De Saint-Maurice-sur-Dargoire, boucle des ruisseaux Bezançon

Park in the car park in the centre of Saint-Maurice-sur-Dargoire, Place Charles de Gaulle. There is another car park at the top of the park.

(S/E) Return to the car park entrance, cross the D2 from Saint-Didier opposite and, on the left, head to the crossroads below. At the stop sign, turn right down the D2E1 towards Rive de Gier, then leave it at the left-hand bend and take the first street on the right. At the fork, about a hundred metres further on, ignore the path on the right and continue straight ahead. Cross the Route des Aqueducs diagonally and continue straight ahead onto Chemin des Combes Sud, then take the road on the right which leads to a crossroads (elevation 422).

(1) Ignore the directions on the "La Chandelle" sign and take the first path on the left of the road, marked with a no-vehicle sign and a sign for Vestiges de l'Aqueduc (Aqueduct Ruins). Follow this path downhill, go around a sharp left-hand bend and you will come to a crossroads at the bottom.

(2) Head towards the small hill on the left to see the remains of three arches, vestiges of the Gier Aqueduct, on a 300-metre round trip.

(3) Return to the intersection.

(2) Go down the path opposite, cross a stream, follow it along the left bank, ignore a path climbing to the left and, shortly afterwards, join another path. Follow it to the left, along the Le Bozançon stream, until you reach a crossroads (elevation 306).

(4) At the "Les Ponçonnières" sign, cross the old bridge over Le Bozançon, heading towards Saint-Joseph. Climb up the opposite slope and arrive at an intersection.

(5) At the sign, ignore the direction of Saint-Joseph on the left, stay on the path opposite, and climb up to a crossroads. Turn right and, after 200 m, ignore a path going in the opposite direction on the left, then you will come to a crossroads.

(6) At the sign, leave the path opposite, towards Bissieux, and climb the one on the left. At the top, note the beautiful chapel on the left, built on Crêt Chagneux. Cross the D30 and take the road opposite. At the fork, ignore the road on the left, then, in the bend, ignore the road on the right. Arrive diagonally on a track and follow it to the left for 20 metres.

(7) At the sign, turn right onto the path ascending towards "Grand-Croix". It describes a wide arc, skirting Crêt de la Boissonnière, to end diagonally on Chemin de Combe Plotton. Continue straight ahead and cross the D77 (elevation 507).

(8) At the "La Grand Croix" sign, climb the steep path straight ahead, following the sign for "Cote 574".

(9) At the "Cote 574" sign, continue straight ahead towards the Crêt.

(10) At the sign for "Le Crêt Alt. 591 m", turn left towards Le Crêt Féchet. At the intersection in Le Crêt, continue straight ahead. After 150 m, ignore a path on the left and continue to an intersection.

(11) At the sign for "Le Crêt Féchet Alt. 592 m", leave the marked path on the left towards La Bourdinière. Continue on the path opposite until you reach an intersection with a path on the right that borders a grove (elevation 579).

(12) At the "Servarin" sign, go down it in the opposite direction and, 200 m further on, turn left. Further down, turn right and cross the Bozançon stream. After 30 m, leave the path opposite and climb the one on the left, marked with blue arrows. At the intersection, continue climbing to the left and, shortly afterwards, you will reach a fork.

(13) Follow the path to the right, through a tunnel of vegetation. Cross the Joucles stream and climb the steep slope opposite. At the intersection, climb the hill opposite. Ignore the side paths and join a road in the hamlet of La Violette (elevation 549).

(14) At the "La Violette" sign, cross the road and continue climbing opposite. At the fork overlooking La Trivolinière, ignore the private path descending to the right towards the hamlet and continue straight ahead. Cross a small stream in the valley and ignore the private road on the right. Climb north up the sunny side of the slope, through dense vegetation. You will come to a path at Pré Gautier. Follow it to the right for 30 metres, then leave it and take a path on the left. Further up, after a right-hand bend, you will come to the Senevas road.

(15) Follow it to the right for 50 m to reach the intersection of two paths on the left-hand side. Take the concrete path on the left. Climb straight up the hillside and, at the fork (altitude 740 m), turn right. Pass a small house and, at the next intersection, turn left (altitude 780 m). On the ridge (altitude 815 m), take the wide GR®7 marked trail on the right and, after 300 m, you will come to a fork.

(16) At the "Bois du Châtelard" sign, continue along the GR® trail to the right. Cross the woods, then a clearing, before reaching an intersection (elevation 799) flanked by a no-entry sign for vehicles.

(17) At the sign, leave the^{GR® trail}, which continues straight ahead towards Chante Perdrix, and descend the track on the right (marked "VTT"). Further down (elevation 730), ignore a path ascending to the right and the next one descending in the opposite direction to the left. Continue straight ahead on the track and, at the edge of the woods, after a right-hand bend, ignore the path on the left. In the hamlet of Senevas, reach the intersection of a road in the opposite direction, on the left.

(18) Go down it and, 100 m further on, at the next intersection, continue straight ahead, ignoring the side paths. Turn right to join a road, the Chemin de la Trivolinière. Go up it on the right and, after its right-hand bend, leave it for the street on the left, towards Crêtelet.

(19) Shortly before the farm, follow the path on the left that goes around it, passing a riding school on your right. Go down through the field, then, in the Grand Bois, take a steep, rocky and ravined path to reach an intersection (elevation 526). Leave the bushy path opposite, stay on the path that turns left, and cross the D77. Continue downhill to a crossroads.

(20) At the sign, turn left towards "Barrage aval" (downstream dam) onto a wide path on the left bank of the Bozançon. Go around the pile of plant debris blocking the stream, crossing it. Leave the path going up opposite, then return to the left bank. About 300 m further on, after an uphill stretch, you will see a square wooden post on the left, marking a signposted path climbing up an embankment.
Note: if you pass this intersection by 200 metres, as the path curves around the deep bed of the Grand Bezançon stream at its confluence with the Bezançon, retrace your steps.

(21) Through the woods, climb the path which, at the top, overlooks the Grand Bezançon. Pass the white/yellow cross on a tree. Climb up the wooded valley on a path that retains the old white/yellow markings. Leave a path going in the opposite direction on the left and cross the stream. Follow it along the left bank and, after a good kilometre from the post, you will come to a wide path at the edge of a field.

(22) Take it to the right and re-enter the woods until you reach an intersection about 700 metres from the start of this section, on a platform where agricultural machinery is parked. Leave the path and climb the trail to the left, along a meadow. Go around a bend to the left and under a canopy of vegetation to reach the Route de Flassieux.

(23) At the sign, descend to the right to reach an intersection at the entrance to the hamlet (elevation 557).

(24) At the "Flassieux" sign, leave the road and turn right onto Route Neuve, towards Chez Virieu. Ignore the streets on the left leading to the hamlet, then the one going in the opposite direction, and continue to a fork (elevation 540). Leave the road opposite and go down the asphalt path on the left to its end (elevation 472). Continue downhill on a dirt track. Further down, enter a wood and, after a bend, you will come to a crossroads on the left bank of the Bozançon.

(25) Head left towards the downstream side of the stream without crossing it. Ignore a path on the left, then walk alongside the fields and, at the fork, continue straight ahead into the woods, ignoring the path ascending to the left. In the hamlet of Bas Barbieux, take the ring road on the left, pass two paths and leave it on the left via the Route de l'Ouest.

(26) At the sign, continue along this road towards Chez Virieu. Turn right onto the D668 (elevation 445), then leave it after 100 m for a path on the left. Further on, cross a road (elevation 402) and, after 200 m, you will reach an intersection.

(27) At the "Chez Virieu" sign, continue straight ahead towards Les Deux Bezançons. Descend a few hairpin bends into the valley , noting the pillar of an old, unfinished railway bridge on the right in a hairpin bend. Continue to the next bend.

(28) At the sign for "Les Deux Bezançons", follow the signs for Les Aqueducs de Jurieux. Cross Le Bozançon via a ford and then, 30 m further on, at the fork, take the path on the left. Cross Le Bozançon again via a footbridge, swollen by the waters of the Petit Bezançon. Head opposite towards the path that climbs the muddy ravine slightly to the left (north). After a hairpin bend, climb (east) up the opposite side of the valley. Leave the woods and reach an intersection.

(29) At the sign for "Les Aqueducs de Jurieux", turn left towards La Chandelle. Further up, turn right onto Route Des Aqueducs and return to the initial crossroads (1) passed on the way out (elevation 422).

(1) At the sign for "La Chandelle", turn left, heading north-west towards Jurieux. Cross the road and continue along the ascending path (north-west). You will reach a multiple junction (elevation 459).

(30) At the "Jurieux" sign, leave the road on the left and the path on the right and take the middle path (north) towards Le Peu. Continue straight ahead across the fields to an X-shaped crossroads (elevation 475).

(31) At the "Le Peu" sign, turn right onto the path in the opposite direction, towards Saint-Maurice-sur-Dargoire Le Bourg. After 200 m, at a crossroads, join the street, Chemin des Collines. Ignore the path on the right and the two streets on the left, continue straight ahead. Further on, ignore a dead end on the right and join the D2 from Saint-Didier. Go down it on the right and, after about 300 m, you will find the car park on the left (S/E).

Option: 23.2 km route with an elevation gain of 800 m.
At point (21), bypass Flassieux by taking the level path that runs alongside the Bozançon to reach point (25) directly.

Route identification
From (S) to (1) Marked on the first half but not beyond the fork after leaving the D2E1.
From (1) to (5) Poorly marked, read the map carefully. However, it is well marked, as is the return trip to point (3), where the ruins overgrown with vegetation are well worth a detour.
From (5) to (6) Not marked on the climb to the crossroads, but marked afterwards.
From (6) to (8) Very little signposting but no orientation problems.
From (8) to (10) Well marked and signposted.
From (10) to (12) Poorly marked but obvious.
From (12) to (16) Follow the map carefully. Partly marked, except for the section of^{the GR®®7}from elevation 815.
From (16) to (17) Well marked and signposted^GR®® 7.
From (17) to (25) Poorly marked, use the map.
From (25) to (E) Well marked and signposted.