of the hamlet, continue to follow the red and white markings. You will descend into a small valley.
(5) After the small bridge, take the path on the left that climbs quite steeply. You will come out onto the plateau, surrounded by fruit trees, and pass the Grange du Merle. Continue straight ahead until you reach a small paved road.
(6). When you reach a crossroads, leave theGR®65, which branches off to the right (you will return this way later). Continue straight ahead (south-east) and walk along this small local road for a short while until you reach a bus shelter and a cross.
(7) At this point, take a small paved road on the left (Chemin de Natuel). Pass a group of houses. Ignore the path that branches off to the right. Continue downhill straight ahead. You will see a wooded embankment on your right. This gives way to a vineyard overlooking the path
(8) When you reach the end of the stone wall supporting the vineyard, turn right (white/yellow signpost) onto the path that climbs slightly. A little further on, take the path that descends slightly to the left opposite. Follow it. It gradually turns westwards.
Be careful, as it runs alongside some fairly steep drops in places (but it's not really vertiginous). Leave a path that comes in from your left and continue downhill to Malleval. At the bottom of the valley, cross the river and climb up the opposite side to reach the only main street in Malleval
(9). Take the time to walk up to the church and return to this point. Walk up the main street to the end of the village.
(10) When you reach a bridge (before the school), turn left onto the road that climbs towards Paton. At a hairpin bend, take the path that branches off to the right between two houses. At the first fork, turn right. Climb up the cool, shady Epervier valley. At a second fork, take the left-hand branch. Climb up the valley as far as possible, first on the right bank, then on the left bank, ignoring a path that climbs up to the right.
(11) When your path returns to the right bank, it will start to climb, leaving the stream behind. You will come out onto the plateau, first on a stony path, then on a tarmac road.
(12). You will see the red and whiteGR® markings again. Take the road on the right. Further on, cross the Epervier again. Cross several paths, then the D79 road.
Continue until you reach a crossroads with a tarmac road. You will rejoin the route where you left the GR®.
(6) Then turn left to return to the starting point via the same route as on the way there (S/E).
), cherry blossoms. The landscapes are varied and the drive through the vineyards before arriving in Malleval gives the impression of being suspended on the hillside. Malleval is very busy, but the village is beautiful! Don't hesitate to cool off at the Lorette waterfall: after crossing the small bridge, turn left and you will find a path on your left with a sign clearly indicating the waterfall. Go all the way down, it's worth it (even if the road is close by) and don't hesitate to take a dip. After a refreshing stop at the café, we resumed the loop in the woods, accompanied by the sound of the stream and the changing shades of green as nature came back to life. It was truly enchanting! The fact that it wasn't a complete loop and that we had to return the same way made me hesitate to choose this route, but as the views are different, it didn't bother us at all! In short, a big THANK YOU to the author of this route: varied landscapes, spring colours, old stones, a waterfall and nice little cafés (and open
) made this day magical!!!!