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Park in the car park south of the village of Valencogne.
(S/E) Leave the car park by turning left towards the church, which you will pass. While you're there, you'll also pass the town hall. After the town hall, take the first street on the left, Route du Poutat; you'll see a sign for "Le Brocard - alt. 580 m". Turn onto the first dirt road on the left. Until further notice, follow the old, sparse yellow markings.
(1) At the top of the hill, you will see a bench and, next to it, the statue of Notre-Dame des Vignes, watching over not only the bench but also the village and its flock. Continue along the dirt track downhill until you reach a road.
At the corner of the crossroads, you will see the Jubilee Cross. Continue straight ahead towards "Les Routes". You will come out onto the D17c. Continue straight ahead on the Chemin des Routes. Ignore a small road on the right to reach the famous hamlet of Les Routes, where you will find another small road on the right, which you should also ignore.
(2) In the middle of the hamlet, you will come to a sign for "Les Routes - alt. 580 m". Take the grassy path that descends to the left towards "Chemin de la Vie". You will arrive at the back of some houses, then after a bend, you will come back onto the D17c, which you cross to go to the right.
Take the first gravel road on the left. Before reaching a large utility building, it turns 90° to the right. At the fork, take the less well-maintained road on the right, which continues along the valley. You will come to a small paved road, which you follow to the left (a sign indicates a speed limit of 50 km/h, which you must observe).
(3) You will arrive at the Étang du Marais. Continue until you reach a fork and take the left fork. You will arrive at the hamlet of Brézin.
(4) You will see a sign for "Chemin de la Vie - alt. 528 m". Climb the road that branches off to the left towards "Côte Simandre". Very quickly, ignore the two gravel paths that frame a house and climb to the right into the forest on a grassy path. It climbs steadily, in a straight line, diagonally across the slope.
At the first fork, which appears quickly, take the left. Further on, ignore a small path that branches off to the right (follow the yellow markings and "Trail 66"). The slope levels out and you will arrive at the sign for "Côte Simandre - alt. 675 m".
(5) Continue straight ahead towards Paladru/Simandre. As you leave the woods, you will begin to see beautiful views of the mountains. You will come to a small road. Turn right, but take the time to look around. On your left is a meadow. In the meadow is a tree (probably an apple tree). And to the right of the tree, if the weather is clear, you will see Mont Blanc, The White Mountain!
You will reach the sign for "Simandre - alt. 646 m".
(6) Continue straight ahead towards Paladru. When you reach a priority sign, turn right. You will now leave the yellow signs. Take the first dirt track (Chemin des Fayes) a little further on, on the left. It descends steeply. After a while, you will see Lake Paladru below you. You will come to a small tarmac road, which you follow downhill to the right. You will arrive at the lake, on the D50, which you take on the left.
(7) Almost immediately, you will arrive at Paladru beach. There is a rest area with tables, games for children and a snack bar. Once you have rested, continue along the D50 on the left-hand pavement. You will pass public toilets, the town hall and the library.
Take the first street on the left, before a restaurant. You will come to a stop sign. Turn right and then immediately left towards Valencogne. You will see the yellow markings again. Continue uphill for quite a long time on a small, gently sloping paved road until you reach a T-junction with a sign for "Les Prairies - alt. 543 m".
(8) Turn right towards Sonnière. The road continues to climb steeply.
(9) At a fork, ignore the path that descends to the right (signposted "Sonnière - alt. 556 m") and continue on your way. Immediately after, turn right towards the three crosses (signposted). The road continues to climb steeply. When you reach a meadow, you will have a beautiful view of the lake. You will arrive at the signpost "Les Trois Croix - alt. 614 m". Take the time to walk 50 m to the right and back; you won't regret it.
(10) On one side, you have a panoramic view of the mountains (from Mont du Chat on the left to the peaks of Chartreuse, passing by Mont Blanc). On the other side, the tiny, charming chapel with its three crosses is hidden on your right. Back on your original route, continue on what is now your right. You will continue climbing.
(11) On your right, you will see an isolated house with the number 1312. Take the gravel path opposite it, on your left. It leads to a solitary tree and barn.
(12) A small road comes in from your left. Continue straight ahead. You will enter a wood. At the first fork, take the left (yellow signpost and MTB route 18), and at the second fork, take the left again (same signpost).
(13) At the third fork, turn right (same MTB18 sign). You will leave the woods and come out onto a small road. Take it on the right (signposted "50"). When it turns left, follow it, ignoring the signs that want you to turn right. You will come to a stop sign. Turn left.
(14) Be careful, as shortly afterwards you need to take a grassy path on the left. It is at the end of a field and blends in with it. The red/whiteGR® signposting confirms that you are on the right track. This very pleasant path leads to a T-junction. Go down to the right.
When you arrive in Valencogne, do not follow the signs that tell you to go straight ahead, but turn left (sign 30). You will pass the Salle des Fêtes, then turn right to return to your starting point (S/E).
a beautiful loop despite the lack of sun, with an icy wind and very strong gusts at times. We had a quick snack at Paladru on the edge of the lake, devouring the rest without comment except to admire the beautiful views. Thanks to the trailblazer (given that there were only four hikers this Sunday)
Visorando member
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