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Recommended starting point: Girmont-Val-d’Ajol, church car park.
(S/E) Walk down a few dozen metres in front of the church onto the D3 and take the small road on the left, passing between the restaurant and the picnic area. Walk past the Auberge Saint-Vallier and the sawmill.
(1) Leave the road and take a path that climbs to the left. Continue along this path, keeping to the left, and pass close to the Tisserand ponds. Cross the embankment of the Grand Étang de Corfaing and, at the end, turn right onto a path that runs alongside the woodland. Cross the main track to reach the road.
(2) Cross the tarmac road and continue along the edge of the woodland until you come to another road; follow this for about a hundred metres to the right. Turn left.
(3) When you reach a bend, leave the road to your right and enter the woodland at a picnic area. Follow the path, keeping to the right along the edge of the woodland, until you reach a crossroads.
(4) Head down to the left and then keep to the right to reach the county road; cross it and continue along the path opposite. Walk alongside and admire the Étang Houillon.
(5) At the three-way junction at the end of the pond, take the path leading down to the left. Walk alongside another pond on your left.
(6) At the junction, turn left towards the Étang de la Molière.
(7) Turn right, still heading towards Étang de la Molière.
(8) Turn left and head for the pond. Walk round it, keeping it on your left, then turn right onto the path towards Moulin Picard.
(9) In the middle of the hamlet, near a lodge, take a small path on the right.
(10) At the crossroads, take the path on the right and continue along it. When you reach the Maison des Faignes Noires, carry on towards the woods.
(11) A few metres on, at the entrance to the woods, cross the small wooden bridge on the left and head uphill. Then turn left onto the wide path to reach Étang Villerain (picnic tables).
(12) At the foot of a small hill overlooking the pond, veer to the right; then, after a few metres, leave the main path that runs alongside the pond and turn right again onto a path that climbs quite steeply.
(13) Leave the steep climb ahead of you and turn left. When you reach the area near the ponds, ignore the successive paths on your left.
(14) At a junction, turn left, reach the edge of the woodland and follow the path which leads to a road junction.
(15) Follow the road (D57) which climbs to the left.
(16) Leave this road and take a path that branches off to the right and runs alongside it. At a bend, ignore the path that turns right; head slightly to the left for about 10 metres, then continue following the mountain bike trail until you reach the road. Turn left to reach the Croisette d’Hérival junction.
(17) Take the forest track opposite which descends and runs past the restaurant on the right (do not take the D57). Further on, this forest track becomes rocky. Ignore the tracks branching off to the right and left, and carry on straight ahead into the valley.
(18) Pass the former priory of Hérival, then continue downhill to the Étang d’Hérival.
(19) At the far end of the pond, turn left onto the embankment and follow this wide path which bends to the right into the forest. There is a pond and a picnic table about 100 metres away.
(20) Walk past the spring and the Étang des Tanchottes, then carry on straight ahead. Take a short detour to the left and back to the “President’s Fir” before returning to the crossroads at the Chalet de l’Empereur.
(21) Take the wide, flat path opposite. Cross the small bridge and, at the crossroads, take the path on the left which runs alongside the stream. Stay on this path until you reach the Géhard waterfall.
(22) Cross the bridge and immediately climb a fairly steep path to the right. There are several viewpoints overlooking the waterfall. Continue the climb towards the picnic table and join the road. Cross the road and take a slightly steep path leading uphill opposite, continuing along this path until you reach the road.
(23) Follow this road to the left for a few metres, take the path leading down to the right, then turn right again. When you reach the road, turn left, continue along this road for about fifty metres, then, after a bend, take a forest track for a few metres.
Leave this and take a path that climbs quite steeply to the right. Follow this path, which, after a good climb, takes you back to the car park (S/E).
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