La Planche des Belles-Filles from Plancher-les-Mines

Park at Place de l’Hôtel de Ville in Plancher-les-Mines

Markings: Yellow Rectangle for the^GR®532

(S/E) With your back to the town hall, cross the square and take the street opposite. Continue straight ahead. At the footbridge, cross over and then turn right onto Rue des Martenots until you reach No. 16.

(1) Immediately afterwards, turn left onto the narrow path between two fences and follow the path as it climbs. Cross a road and continue straight ahead on the tarmac. When the road bends left at the last house on the right, continue straight ahead. Pass a valley trough and, shortly afterwards, at the Fork in the road, take the right-hand path for about 250 m.

(2) Just before reaching a forest track, take a sharp left-hand bend. Continue uphill; the final section is a little steep, leading to the Col d’Auxelles.

Green Rectangle markings for^{the GR®533}

(3) Turn left onto the ridge path. The path then continues along the eastern flank and, after a zigzag, reaches a pass (elevation 1083).

(4) Do not take the path leading up to the ridge but continue straight ahead to join the Tour de France route. Turn right. Reach the summit.

Unmarked

(5) Avoid the path that descends into the meadow (ski run), but head east to find the pleasant path that descends along the ridge beneath the trees. You’ll briefly follow the Green Rectangle markings again at the mountain hut.
Carry on to the car parks and restaurant, then continue past them for about a hundred metres until you reach the crossroads of paths.

Red Disc markings

(6) Turn right towards the Étang des Belles Filles.

Green Triangle markings

(7) Walk round the lake along the downstream embankment, cross the stream and turn left onto the path that climbs.
Reach a pass, head back down the opposite side and come to a lovely forest track.

Green Rectangle signpost

(8) Take it on the right and follow it for about 2 km. You’ll come to a junction with another forest track that joins sharply from the left.

No markings

(9) Take this forest track to the left for about 700 m. After a bend to the left, you’ll reach a bend to the right in a valley.

“Caution: the following section is unmarked and very little used: intended for experienced walkers wearing suitable footwear. No particular difficulties apart from a few fallen trees, which are easy to walk round or over.”

(10) Just before the bottom of the valley, look out for a track (an old, little-used logging track) that leaves the main track and heads off to the right. The start may be a little tricky as, during the rainy season, some of the water from the valley may flow along this old track.
However, the track is fairly easy to follow as it heads generally south-west, descending at a steady gradient.
After just over a kilometre, this track turns right, then after 150 metres meets another track, which is signposted.

Yellow Ring markings

(11) Take this path on the left. After a hairpin bend to the right, you’ll reach a car park with a picnic area on the banks of the Rahin.

Unmarked

(12) Cross the bridge and take the correct forest track on the left, which climbs gently. Walk uphill for about 1.5 km in a south-westerly direction. After a right-hand bend, and before a hairpin bend to the left at the bottom of a valley, you’ll reach a signposted path.

Markings: Yellow Ring

(13) Take this path on the left, which leads closer to the torrent and the waterfalls.
Please note: there are many side paths leading to the best viewpoints of the waterfalls and cascades – make sure you return to the main path to continue the descent!
Carry on until you reach the valley and a junction of well-maintained paths near a small cottage.

(14) Turn right until you reach the Fork in the road.

(15) Carry on to the right along this path, avoiding the branches that head uphill to the left and those to the right that cross the Rahin. This path, which more or less follows the right bank of the Rahin, becomes a road after about 1.5 km.
Carry on, keeping to the right bank, until you reach the village (with the church tower in sight) and come back to the car park (S/E).

Understanding the Club Vosgien’s signposting.

Please note: the section between points (10) and (11) is unmarked and very little used. These are old forestry tracks, still clearly visible, but they require caution and very good footwear.
A good IGN map and/or GPS tracking are strongly recommended.

There is a bakery (sandwiches, drinks, etc.) 100 metres south of the Place de l’Hôtel de Ville (S).
At the car park at the foot of the Planche des Belles Filles ski slopes (near (6)).
- Bar-restaurant, but open only at weekends, except in July and August when it is open every day.
- Drinking water fountain near the first-aid post (opposite the bar).
- Several picnic tables all along the ski run.
- In the event of bad weather, shelter is available at the Refuge de la Haute Planche past the (5) (roughly halfway up the ski run).