The Grand Tour via Lake Genin

The walk starts from Place des Déportés 1944 (in front of Lycée Paul Painlevé) in Oyonnax. Parking spaces are available.

(S/E) Cross the square (heading north-east), then take Rue de la Brétouze on the right uphill. At the^first intersection, turn left.

(1) After about 100 metres, note a path on the left (this will be the way back) and continue along the road for about 30 metres. Just at the end of the built-up area sign, take a path on the right. A little further up, turn left at the^first fork (towards Lac Genin and La Brétouze), taking part of the Sentier Découverte trail.

(2) When you reach a crossroads where five paths meet, continue almost straight ahead, slightly to the right, uphill on a good forest path for a short while (about 1.3 km). Ignore two forks on the right (the^{first one} quite quickly).

(3) Continue to the right at the^third fork (no sign): follow the path for about 700 m and then straight ahead at the^first fork you come to.

(4) Another fork appears at "Aux Quatre Chemins"; continue straight ahead towards Lac Genin. Further on, you will reach Chemin de la Guerre: turn left.

(5) Quite quickly, take a path on the right leading downhill. Then continue to the right at the^first intersection and follow a recently created forest track. After a descent, you will come to an intersection (Sous l'Échine).

(6) Continue left along the forest track. At the end of the track, continue straight ahead along the path.

(7) At an intersection, turn left and continue for a good hundred metres on a steeply ascending path (be careful of slippery ground in wet weather).
Shortly after a fork, continue left uphill, then take a path on the right not far ahead. After a final uphill section and a bend to the left, the route then continues without any significant elevation change; ignore the other paths to the right or left. After a short downhill section, you will come to a fork.

(8) Continue left downhill. Further down, at a small road, continue left for less than 200 metres. After a house, take a path on the left downhill and arrive at Lac Genin at an inn visible straight ahead.

(9) Continue left along the lake: this is an ideal place to take a break and enjoy the beautiful scenery reminiscent of a small Canada.
Continue to the north-eastern side of the lake to reach a path (signposted "Retour Brétouze") and head north.
A little further on, you will come to a small road. Continue along this road to the left for a good hundred metres.

(10) At a sharp bend in the road, take a path on the right uphill for just under 200 metres: at the^first fork, take the path on the right (towards "Liaison Prairie d'Échallon" according to the sign), which is a little steep at times. You will reach a road (RD13) at a bend.

(11) Almost immediately, continue straight ahead on a path downhill. Further on, cross a road (RD13) and turn almost immediately onto the path on the right, heading downhill.

(12) You will come to a large crossroads where two roads meet: continue almost straight ahead on the RD55 road and very quickly (after about 30 metres), take a path on the left.
After a short while, you will reach a road (RD13) at a place called "Les Etrés".

(13) Cross the road carefully (towards La Prairie - Monument du Maquis). Less than 100 metres further on, you will come to a fork in the road. Take the left-hand path; alternatively, you can also continue to the right (see below).

At the buildings (farms), take the path on the right, which then leads to a pleasant route through several meadows. A little further on, at the buildings (stud farm), continue to the right at a fork in the road.

You will then come to three more junctions in a sometimes dense forest area: continue to the right at the^first fork where four paths meet (just before Golet des Prés), continue straight ahead at the next one, and then to the right at the next one. You will arrive at a large meadow where the path is less visible and where a pyramid-shaped structure can be seen straight ahead: this is the Monument du Maquis.

(14) Continue along the path on the left and then take care at the^first fork, taking the path on the right, and then another fork, taking the path on the left (almost straight ahead).

(15) Cross a forest road and continue straight ahead.

(16) At the fork near the Source du Fouget, go almost straight ahead on an uphill path. After a gentle climb, you will come to a fork. Take the fork on the right (no signposting in this direction). A well-maintained path with numerous bends then allows you to climb without too much difficulty (a few yellow markings are visible). At the highest point of the climb, you will reach a fork.

(17) Head left towards the Macrétet viewpoint. Then return to the intersection.

(17) Continue to the left (north-west). About 400 m further on, turn left at a fork onto a downhill path.

(18) After a relatively flat stretch, look for a trailhead in a clearing on the left and take it uphill along a few steep slopes.

(19) Once you reach the summit of Molard Rond, there is a small viewpoint on the left in a wooded area. Continue along the path, which descends gently at first and then more steeply (south-west direction). Along the way, avoid the paths to the right (while following the yellow markings). After a short while, you will come to a fork marked by a cairn. Turn left and continue for a few metres.

(20) Pointe de Biez is a beautiful viewpoint: return to the path and continue westwards downhill, with a few steep slopes. Along the way, ignore the paths on the right (always follow the yellow markings).

(21) Just before a clearly visible forest road, turn left onto a path (no markings): further down, you will reach a road (RD13) which you should cross. Opposite, take the Route Forestière de la Brétouze for about 300 m and look for the start of a path on the right leading downhill, which you should take. A little further on, you will come to a path.

(22) Follow this path to the right, staying close to the River Sarsouille. You will cross the river several times via structures (large stones and cables). Shortly after crossing a metal footbridge, you will see a building on the other bank: just after a small bridge on the right, take the path on the left uphill. After passing some allotments, you will reach the road you took on the way there.

(1) Follow the road to the right. At the next intersection, turn right. At the crossroads, turn left to return to Place des Déportés 1944 (S/E).

Good walking shoes and walking sticks are recommended.

Nature has a hard time digesting your rubbish. Take it with you!

Overall, the route is in good condition.

A few comments can be made about some differences observed with IGN in certain areas:
- between point (6) (Sous l'Echine) and point (9) (Lac Genin).
- Between point (9) (Lac Genin) and point (10): the trail does not appear on the IGN map.
- After point (12), the first 300 metres of the path starting from the forest road.
The routes shown correspond to those reported by OpenStreetMap and have been verified on site by GPS and visually.

The trail leading to Mont de la Chaux (point (17)) and two others between points (21) and (22) are not listed by IGN but do exist. The tracks have been recorded by GPS (with minor adjustments).

From (S/E) to (1): the start of the route is easy, passing through an urbanised environment.

From (1) to (2): the route is easy to follow, guided by yellow markings and signposts.

From (2) to (3): an easy route on a good forest path (with some yellow markings).

From (3) to (5): no signs are visible at the start, but the rest of the route is straightforward. There are a few yellow markings and signposts.

From (5) to (7): the route is clear at the start and then poses no problems. Yellow markings are irregular.

From (7) to (8): the route initially follows a steep section (beware of potentially slippery ground in wet weather), then becomes more moderate, and then more sustained. The route is clear (yellow markings and signposts).

From (8) to (9): the route is reasonably well maintained (yellow markings and a few signposts).

From (9) to (10): the lack of signage is not a problem around the lake. The route is then easy to follow on a good path (yellow markings and signposts).

From (10) to (12): the route is easy to follow, even if the yellow markings are discreet.

From (12) to (13): the route follows a section with few yellow markings (in the opposite direction, the P.A.S. direction is indicated at times).

From (13) to (14): at the fork in the road, there are two options: either continue on the left as described, or continue on the right along a small road towards the Monument du Maquis. This option allows for a fairly easy route and orientation along a 2.4 km stretch of road.

If you follow the directions provided, the initial part of the route to the stud farm buildings is straightforward, but you may have some difficulty finding your way in the densely wooded area (follow the directions above).

From (14) to (16): on a route marked with a few yellow signs, you should initially pay attention to^{the first} two intersections (right, then left).

From (16) to (17): after a short stretch of trail and turning right after a fork, the route continues along a section with a few features that make it possible to climb Mont de la Chaux without too much difficulty. Follow the yellow markings throughout.

From (17) to (18): the route along a good path (with yellow markings) is straightforward.

From (18) to (19): the^first difficulty is finding the path on the left (look carefully for the meadow). After that, orientation is not a problem (especially with the help of the yellow markings), but the slope is quite steep in places (be careful of slippery ground in wet weather).

From (19) to (21): the route is marked with yellow markings throughout. There are a few steep slopes along the way.

From (21) to (22): on an unmarked section, the route does not pose any major difficulties. At most, you should be careful on the potentially slippery terrain on the short descent leading to the Sarsouille trail.

From (22) to (S/E): the route along the Sarsouille river is very pleasant on a well-maintained trail.

Optional: it is possible to walk around Lake Genin on the more rugged eastern side. The lake's outlet (l'Embouteillou), where the overflow disappears underground, is a curiosity.

Lac Genin: this picturesque spot is reminiscent of a little Canada. Read more here.

Prairie d'Echallon - Monument du Maquis: this open space is worth a detour for its landscapes and tranquillity. It is also a place of remembrance for the Resistance between 1943 and 1944. Read more here and here.