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 state-owned 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 designated car park before this junction, on either side of the Route du Loup.
- Outside winter, you can drive on to a larger car park, 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), follow 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 alternative routes in the practical information section.

Unmarked

(S/E) With your back to the access road to the car park, head south-west along the path furthest to the right, the Route du Cul de Chaudron. At the end, make a zigzag turn first left then right to join a path (be careful to spot the start, which is inconspicuous; the IGN map is approximate here). Follow the path as it winds between the rocks, heading generally south-south-west, and ignore several tracks on the left leading to a climbing site.

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

Red and white markings

(1) At a clearly marked junction, follow the^GR®®11to the right along the Route de Darwin towards Arbonne (forest plot no. 772). Ignore vague paths branching off to the left and head down between small rocks. You’ll emerge onto a wide track; 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 (let the^GR®® continue along the wide track). Head downwards, heading south. At a junction, carry straight on (orange cross). At a Fork in the road (not shown on the map), turn left and head downwards.

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

(3) With your back to the view, head eastwards and take the^second path on the left (the first being the one you came along). At the end, turn right and follow the Route du Louvard. At the next junction, head down to the right along a path with small exposed rocks.

At the Carrefour de la Louve, turn right onto the road of the same name. Climb slightly, then descend along this well-maintained path, with the Rocher de Milly towering over it on the left. You’ll come out onto a stony track; follow it uphill to the left. Then head back down, staying on the main track and ignoring any side paths. Cross a bridle path and you’ll immediately come out onto the Route de Milly (signs for ‘Managed Nature Reserve’).

No signposting

(4) Follow the wide path to the left for about fifty metres, then (plot no. 608), turn right onto the Chemin des Pieds Pourris. Cross the embankment of the underground Loing Aqueduct, continue straight ahead and ignore a path coming from the left. The track narrows into a path which, at the boundary between plots nos. 608 and 609, crosses the Chemin d’Arbonne à Ury. The path then turns left, then right, and descends between small rocks.

Cross the Route de la Goulotte (plot no. 610) and continue along the Chemin des Pieds Pourris as it climbs. At a poorly marked junction (not shown on the map), continue straight on through the woodland. You will emerge onto a track widened by recent forestry work (not shown on the map) and follow it to the left. Immediately afterwards, turn right and head uphill along a narrow footpath.

Red and white + green and white markings

(5) At the junction, turn left onto the Route de la Gibelotte, a wide, well-marked track. At a junction that is not very clearly marked, continue straight on and you will reach the Carrefour du Sapin Rouge. Then take the^first track on the left, the Chemin d’Arbonne à Ury.

No markings

(6) At a poorly marked junction, at the start of a bend where the wide track curves to the left, turn right onto the Route de la Rabouillère (take care not to miss this start of the path). Cross a plateau covered in heather and birch trees.

At the boundary between plots nos. 606 and 607, cross a track and follow the Route de l’Oeil straight ahead. You’ll come to a patch of deciduous woodland; continue straight on in an east-north-easterly direction, and cross the Route de la Touche aux Mulets. At the T-junction (plot no. 603), turn left onto the Route de la Princesse Marie. At the next junction, go straight on and you will eventually reach a crossroads.

(7) Cross the Route de Milly again and head north along the Route du Louveteau, which starts at the foot of a sign reading ‘Managed Nature Reserve’ (plot no. 783). Climb up between the rocks. Facing a large rock that could serve as a shelter, the path veers to the left before cutting right a little further on. Head downhill, cross the Route de la Louve and climb back up through a recently cleared area. At the T-junction, turn right and you will reach the Carrefour du Rocher de Milly.

(8) Then head due north along the^third path on the left, the Route Fabre (incorrectly labelled Route du Rocher de Milly on the 1:25,000 map). Cross the Route de Trévise and continue straight on. At the next junction, turn left onto the Route des Semis. Pass the Route du Rocher de Milly (the real one) on your left, turn right onto the Route des Semis and you’ll reach a junction.

Red and white markings

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

No markings

At the next junction, turn left onto Route des Hautes Plaines. Cross Route Lefebvre (parcels nos. 779 and 770). After about 200m, you’ll see a small pond on the left, then, still on the left, an access point to a large pond. At the next junction (parcels nos. 771 and 770), turn right onto Route de Saint-Mègrin.

Red and white markings

At the next junction, rejoin the^GR®®11(Route de Linné) and continue straight on. You will soon reach the Hautes Plaines viewpoint (large rocks on the left; take care of the sheer drops).

(10) Continue eastwards along the Route de Saint-Mègrin. At the start of a left-hand bend, leave this wide track and head down to the left onto a path that winds its way between the rocks (the purple route on the IGN map is inaccurate here). At a T-junction, turn left, continuing downhill and zigzagging.

Unmarked

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

(11) Then turn left (north-east) onto a path that climbs between the rocks (Route Amédée). The path is poorly marked; keep heading north-east then east-north-east and avoid the tracks that branch off to the right into the heart of the rocky massif. A few old red and white markers (the former route of^{the GR®®1}) are visible behind you and may be of help. Pass by the foot of a large boulder on the right. After a sort of pass, head back down towards a wide, clearly visible path.

At a fork in the road, turn right then follow a good path eastwards, still on the Route Amédée. Ignore the faint tracks on the left.

Blue markings

At a clearly marked junction, turn sharply left onto the Route du Carnage and follow the Denecourt-Colinet path no. 7. Climb steeply between the rocks along a paved path. Reach a sort of pass (hiking signposts).

Signposts with yellow silhouettes of walkers on a white background

(12) Turn left towards the viewpoint. Zigzag between the trees and rocks, heading west and following the signposts. After about 200 metres, turn right (north) and reach the Cuisinière Viewpoint, a wide rocky terrace offering a sweeping panorama to the north.

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

No signposting

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

Red and white markings

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

No signposting

At the Carrefour du Renardeau junction, let the^GR®® veer off to the left and carry on straight ahead along the Route de l’Ermitage. At the Carrefour du Cul de Chaudron, take the^third path on the left, the Route de Bel Air (note: the^second path on the left, the Route de Mendel, is poorly signposted). Continue straight on, west-south-west, to reach the car park (start/finish).

Hiking boots are essential. The elevation gain shown is probably an underestimate: allow for around 300m.

There are no water sources along the route: make sure you bring sufficient supplies. The three viewpoints reached on this route are all ideal spots for a rest or a picnic.

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

Alternatives:

- Starting point in winter (junction between the Route du Loup and the Route de l’Ermitage):
- On the way there, follow the Route du Loup southwards, i.e. along the extension of the access road. Then follow the main route from point (S/E).
- On the return journey, at the Cul de Chaudron junction (central cedar tree), continue straight on through a heavily thinned area (a consequence of the 2019 drought!) to the car park.

- Bypassing the^first section on a poorly marked path - From the Carrefour de la Plaine Macherin (S/E), set off along the Route du Cul de Chaudron, as described. At the junction, follow the correct path to the right (Route des Gorges de Franchard) and ignore the paths branching off to the left. At the end, turn left onto a wide, stabilised track, the Route du Louvard. Rejoin the main route at point (2).

- Bypass for^{the second} section on a poorly marked path – At point (11), continue straight on along the Route des Gorges de Franchard. After about 800m, turn left onto the Route du Carnage (blue markings). The path winds downwards several times. Join the main route again at the junction with the Route Amédée.

Hike completed by the author on¹ March 2019.

Natural heritage:
- Generally pleasant forest walks.
- Plateau landscape, just before (5) and after (6).
- Rocky outcrops, particularly between (S/E) and (4), shortly after (7), and between (10) and (13).
- A pond between (9) and (10).
- Beautiful views at (3), (10) and (13).

Place names:
The names of the paths in the Fontainebleau State Forest sometimes form thematic series. On this walk, for example, we have:
- Equipment for preparing meals: Chaudron, Cuisinière.
- The entire wolf 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 organisms; Charles Darwin (1809–1882), founder of the theory of evolution; Gregor Mendel (1822–1884), discoverer of the laws of heredity.