Le Cul de Chaudron, the Rocher de Milly and the Cuisinière

Access and starting point:
Take the D409 between Arbonne-la-Forêt and Fontainebleau. Take the Route du Loup towards Isatis/la Cuisinière (signposted), on the right shortly after entering the forest when coming from Arbonne. There are two parking options, depending on the season:
- In winter (exact dates not specified), the Route du Loup is closed at its junction with the Route de l'Ermitage. Park in the car park before this junction on either side of the Route du Loup.
- Outside winter, you can continue by car to a larger car park at the Carrefour de la Plaine de Macherin, marked on the IGN map.
The route shown on the map starts at the Plaine de Macherin car park, which is unavailable in winter (see an alternative route in the practical information section).

N.B. Two sections, before (1) and after (11), are on poorly marked paths, with several tracks branching off to the sides. A good sense of direction is therefore required. If you wish to avoid these sections, see the two alternatives in the practical information section.

No signposts

(S/E) With your back to the access road to the car park, take the path furthest to the south-west, the Route du Cul de Chaudron. At the end, make a right-left zigzag to join a path (be careful to spot the start, which is discreet; the IGN map is approximate here). Follow the path that winds between the rocks, heading south-southwest, and ignore several tracks on the left that lead to a climbing site.

At a three-way junction (clearly marked triangle), turn left and climb up a wider path. In a right-hand bend, ignore a path on the left and continue to a sort of pass. Descend and then climb back up a series of short switchbacks.

Red and white markings

(1) At a clearly marked junction, follow the^GR®11on the Route de Darwin towards Arbonne (forest plot no. 772). Ignore vague paths on the left and descend between small rocks. You will come to a wide path; follow it to the left and immediately ignore a path on the left.

Yellow markings

(2) A few metres further on, take the^first path on the left (leave the^GR® continue along the wide path). Descend heading south. At a crossroads, continue straight ahead (orange cross). At a fork (not shown on the map), turn left and descend.

Cross the Route de la Tente and continue on the path that climbs slightly. Descend again, cross the Route des Basses Plaines and climb up opposite. The slope becomes steeper and the climb ends with several wooden steps. Immediately after, turn right and follow a path along the edge of the hill to the Hurlevent viewpoint (bench).

(3) With your back to the panorama, take the^second path on the left towards the east (the first being the one you arrived on). At the end, turn right and follow the Route du Louvard. At the next intersection, descend to the right on a path with small rocks protruding from the ground.

At the Carrefour de la Louve, turn right onto the road of the same name. Go slightly uphill, then downhill on this good path overlooked on the left by the Rocher de Milly. Come out onto a stony path and follow it uphill to the left. Then go downhill, stay on the main path and ignore all the side paths. Cross a bridle path and you will immediately come out onto the Route de Milly (signposted "Réserve biologique dirigée").

No signposts

(4) Follow the wide path on the left for about 50 metres, then (plot no. 608), turn right onto Chemin des Pieds Pourris. Cross the embankment of the underground aqueduct of the Loing, continue straight ahead and ignore a path coming from the left. The path gives way to a trail which, at the boundary between plots 608 and 609, crosses Chemin d'Arbonne à Ury. The trail then turns left and then right and descends between small rocks.

Cross the Route de la Goulotte (plot no. 610) and continue on the Chemin des Pieds Pourris, which climbs uphill. At a slight junction (not shown on the map), continue straight ahead through the undergrowth. You will come out onto a path that has been widened by recent forestry work (not shown on the map) and follow it to the left. Immediately after, turn right and go up a narrow path.

Red and white + green and white markings

(5) At the junction, turn left onto Route de la Gibelotte, a wide, well-marked path. At a poorly marked junction, continue straight ahead until you reach Carrefour du Sapin Rouge. Then take the^first path on the left, Chemin d'Arbonne à Ury.

No markings

(6) At a barely marked junction, at the entrance to a bend where the wide path turns to the left, turn right onto Route de la Rabouillère (be careful not to miss this path). Cross a plateau covered with heather and birch trees.

At the boundary between plots 606 and 607, cross a path and follow the Route de l'Oeil opposite. Return to the leafy canopy, continue straight ahead in an east-northeast direction and cross the Route de la Touche aux Mulets. At the T-junction (plot no. 603), turn left onto Route de la Princesse Marie. At the next intersection, go straight ahead and continue until you reach a crossroads.

(7) Cross Route de Milly again and follow Route du Louveteau north, which starts at the foot of a sign for "Réserve biologique dirigée" (plot no. 783). Climb up between the rocks. Opposite a large rock that could serve as a shelter, the path turns left and then right a little further on. Go downhill, cross Route de la Louve and go back up through a recently cleared area. At the T-junction, turn right and you will come to Carrefour du Rocher de Milly.

(8) Then head north and take the^third path on the left, Route Fabre (incorrectly marked as Route du Rocher de Milly on the 1:25,000 map). Cross the Route de Trévise and continue straight ahead. At the next junction, turn left onto Route des Semis. Cross the Route du Rocher de Milly (the real one) on your left, turn right onto Route des Semis and continue to a junction.

Red and white markings

(9) Join the^GR®1and follow it to the right, Route des Ventes Barbier.

No markings

At the next intersection, turn left onto Route des hautes Plaines. Cross Route Lefebvre (plots nos. 779 and 770). After about 200 m, note a small pond on the left and then, still on the left, an access to a large pond. At the next junction (plots nos. 771 and 770), turn right onto Route de Saint-Mègrin.

Red and white markings

At the next intersection, rejoin the^GR®11(Route de Linné) and continue straight ahead. You will soon reach the Hautes Plaines viewpoint (large rocks on the left, beware of the steep drops).

(10) Continue east on Route de Saint-Mègrin. At the entrance to a left-hand bend, leave this wide path and descend to the left onto a trail that winds between the rocks (the purple line on the IGN map is inaccurate here). At a T-junction, turn left, continuing downhill and zigzagging.

No signposts

At the bottom, follow the Route des Gorges de Franchard to the right for about 100 metres until you reach a crossroads (plot no. 764).

(11) Then turn left (northeast) onto a path that climbs between the rocks (Route Amédée). The path is poorly marked, so keep heading northeast then east-northeast and avoid the tracks that branch off to the right into the heart of the rock massif. A few old red and white markers (old^GR®1route) are visible in the opposite direction and may help. Pass at the foot of a large rock on the right. After a sort of pass, descend towards a wide, clearly visible path.

At a fork, bear right and follow a good path eastwards, still on the Route Amédée. Ignore vague tracks on the left.

Blue markings

At a clearly marked crossroads, turn left at an acute angle onto the Route du Carnage and follow the Denecourt-Colinet trail no. 7. Climb steeply between the rocks on a paved trail. Reach a sort of pass (hiking signs).

Signs with yellow silhouettes of hikers on a white background

(12) Turn left towards the viewpoint. Zigzag between the trees and rocks, keeping west and following the signs. After about 200m, turn right (north) and reach the Point de vue de la Cuisinière, a large rock terrace offering a vast panorama to the north.

(13) Retrace your steps, following the signs (signposts have been put up for both directions).

No signposts

(12) Take the wooden steps on the left towards the Route de l'Ermitage. Descend, alternating between wooden steps (installed to limit erosion) and the path.

Red and white signposts

At the bottom, take the^first path on the left, Route de l'Ermitage.

No signposts

At the Carrefour du Renardeau, leave the^{GR® trail} as it turns left and continue straight ahead on Route de l'Ermitage. At the Carrefour du Cul de Chaudron, take the^third path on the left, Route de Bel Air (be careful, the^second path on the left, Route de Mendel, is not very well marked). Continue straight ahead, west-southwest, to reach the car park (S/E).

Hiking boots are required. The elevation gain is probably underestimated: allow for around 300 m.

There are no water sources along the route: bring plenty of water with you. The three viewpoints along this route are ideal places to stop for a break or a picnic.

A 1:25,000 map is essential (at least the one accompanying this description). A compass may be useful.

Variants:

- Starting point in winter (junction between Route du Loup and Route de l'Ermitage):
- On the way there, follow the Route du Loup south, i.e. in the direction of the car access road. Then follow the main route from the point (S/E).
- On the way back, at the Cul de Chaudron junction (central cedar tree), continue straight ahead through a very sparse area (due to the 2019 drought!) until you reach the car park.

- Avoiding the^first section on a poorly marked trail - From the Carrefour de la Plaine Macherin (S/E), start on the Route du Cul de Chaudron, as described. At the crossroads, follow the right-hand path (Route des Gorges de Franchard) and ignore the paths on the left. At the end, take a wide, stable path on the left, the Route du Louvard. Rejoin the main route at the point (2).

- Avoiding the^second section on a poorly marked trail - At the point (11), continue straight ahead on the Route des Gorges de Franchard. After about 800m, turn left onto the Route du Carnage (blue signpost). The path makes several turns as it descends. Join the main route at the junction with the Route Amédée.

Hike completed by the author on¹ March 2019.

Natural heritage:
- Pleasant forest trails, in general.
- Plateau landscape, shortly before (5) and after (6).
- Rocky chaos, particularly between (S/E) and (4), shortly after (7), and between (10) and (13).
- Mare between (9) and (10).
- Beautiful views at (3), (10) and (13).

Place names:
The names of the paths in the Fontainebleau National Forest form thematic series in some places. On this hike, we have:
- Equipment for preparing meals: Cauldron, Stove.
- The whole lupine family: Loup, Louve, Louveteau, Louvard.
- Three scientists who made major contributions to biology: Carl von Linné (1707-1778), who devised the first systematic classification of living beings; Charles Darwin (1809-1882), founder of the theory of evolution Gregor Mendel (1822-1884), discoverer of the laws of heredity.