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Park in the centre of Rurey, on Rue du Bourbat, next to the old weighbridge. No signposting.
(S/E) After taking a look at the beautiful old fountain, walk up Rue du Bourbat and turn left into Grande Rue after the war memorial. You’ll pass a new fountain and head right, towards the Botanical Trail. At the foot of the church, there’s a superb wash house. Head up to the left along the stony path that passes beneath the old vicarage.
(1) A little further up, at a wooden gate, the path forks. Continue uphill to the left, skirting the pastures.
(2) At the second gate, cross the small stony track and continue along the path (mountain bike route) opposite, which soon branches off. Keep left onto the mountain bike route. When it begins to descend, you’ll soon come to a fork; stay on the well-defined track on the right.
(3) When the path veers sharply to the right, leave it to cross a barbed-wire fence on the left via the metal mountain bike gate. You’ll reach the pastures above the village with lovely views over the valley. Further down, at the gate, you’ll find a passage (somewhat hidden in the undergrowth) on the left leading to Rue du Mont, which you follow down to the right.
(4) Turn right at the next junction, onto Rue de la Vallée. Then head up the dead-end road (Rue des Vignes) on the right, passing an old trough. The street becomes a lovely stony track, offering views over the Loue valley and Mont Poupet. When the stony track ends, continue straight on along the forest path which begins to climb.
(5) A small stream (possibly dry) crosses the track (marked on the IGN map). A hundred metres further on, leave this relatively wide track and head up to the right onto the path that climbs the wooded hillside. Just as it begins to descend, at a scree slope, turn 90° and head up to the far left into a gully.
(6) At the top, near a small boundary stone, there is a fork. Continue straight up the slope. About fifty metres further up, at an old stone boundary marker, the path turns left, winding around a tree and the marker. Two hundred metres further on, at another marker, look for the ONF sign no. 33 on the right-hand side of the path and head right along this lovely straight track until you reach the gravel road.
(7) Head right to a hunting car park. Take the path descending to the right (directly opposite the ‘Parking de chasse’ sign, forest sign 31). You’ll reach a track at a broken marker. Turn left, staying on this track which runs along the slope on your right until you reach the viewpoint.
(8) You arrive at the viewpoint overlooking the Loue valley. To the right, the Rocher de Colonne; in the centre, the keep of Castel Saint-Denis; at its feet, the Ravin de Valbois Nature Reserve; and in the distance, the Roche de Hautepierre bathed in sunlight.
(2) You will soon come to the second barrier and return to the village on the left via the same path (S/E).
The route includes unsecured ledge paths. The paths are rocky and slippery. Sturdy footwear is essential and the use of walking poles is recommended.
Visorando Member
Moderate 
