Country:
City:
Park on the small road leading to the hamlet of Rosset.
(S/E) Head to the hamlet of Rosset (in the commune of Chézery-Forens).
(1) Turn left onto a path towards Le Gralet (as indicated on a sign). A little further on, at a right-hand bend, take a path which is generally quite steep (follow the yellow markings). After the ruins of Les Ravières, the slope levels out slightly. Shortly afterwards, you’ll reach a large meadow near the fairly wide ridge line.
Join theGR®®9, then turn right to reach the Chalet du Gralet 2 minutes later.
(2) Turn back, and at the fork, head towards Le Reculet (GR®® route). You’ll reach the Passage du Gralet fairly quickly; continue straight on along the GR®®.
The path climbs towards the summit of the Pierre de la Lune.
(3) Carry on, winding your way up and down the ridge, which tends to narrow.
After a good walk, the path climbs steeply again near the Polvette farm, gaining 150 metres in altitude. The gradient is gentler and, a little further on, you should leave theGR®® to follow a narrow path on the left towards the ridge, then passing beneath a section of cliff: take care not to slip, as the path is narrow and quite exposed (rocky outcrops below a grassy slope). You will then come to the entrance to the Grotte de la Marie du Jura.
(4) The cave in question isn’t very deep: at the back, you’ll find a statuette of the Virgin Mary (and possibly a lit candle, as I saw during my visit).
Continue along the path overlooking the ravine. You’ll soon reach theGR®® trail, which follows the ridge line some distance from the ravine. Gradually, the summit of the Reculet, with its cross, comes into view. The final few metres of the ascent are on steeper ground.
(5) From the summit (1,718 m), depending on the weather, you can see, on one side, the Lake Geneva basin with the city of Geneva (and its Jet d’Eau) and Mont Blanc, and on the other, the Valserine Valley and the Jura plateaus overlooking it.
Descend from the summit by continuing along the path. You’ll soon reach a fork in the path.
(6) Leave theGR®® and turn left towards Derrière Thoiry (the markings to follow will then be yellow).
Pass to the right of the small refuge and you’ll soon reach a fork in the path.
(7) Turn left towards the Chalets de Lachat and the river: the path descends quite steeply at first, then more gently once you reach the forest.
After a short walk, you’ll reach the Chalets de Lachat.
(8) Turn right and follow the main track. A little further on, you’ll pass a first cairn.
(9) At the second cairn, you’ll find the start of a path on the left leading back to the forest track a little further down (it’s also possible to continue along the track). This section is not signposted, but cairns help you find your way.
(10) At the forest track, head slightly to the left for a few metres, then continue to the right along a path that cuts across the track (marked in yellow). You’ll do this several times before reaching a large clearing (marked as a car park on the map).
(11) Head right for a few metres, then quite quickly turn left. The route is moderately visible on this section, but the aim is to take the path that descends the most (a clearly visible cairn will help guide you).
(12) When you reach the vicinity of a house, cross the track to find a path leading downhill (which is relatively hard to spot at first).
A little further down, you’ll come to a small tarmac road at a hairpin bend: continue along the path downhill to reach the area around a house further down.
Cross the road and take the path through the meadows.
(13) Cross the river via a Nepalese-style bridge, then turn right.
(14) Reach the hamlet of La Rivière, then turn left onto the D991 road. Less than 100 metres further on, take a path on the right (towards Chezery). Quite soon, cross a small road then take a path on the right without entering the private property (on the left).
After a few descents and ascents, you’ll return to the road. Turn right, following the yellow markings.
After crossing a small bridge on the left, follow the path running alongside the nearby road.
Turn right downhill, then left uphill to rejoin the D991 road.
Cross the road and take the small road almost directly opposite, heading towards Rosset, to return to the starting point (S/E).
very nice hike!
). It should be noted that in the off-season, the path in the upper section (above Les Ravières) is sometimes difficult to see due to the cover of leaves and the fact that, in places, it has not been terraced. A little reinforcement of the markings could be useful in some places.
Visorando Member
Difficult 
Tourist office
Moderate 
Association / Club / Walk leader
