Haut Folin - The peak of Morvan

Start at Pré du Massé, on the D500 road between Glux-en-Glenne and Arleuf. Park in car park P3, at the end of the clearing when coming from Glux-en-Glenne (cross-country ski and hiking map).

Red arrows "Boucle du Bois du Roy"'
One-sided signposting, in the direction of the description. Red arrows are present at all junctions, but not elsewhere on the itinerary.
There are also markings of all kinds, but very discontinuously: GR^®, PR^®, mountain bike, cross-country ski, Pèlerin ... In the following description, these markings are mentioned only where necessary.

(S/E) From the car park, looking up at the road, follow it to the left. After just a few metres, leave the road and turn left (north-west) onto a forest track (signposted Orange). Climb gently into the fir forest.

(1) At the crossroads, take the Route Forestière de la Rosée (2nd path on the left; the dashed East-West forest track on the IGN map does not start at the crossroads, but just after). Go West-North-West on this wide track, which soon starts to descend and becomes stony, and ignore the departures on the sides.

(2) Before a bend to the left of the track, leave it and follow a grassy but well-marked path to the right (the vague path perpendicular to the track on the right leads to a dead-end).

(3) At the next junction, turn right onto a wide forest track. Heading generally north-east then north-north-west, climb then descend slightly, skirting forest plots nos. 86, 85 and 84, and ignoring all the logging lane departures on the sides. At the T-junction, follow another forest track to the left for just a few metres.

(4) A few metres after the previous junction, turn right at an acute angle onto a sunken path beneath a canopy of trees. Be vigilant, the Red arrow is discreet at this point; if you come across a signpost of a completely different format on the left-hand side of the track, turn back. Climb gently through the forest, ignoring the side trailheads and following the mountain bike markers. At a crossroads, continue straight on, leaving plot no. 75 on your left. Descend again and come to a T-junction.

(5) Turn left and go downhill on a wide track which makes a hairpin bend to the right. Cross the Rivière la Proie, turn left onto the track and climb back up. When a path comes from the right, continue straight on.

(6) At the fork which follows after a few metres, ignore the downhill path on the left and continue north-north-east towards Étang de Préperny (sign). Continue uphill, arc left and exit the forest (Haut Folin telecom tower visible on right). Continue on a gravel track, following along the Étang de Préperny on your left for some distance, ignoring a path coming from the right and reaching a crossroads.

(7) At the crossroads, the track veers to the left towards a car park: leave it and follow a path to the right that leads to the Haut Folin pylon. Go left along a peat bog and then a clump of broom. Enter the forest and, at the fork that immediately appears, turn left onto a small path under the fir trees.

(8) At the cross-country ski signs on the left, turn right (south-south-east) onto an uphill forest track. Cross a gravel track and immediately come to a T-junction. Turn right and climb steeply. At the top of the hill, look for a red and white GR^®13 marker and continue on an uphill slope. At a fork, take the left-hand path (GR^®, VTT and Pélerin markers). After a short stretch under the fir trees, reach the summit of Haut Folin (pylon on the right).

(9) Cross the small road and continue opposite (West-South-West) on the GR^®°13, leaving the fence surrounding the pylon on your right. Descend a steep, stony path through the forest. At the T-junction, follow a wider path to the left. At the next crossroads, a few dozen metres further on, turn left onto the wide track (VTT marker) and continue downhill. At the end of the track, pass through a forest fence.

(10) At the T junction, let the GR^® go left and turn right onto the small asphalt road (Orange beacon on the ground). After about 200m, at a 2-sided yellow sign, leave the road and take a path to the left. Cross the river La Proie again, and head upstream.

(11) At the next fork in the road, turn left onto a path that starts below a small road. Follow the orange markings as you head south, on an upward slope through a light fir stand. Turn left onto a small tarmac road (ignore the orange arrow indicating right). At the next crossroads (cote 783), turn right onto the road leading to Glux-en-Glenne (signposted). Curve down to the left and find the P3 car park (S/E).

Hiking boots required. Potentially wet or muddy passages between (3) and (4) (forestry work dating from 2016) and between (11) and (S/E).

No water points on the route. Bar-restaurant in Glux-en-Glenne (closed on Wednesdays).

Variants :
- Departure from Etang de Préperny (car park P2). From the car park, head south and rejoin the itinerary at point (7).
- At the fork just before (9), the path on the right also leads to the summit (you'll miss an information sign).
- At the crossroads before (10), the grassy path heading due west joins the route on the Route Forestière de la Proie: continue straight ahead on the path leading to the river.

Walk made by the author on June 18, 2016.

During the hike :
- Pleasant routes through the forest, notably from (S/E) to (1), from (2) to (3), from (4) to (6) and from (11) to (S/E).
- Le Haut Folin (9), the highest point in the Morvan, but unfortunately no view.
- L'Etang de Préperny (7).
- From place to place, information panels in the mountains, the forest, the peat bog, etc.

Nearby :
- A few kilometers to the south, Mont Beuvray and Oppidum de Bibracte (1st century BC), with its museum. European Centre for Archaeological Research at Glux-en-Glenne.
- Twenty kilometres to the south-east is Autun, a town with a remarkable heritage: Gallo-Roman remains, Saint-Ferréol church (11th century), Saint-Lazare cathedral (12th century), ...