The Batterie des Rattes and the Fort d’Épesses

Parking in Gennes, Rue du Lavoir, in the small car park after the town hall, opposite the war memorial. Yellow and blue markings. A short section without markings.

(S/E) Walk up the street with your back to the town hall. At No. 9, on the right, note a beautiful old millstone against the wall of the house. At the small fountain, at the junction with Rue de la Côte de Joux, turn left. Then, at the next junction, continue straight on into Rue des Vignes. At the next junction, turn left into the dead-end street of Groseillier. The road becomes a gravel track. Continue towards the woods. About fifty metres past a wayside cross (on your left), cross a gravel road and continue straight on along the grassy path.

(1) When the path ends, head up to the right to reach the edge of the woodland at a sign reading “Réserve de Chasse”. Then follow the edge and enter the woodland. At a stand of fir trees, you will find the markings and a stony path which you follow up to the left. When it begins to descend, at the fork, go up to the left.

(2) Caution! About a hundred metres further on, look out for the rather inconspicuous sign indicating you should leave this stony path and enter the woods on the left to reach the ditches of the Batterie des Rattes. Do not enter the ditch in front of you, but look for the marker and the path 4.5m away to climb up the embankment on the right and reach the ruins of the battery. Set off again with your back to the main ruin and head back down the stony path to the left.

(3) At the metal gate, head straight ahead to the left for about 300m. At the foot of the marker post, at the fork, climb the wooded hillside via the well-defined stony path on the right (Sentier des Batteries) and stay on it until you reach the meadows of the Combe aux Bâtards.

(4) As you leave the woods, at the metal gate, continue along the small tarmac path that climbs through the pastures. Pass the first path on your right, continuing to the second (opposite a high-voltage pylon), which you will take to the right, leaving the signposted route. The stony path becomes grassy, then a faint track leads to the edge of the woods.

(5) Caution! As soon as you enter the woods, you’ll reach a junction of several paths:

• at the first fork (at the edge of the woods), turn left for a few metres;
• when faced with four paths, take the one directly in front of you (the second from the left). You will see the MTB markings. Continue for about twenty steps to reach another junction by a large tree on your left (marked with MTB112 and Yellow-Blue signs).
• Head up to the left, passing the MTB sign marked with a red cross.

You’ll reach a small tarmac road; take it to the right to reach the entrance to Fort des Épesses, where you’ll find the markings again. Be careful, don’t go in there!

Head right along the ditches. At the far end of the fort, join another signposted path at a right angle. Turn left, going round the fort. After a short descent of a few steps, veer slightly to the right for a few metres to rejoin the signposting (VTT112 route), which will take you along a pretty sunken path.

(6) After an area of regrowth following logging, you’ll reach the edge of a fir forest (MTB route 112, forest signpost no. 8); turn sharply right, following the edge of the fir forest. At the bottom of the fir forest, you’ll come to another junction of numerous paths. Continue straight ahead along the narrow track, keeping an eye on the markings. A little further down, head a few metres to the right, then immediately left.

(7) After about 200 metres, at the first junction, continue straight ahead and at the next junction a short distance further on, head down to the right until you reach the edge of the woods. Then turn right towards the village. At the first fork, head down to the left into Rue de la Maltière, leaving the first street (Rue du Quarcet) on your right, and take the second one, coming round the back of the town hall to return to the car park (S/E).

Wearing sturdy shoes is essential and the use of walking poles is recommended.
The climb to the battery, which is easy in dry weather, can be a bit of a slippery business over a few metres in wet weather.
Do not enter the ruins.