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Start 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, head left of the shelter and take the beautiful Chemin des Italiens, marked with a Red Triangle, to the left. Slightly uphill at the start, it ends, after nearly 3 km, at the junction with the Route de Blanchemer.
(1) At the junction, turn right towards Lac de Blanchemer (Blue Triangle), keep the road on your left and keep right to reach the lakeshore, dominated to the south-east by the Rainkopf. Continue straight on to the lakeside shelter.
(2) Head left into the forest along the path marked with a Yellow Disc. Keep to the left of the stream to reach the tarmac Chemin des Chaumes (Yellow Ring).
(3) Turn left for 300 m then take the dirt track on the right. Go round the west side of the Grand Artimont. After crossing several tracks and ski lifts, at the end of a downhill run, you’ll reach the Yellow Disc path.
(4) Head down to the left towards Lac de la Lande. The Red Ring path goes round the lake; follow 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 “Blue Ring” path, which goes round the lake through the forest, and take the small path on the right along the shore.
(5) Just before the end of the lake, keep to the right to reach a footbridge leading to a rest area with benches and a boardwalk, offering magnificent views.
(6) After a break, rejoin the Red Ring path. It enters the forest, climbing above the southern shore via wooden bridges and boardwalks.
(7) At the first junction, head left up towards the Tour d’Artimont onto the Yellow Ring path. After a few steps up a stone staircase, take this wide path to the left, passing under the ski lift. Below, on the left, you can see the technical buildings and the base of the ski lifts.
(8) As you emerge from the forest, leave the path leading up from the bottom of the slopes on your left and continue alongthe Yellow Ring. Walk alongside a bog, leaving the signposted mountain bike path leading up to Grand Artimont on your right, and continue leftwards to the junction, then cross the tarmac Chemin des Chaume.
(9) The climb towards the ridges then begins via the Yellow Disc path. It crosses the Chemin du Grand Bougre and the climb becomes steeper.
On emerging from the forest, the path continues along the edge but does not lead to the Route des Crêtes as the IGN map suggests. It is another 600 m or so before you come to the Blue Triangle signpost for the path climbing towards the Route des Crêtes.
On the other side of the road, you can see the Refuge Louis Herges (CV de Munster) and the Firstmiss farmhouse inn. Head 100 m to the right and downwards from the refuge towards a crossroads.
(10) Pass the Yellow Cross signpost on your left and the Red Rectangle with a White Rectangle on your right, and head up into the forest along theGR®®531marked with a Blue Rectangle. The climb, which is easy at first, becomes steeper as you leave the forest (the Rainkopf lives up to its name: rain = steep slope, kopf = summit). To the left, the view over Lake Altenweiher and the Fecht Valley is magnificent.
(11) From the summit, begin the descent by following the unmarked path directly opposite, heading due south, or by continuing 80 m to the right on theGR®® to find the “Blue Cross” 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 lining the valley as far as the Petit Ballon.
(12) Once at the pass, turn right towards the Route des Crêtes, cross it; below on the left is the Centre d’Initiation à la Nature. Walk carefully along the road, then cross the junction with the Route des Américains. Continue for a further 100 m on the Route des Crêtes to find the entrance to the marked Green Cross path.
(13) Do not miss this path on the left towards the Source de la Thur (beautiful view of Lac de Kruth). Further on, past the spring, you will cross theGR®531 Blue Rectangle, which descends directly towards the Col de l’Étang (possible alternative route). We prefer the Green Cross path and then, 1 km further on to the left, the Valsche Yellow Cross path. On the descent, go round a bend in the Route des Américains on the right and cross it 500 m further on. Just before the Col de l’Étang, cross a scree slope; there is a clear view of the Étang de Machais.
(14) Once you reach the Abri de l’Étang, head down to the right to find the Chemin Red Triangle, which runs alongside the bog on the right.
(15) A gentle return along the shore; rejoin and cross the Route des Américains, which the path runs alongside on the right, to reach the car park (S/E).
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Difficult 
Easy 
