The Schlitteurs climb to Roche du Sapin Sec

Park in the large car park at Aquanova, the swimming pool in Saint-Dié-des-Vosges, located on Quai de la Résistance.

(S/E) Leave the car park, cross the small bridge over the Meurthe opposite and follow the river, turning right. Pass the Vanne de Pierre and its footbridge and you will reach a fork in the road.

(1) Continue along the road to the left in front of the stadium, join the Anneau Rouge trail and continue to the right.

(2) Turn left onto Chemin du Trou du Loup: Anneau Rouge. You will reach a clearing and a crossroads.

(3) Continue left on the wide unmarked path. Pass between scattered houses, ignore the first tarmac road on the right (Chemin des Fontaines) and reach the junction with the Route de Dijon (D82).

(4) Turn right and follow the road carefully for about 400 metres.

(5) Leave the road that continues straight ahead and turn left onto Route Forestière du Paradis. Walk a few dozen metres, then turn right onto Sentier des Schlitteurs: Red Cross markings: follow the path uphill for 2 km to Abri de la Roche du Sapin Sec.

(6) Cross the Route Forestière de Bellevue (picnic area below) and continue climbing opposite, following the Red Cross markings.

(7) Cross the Route Forestière des Fées and continue straight ahead to the Roche du Sapin Sec shelter: end of the Sentier des Schlitteurs.

(8) Continue for 100 m to the right to reach Roche du Sapin Sec and its orientation table.

(9) Turn back.

(8) Pass the shelter again and continue straight ahead: follow the yellow diamond markings.

(10) Pass in front of Roche des Cailloux (beautiful view when climbing the ladder), then in front of a mobile antenna and come out onto a forest road at Carrefour du Relais.

(11) Take a path down to the left to reach the paragliding take-off site: beautiful view of Saint-Dié. Go back up the path marked with yellow diamond and green rectangle signs, continue to the left to reach the Roche des Fées and its viewpoint.

(12) Continue along the path that descends to the left: marked with a yellow rectangle crossed out in white. Continue straight ahead, crossing two forest roads, until you find the yellow diamond markings and follow them in the same direction.

(13) Turn left and head towards Aire du Paradis: shelter and car park.

(14) Continue straight ahead, then turn slightly right onto a rather inconspicuous path marked with a yellow rectangle crossed with white. Return to the tarmac road, continue to the crossroads and go straight ahead along Rue Albert Blondin until you reach the bend.

(15) Leave the street and take a path on the right, which leads to Rue Hubert Houel. Continue straight ahead until you reach the junction with Rue André Colin. Take the street opposite, which is slightly to the right, turn right at the junction and follow the path that runs alongside Collège Sainte-Marie and leads to Place Jean-Jacques Duval.

(16) Cross diagonally to reach Rue de la Cathédrale. Pass in front of Notre-Dame de Galilée Church and then Saint-Dié Cathedral, turn left to cross Parvis Jean-Paul II.

(17) Continue straight ahead on Rue Thiers and go to the end of this shopping street to reach the roundabout on the banks of the Meurthe.

(18) Join Quai Jeanne d'Arc and turn left to follow it along the river. Continue on Quai du Stade, turn right to cross the bridge and reach the Aquanova car park (S/E).

Note that the last two kilometres of the climb have a total elevation gain of 450 m with an average gradient of 22%: this section is in fact the famous Sentier des Schlitteurs, marked with Red Cross signs.

Between point (8) and point (14), the route is downhill, very technical in places, rocky with many rocks that can be slippery, requiring caution and, above all, good hiking boots.

After point (14), the trail is very wet and muddy for 500 metres.

(6) Picnic area below the trail.

(8) Roche du Sapin Sec shelter.

(14) Aire du Paradis shelter.

La Vanne de Pierre, where you can cross the Meurthe via the footbridge.

Pass by the cathedral and the town's main shopping street, Rue Thiers.

To find out more about the Montée des Schlitteurs organised every 23 December in Saint-Dié-des-Vosges: https://www.traildesroches.com/19-montee-des-schlitteurs