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Departure from the Étang de Machais (or Machey) car park on the D34a (Route des Américains closed to traffic in winter, see short alternative route).
Other possible starting points (see Practical information).
(S/E) From the car park, turn left at the shelter and take the beautiful Chemin des Italiens signposted with a red triangle. The path climbs gently at first and ends after about 3 km at the junction with the Route de Blanchemer.
(1) At the crossroads, turn right towards Lac de Blanchemer (blue triangle), leave the road on your left and keep to the right to reach the shore dominated to the south-east by the Rainkopf. Continue straight ahead to the lake shelter.
(2) Go up to the left into the forest via the path marked with a yellow disc. Keep to the left of the stream to reach the paved Chemin des Chaumes (yellow ring).
(3) Turn left for 300 m, then take the dirt track on the right. Go around the Grand Artimont to the west. After crossing several tracks and ski lifts, at the end of a downhill track, you will reach the Disque Jaune path.
(4) Descend to the left towards Lac de la Lande. The Anneau Rouge trail goes around it; take it to the left to reach the dam. At the end of the dam, turn right along the lake. About 250 m further on, leave the "Anneau Bleu" trail, which goes around the lake through the forest, and take the small path on the right on the bank.
(5) Shortly before the end of the lake, keep right to reach a footbridge that leads to a picnic area with benches and a boardwalk offering magnificent views.
(6) After a break, take the Anneau Rouge path. It enters the forest, climbing above the south bank via wooden bridges and duckboards.
(7) At the first crossroads, go left towards the Tour d'Artimont and the Anneau Jaune path. After a few steps on a stone staircase, take the wide path on the left and pass under the ski lift. Below, you will see the technical facilities and the bottom of the ski lifts on the left.
(8) As you leave the forest, leave the path that climbs up from the bottom of the slopes on your left and continue onthe Anneau Jaune. Follow a peat bog, leave the marked mountain bike path that climbs up to Grand Artimont on your right, and continue to the left until you reach the crossroads, then cross the paved Chemin des Chaume.
(9) The climb to the ridges then begins via the Disque Jaune path. It crosses the Chemin du Grand Bougre and the climb becomes steeper.
On leaving the forest, the path continues along the edge of the forest but does not reach the ridge road as the IGN map suggests. You still have about 600 m to go before you come to the blue triangle signpost for the path that climbs up to the Route des Crêtes.
On the other side of the road, you can see the Louis Herges Refuge (CV de Munster) and the Firstmiss farmhouse inn. Head 100 m to the right and downhill from the refuge towards a crossroads.
(10) Leave the Croix Jaune trail on your left and the red rectangle with a white cross on your right to climb into the forest via theGR®531marked with a blue rectangle. The climb is easy at first but becomes steeper as you leave the forest (the Rainkopf is aptly named: rain = steep slope, kopf = summit). On the left, there is a magnificent view of Lake Altenweiher and the Fecht valley.
(11) From the summit, begin the descent by following the unmarked path opposite, heading south, or continue 80 m to the right on theGR® to find the "Croix Bleue" path on the left towards the Col de Rothenbach. As you descend, admire the asymmetrical summit of the Rotenbachkopf (the "Matterhorn of the Vosges") opposite and all the peaks bordering the valley as far as the Petit Ballon.
(12) When you reach the pass, turn right onto the Route des Crêtes, cross it, and you will see the Centre d'Initiation à la Nature below on your left. Follow the road carefully, then cross the junction with the Route des Américains. Continue for another 100 m on the Route des Crêtes to find the entrance to the marked Croix Verte trail.
(13) Don't miss this trail on the left towards the Source de la Thur (beautiful view of Lake Kruth). Further on after the spring, cross theGR®531 Rectangle Bleu, which descends directly to the Col de l'Étang (possible alternative route). We prefer the Croix Verte trail and then, 1 km further on to the left, the Valsche Croix Jaune trail. On the descent, go around a bend in the Route des Américains on the right and cross it 500 m further on. Shortly before the Col de l'Étang, cross a scree slope and you will have a clear view of the Étang de Machais.
(14) When you reach the Abri de l'Étang, descend to the right to find the Triangle Rouge path, which runs along the peat bog on the right.
(15) Take the easy way back along the riverbank, rejoin and cross the Route des Américains, which the path runs alongside on the right, to arrive at the car park (S/E).
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Difficult 
Easy 
