Country:
District:
Coming from Maîche, drive through Mancenans-Lizerne and park in a small space on the right-hand side of the road, opposite the sign for Waroly, Le Dessoubre and Château de l'Ermitage. Follow the yellow and blue signs.
(S/E) Head towards Château de l'Ermitage on the small paved road opposite the car park. You will soon come to a fork; continue on this same small road lined with lime trees on your right (towards Rochers du Bourbet).
(1) When the road begins to descend, look for a sign on a tree inviting you to climb into the woods on the right via the forest path. 300 m higher up, when the path reaches a small plateau, look for the sign for Circuit n°6 and the signpost inviting you to descend to the left via a footpath. Follow the signs to find a gravel track, which you will climb.
(2) You will finally come out onto a small clearing and a beautiful stony road with a signpost. Turn left, still heading towards Rochers du Bourbet. You will quickly arrive at the superb viewpoint (740 m) with picnic tables overlooking the Dessoubre Valley. Head right (facing the view) to find a beautiful stone path that enters the forest. You will soon come to a fork: go left down through a beautiful forest of deciduous trees and firs. A little further down, there is another fork; take the path down to the right.
(3) You will arrive at the bottom of the hill at an old isolated building. Turn left.
(4) With the meadows in sight, about 50 metres after an old trough in a hairpin bend, the path ends in front of two pastures. Turn left, passing through the metal gate with a signpost. Follow the hedge separating the two pastures. You will come to a slightly better defined but somewhat muddy path, which is quickly blocked by a gate. Go through the gate, remembering to close it behind you. Fortunately, the path quickly becomes stony and more pleasant.
(5) You will come to a small paved road (D347). Continue down this road on the right to reach the farms of Blanchefontaine, which reminded me of the farms of my childhood (chickens roaming around and piles of manure in front of the old barn). The path offers a lovely view of the surrounding mountains. At a hairpin bend, there is a signpost: continue along the small road.
(6) When the road makes a second bend, at a small bridge and a signpost, take the path opposite that climbs up into the valley alongside the stream, towards Boucle de Waroly. A little further on, the path is blocked by a fallen tree and large boulders. Climb over the barbed wire through the small passage on the right and climb over the rocks.
(7) As you approach a pasture, the path is again blocked by a log barrier. Go under it and turn right, fording the stream. You will quickly reach a wider stone path, which you take on the left to reach the Waroly waterfall. Then head towards Rocher du Bourbet on the left, crossing the stream again. You will arrive at a second small meadow. Cross it, climbing diagonally to the right.
(8) At the end of the clearing, squeeze behind a log fence and a tree with a marker between large boulders to find a gravel path at a hairpin bend. Take the path climbing to the left. The path climbs up two hairpin bends alongside beautiful rocks. At the last bend, you will see the Virgin Mary of Notre-Dame des Victoires, set in stone. You will emerge from the gorges at an open gravelly area with a signpost. Turn left to find the path that will lead you to the small caves of Waroly, always following the paths that bring you closer to the rocks.
(9) At the last cave, turn back to the signpost. Take the small tarmac road that joins our starting point and descend to the right to return to the car park (S/E).
Visorando member
