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Parking behind the town hall in Bourg-de-Sirod. Yellow/red and yellow signposts.
(S/E) Head towards the start of the hike and climb up to the left towards Nozeroy, on the road closed to vehicles. Quickly leave the path on your left to pass under the fortified gate of Richebourg, dating from 1616.
(1) After the gate, climb up to the left towards the ledges along the rocky path. You can stop at the top of the tower to see a permanent exhibition. The rocky, signposted path climbs straight up away from the cliffs, but you can carefully climb up to the ledge and follow it for about 200 metres for beautiful views of the valley and to rejoin the rocky path a little higher up. A little further on, at the fork, at the signpost marked "Roches Graviers", continue straight up to the ruins of Château Villain. You will pass the Éperons viewpoint and join a wider stony path (signpost marked "L'Arrêt").
(2) Continue straight ahead towards Nozeroy. At the fork, shortly after a sign saying "Circulation interdite sauf ayant-droits" (No entry except for authorised vehicles), continue straight ahead along the beautiful stony path. You will soon come to a gravel area and a stony road. Turn right towards Lent.
(3) You will arrive at a paved road with a signpost marked "Champs Cottets." Go down this road to the right until the next bend. Continue straight ahead on the gravel path for about 100 metres and enter the pasture on the left, going through the gate in the barbed wire fence. Don't forget to close the gate behind you. Turn right, following the edge of the woods (yellow markings every so often). This pasture is ideal for a picnic break, enjoying the beautiful view of the Val de Sirod and its castle. Continue to the end of the field and climb over the fence, using a large stone to help you.
(4) Go down the path on the left for about ten metres to a viewpoint between the trees at the top of the rocks between which we are going to descend. Return to the large stone and follow the path. Go down the log steps. At the bottom of the steps, turn left towards the Rocher des Commères (Gossip Rock ) via a picturesque stony path winding between beautiful rock formations sculpted by time. Caution: the path is steep, stony and crosses scree, which can be dangerous for your ankles.
(5) You will pass the superb Rocher des Commères, a rock formation shaped like a slightly crooked chess pawn. At the bottom, at a pine tree on your right with a yellow marker, the path turns sharply to the right. Descend the pasture towards a chicane and the busy Departmental Road 84. Cross it very carefully, as cars come quickly. Continue across the pasture opposite, along the path slightly to the left until you reach the hamlet of Les Chauffaux.
(6) Take the small road on the right. When the tarmac ends, you will come to a first fork. Continue straight ahead (towards Bourg-de-Sirod). Immediately after, there is another fork that allows you to go back and forth for a hundred metres (unnecessary in my opinion) to the entrance of the old Tacot tunnel. Climb up a beautiful rocky path with new views of the valley and ruts carved into the rock by our ancestors' carts.
(7) You will pass the castle chapel and, at the nearby fork, continue straight ahead (left-hand lane). Three hundred metres further on, look out for the stony path (Richebourg signpost) that descends to the left (towards Sous le Mou), crossing the fence via a chicane. At the next fork, turn right (towards Bourg-de-Sirod). At the signpost marked "Côte du Martinet", go down the steps on the left.
(8) You will arrive at the source of the Ain and its superb gorges, which you will cross via a footbridge. Continue downhill to the right. Go back and forth to the right for a view of the bottom of the gorges, the top of the waterfalls and the beautiful home of the master blacksmith. Descend to the old forges, passing in front of the19th-century workers' houses built by the owner to keep them loyal.
Turn right into the small park to admire the foot of the waterfalls. Cross the bridge and climb up to the right along the gravel path, passing in front of the master's house, which is "slightly" more opulent. At the entrance to the woods (signpost marked "Usine Électrique"), climb the stairs on the right towards the water chambers. At the pipeline, continue left along the beautiful gravel path that leads to the town hall and the car park (S/E).
The route includes ledges and unsecured viewpoints. The paths are rocky and slippery in places. Sturdy footwear is essential.
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Easy 
Difficult 
