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Start from the Isatis car park, at the Carrefour de la Plaine de Macherin.
(Out and back) Take the Route du Loup southwards, initially on level ground, then uphill through a jumble of rocks. Once you reach the edge of the plateau, follow theGR®®11to the left for a few dozen metres.
(1) At a junction where theGR®® branches off to the left, take the path on the right (Route Linné). It descends gently in wide bends. Join the Route de la Tente and follow it to the right (west). At the first junction (plot no. 780), turn left (south) onto the Route du Louvard.
(2) At the junction with the Route des Basses Plaines, carry straight on towards the Route du Louvard opposite. The climb is steep but short. There is a remarkable tree holly to the left of the path (blue marker). At the top of the climb, turn right (west) towards the Hurlevent viewpoint.
(3) The path then curves in a semicircle to the left, running parallel to the approach path. Join the Route du Louvard again and follow it to the right. At the first Fork in the road (plot no. 784), turn right downhill (south). At the next junction (Carrefour de la Louve), turn right onto the Route de la Louve, initially on level ground (west), then climbing towards a pass.
(4) At the pass, opposite the broken rock (see photo), turn sharply right (west) onto the path that follows the ridge of the Rocher de Corne-Biche (orange markings for just a few metres, then no markings). Follow this ridge, zigzagging between the rocks. Pass a junction with a row of trees marked with white rings (see photo), which you will come back to on the return journey.
(5) Continue in the same direction (west) along the ridge. The path is generally level but rises and falls as it zigzags between the rocks. There are several viewpoints over the Plaine de Chanfroy to the left and the Basse-Plaine to the right. You’ll reach the Tour de la Vierge (a beautiful viewpoint).
(6) From here, continue in the same direction (west) along the ridge. After 400 metres, the path descends quite steeply; keep to the left. Reach the plain and follow a path to the left (south-east) frequently used by horse riders. The path curves, turns westwards, and joins the wide avenue known as the Chemin de la Plaine de Chanfroy. Follow it to the left for about a hundred metres, then turn right (south-east) onto the Allée des Fusillés. On your right, visit the two memorials to those shot during the Resistance.
(7) After visiting the monument, continue along the Allée des Fusillés. Cross the Chemin des Enclos and, 100 metres further on, take a path branching off diagonally to the left (west). Cross the Route de Chanfroy (plot no. 785) at the ‘Bornage’ sign, then climb a path to the north following the steepest slope. The path, which is steep and barely marked, runs alongside a line of trees marked with white paint. Note the interesting old carved stone boundary markers, numbered from 425 to 429 in an old style (Ancien Régime, Empire?…).
(5) Cross the ridge path taken on the way up, and head back down the opposite side, continuing in a straight line alongside the whitewashed trees, following the steepest slope (north); this is a steep descent, and slippery in wet weather. Once you reach the plain, at the last stone boundary marker, continue straight on (do not take the Route de la Louve to the right at an acute angle). A little further on, at a junction (plot 780), turn right (east) at a right angle onto the Route des Basses Plaines.
(2) At the crossroads you passed at the start of the walk, carry on straight ahead. At a Fork in the road, carry on straight ahead (ignore the Route d’Occident which branches off to the right).
(8) About 250 metres after this Fork in the road, at the sign for “Route du Loup vers Isatis” (parcel no. 780), take a barely marked path uphill to the left. Cross the Route de la Tente. At the next junction, the Route des Hautes Plaines, turn right (east) onto this road. At the next junction, turn left (north) onto the Route Saint-Mégrin. At the next junction, rejoin theGR®®11(white and red markings) and continue straight on to reach the Hautes Plaines Viewpoint.
(9) Continue along Route Saint-Mégrin towards the east. 200 metres further on, following the white and redGR®® markings, leave the forest track and head down a small path on the left to join Route Mendel. At the next junction, ignore the signposting and turn right (east) onto Route des Gorges de Franchard. At the crossroads, take Route Amédée diagonally to the left. Head north-west uphill, then descend towards a valley hollow.
(10) Continue straight on (east) along Route Amédée (leaving Route des Buttes de Fontainebleau on your left). After about 700 metres, turn right onto Route du Carnage (blue signposting, south-east). At the next junction, turn left onto the Route des Gorges de Franchard (blue signposted, east). After about 150m, follow the blue signposts to the left as they lead up a path.
(11) Pass a natural tunnel on your left. Continue following the blue markings towards the Antre des Druides, along the edge of the plateau to the viewpoint over the Gorges de Franchard (blue letter P). Carry on, passing several rock shelters (letters Q, R, S, T), the Antre des Druides (letter S) being the largest. Retrace your steps, following the blue markings, back to the natural tunnel.
(11) Take this tunnel to the right (north), marked in blue (letter marker ‘O’ visible after passing through the tunnel), then continue downhill (blue markings, north-east) to the Route Amédée at the bottom of the valley. Then follow the road to the right. At a wooden barrier (plot no. 763), turn sharply left onto an uphill path (do not follow the sign pointing back towards the Franchard car park).
(12) On reaching the edge of the plateau, follow the dual markings to the left: blue plus a yellow silhouette of two walkers. Cross the Route du Carnage, continue to follow the dual markings and, after about 250 metres, you will reach the Cuisinière Viewpoint on the right.
(13) The double markings lead to a dead end: retrace your steps for a few dozen metres, then follow the small, unmarked path to the right which continues westwards. This path, running parallel to the orange climbing markings, first descends, then climbs slightly, before following a barely discernible descending ridge. Cross, in turn, the Route des Buttes de Fontainebleau, the Route du Renardeau and, immediately afterwards, the Route Mendel. Continue straight on towards the east along the Route de l’Isatis to reach the car park (S/E).
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