Start at the fountain in the church square (car park) in La Chapelle-des-Bois.
(S/E) Head towards the hamlet of Les Landry, turning left at the first three-way junction.
(1) Before reaching the hamlet, take the Chemin de Beauregard (GR®®5long-distance hiking trail). Start by walking alongside the forest before entering it, and stay within the forest until you reach your destination.
(2) When the path joins the forest road, head towards the Refuge des Prés d’Haut. After 400m, the path turns left. Continue straight on, then stay on the path to the right before joining a tarmac forest track.
(3) Turn left (signpost no. 33) towards Chalet Riton and follow this tarmac track.
(4) At the first junction, turn right to see, at the top of the meadow, a modern chalet. It stands on the site of a former mountain farm. The area was long used as summer pasture for livestock and consisted of wooded meadows. The forest is increasingly taking over. Almost all of these farms have disappeared. You can still find ruins here and there. Retrace your steps and continue the climb whilst observing the trees. There appear to be only two species: spruce and beech. Timber and firewood, both necessary for establishing and sustaining life.
The path winds through the forest before joining a forest track at marker no. 30.
(5) Head towards the Ecomuseum opposite. Then, after 100 m, turn right onto a wide path that passes by the ruins of Chalet Riton, a former mountain farm.
(6) Continue along the path until you find yourself overlooking the Combe des Cives, on the Mont-Noir side of the anticline. Through the trees, the landscape reveals a valley where numerous farms have been established since the 17th century.
(7) A steep path leads off to the left to the Maison de la Combe des Cives. Do not take this path. Continue straight on and follow the path to a large timber yard.
(8) Take the first path immediately on the right. After 200m, turn left at the junction. The path passes through a moss-covered stone wall. Continue until you reach a tree on the left bearing a sign saying ‘Greffier’. Follow the path opposite for 50m.
(9) In a hollow, somewhat hidden by the vegetation, lies a large, solitary boulder known as ‘Pierre à la Révolution’. Retrace your steps. When you reach the ‘Greffier’ tree, take the path on the right.
The forest you are crossing is owned by the local council. The woodland is very dense and renowned, and the trunks, which are very straight and tall, are sought after for the construction of log cabins.
(10) At signpost no. 32, head towards “Nondance”.
The downhill path leads to the large farm at Nondance. This building, situated in a large clearing, dates from the 18th century. The impressive roof feeds a cistern. Return to the village by re-entering the forest via the first path on the left, crossing the tarmac road. Wide and easy to walk on, it leads to the Beurrière track,
(11) Take the path to the right, then turn left after 30 metres onto a marked track leading to the car park at the start of the ski runs.
Return to the starting point via the Route des Pâturages and the Chemin Minon (S/E).