The Two Ponds Trail from Termes

The Deux Étangs mountain bike trail is an ideal nature route for sports enthusiasts and thrill-seekers. Mainly set out through the forest, it alternates between fast-flowing paths, technical sections and short climbs that put your legs to the test. A true adventure crossing the entire Croix aux Bois State Forest from north to south, you’ll discover rugged landscapes and numerous small springs.

Details

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  • Mountain biking
    Activity: Mountain biking
  • ↔
    Distance: 46.85 km
  • ◔
    Duration according to the author: 5 hrs 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Difficult

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 708 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 708 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 252 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 114 m
  • ⚐ Country: France
  • ⚐ City: Termes (08250)
  • ⚑
    Start/End: N 49.32239° / E 4.821651°
  • ❏
    IGN map(s): Ref. 3011SB, 3012SB

  • ◶
    Type of surface:
  •  
     
     
     33% Road  34% Byway  33% Path
  • ⇧
    Bike carrying: Not specified
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Difficult
  • Hour-by-hour weather

Photos

Description of the route

Parking available at the roadside.

Yellow MTB signpost no. 15

(S/E) In front of the church, turn right at the start sign and pass to the left of the church, crossing the top of the village whilst continuing straight ahead. On leaving the village, at a large crossroads, go straight on the D15 towards Grandpré and ride for about 500 metres until you reach a track starting on the left.

(1) Take this track and continue through the fields, passing close to a pond, then climb up to the left at the edge of the woods and reach the road above. Turn right and head downhill to the junction with the D946.

(2) Cross carefully and join the path opposite, then head towards the national forest. Enter the forest and keep going straight along the path until you reach a fork at the top of the climb.

(3) Turn right downhill, then continue along a dirt track. Descend to a tarmac forest road. Turn right and follow it until you reach a track on the left after a wide right-hand bend.

(4) Take a sharp left-hand hairpin bend onto this track and head straight up the climb. When you reach the plateau, continue straight ahead. Don’t miss the junction, on a technical descent with a slight bank at the edge of the national forest. Turn slightly right, then, after the descent, the path climbs, veers slightly to the right, and opens out onto a plateau before descending steeply straight ahead.

(5) At the junction, turn left and continue straight on along the forest track. Then turn right at the crossroads between the trees onto a descent, crossing a small stream (the water level may vary depending on the time of year). After this, first turn left then right and head back up the track towards the Route Forestière du Grand Bourgogne. At the road, turn left, follow it for a short distance, then leave it by turning right to climb into the woods (an ascent of about 1.3 km). Follow this winding path without leaving it, until you reach the Route Forestière du Petit Bourgogne on the plateau above.

(6) At the junction with the Route Forestière du Petit Bourgogne, turn left onto it, then turn right 200 metres further on where it meets the GR®14. Follow the GR®14 to the left until the next junction. Turn left, then immediately right 40 metres further on. Continue straight ahead. Join the Route Forestière du Rocan by turning left where it meets the path, then continue straight on. Pass the Rocan forest gate and begin a descent of about 1 km. After crossing the stream, reach the crossroads, turn left and climb for about 600 m, until you reach a junction with a turning area.

(7) Take the straight path on the right and continue straight ahead. At the edge of the national forest, at the top of the hill, turn left.

(8) Then turn right, staying on the edge of the national forest, and follow it. The track alternates between numerous ascents and descents (at this point, there is a possible alternative route to shorten the journey by continuing straight on to the tarmac forest road known as ‘Route du Mariage’. This allows you to cover just 35 km by passing by the Étang de la Demoiselle.) (*see alternative route details on the website). Watch out for a misleading junction: go straight ahead to take a slight turn, following the edge of the national forest to the right. Continue straight on; the descent is quite steep. At the bottom is a crossroads where you must turn left to join the Route Forestière du Gros Chêne. Continue straight on along the road to the Gros Chêne, where there is a picnic area.

(9) At Gros Chêne, turn right and follow a small winding path through the trees bordering the meadows. Stay on this path at all times. Please note: a section of the path is shared with other walking routes, so adjust your pace accordingly. At the junction, keep to the right to continue straight on. Leave the woods when you reach a dirt track. Follow it, passing close to the stream and the hunting lodge. At the junction with Rue de la Héronnière, turn right and follow this street, which leads to the Maison de la Nature.

(10) Turn left onto the D947, pass the basket-maker’s shop, continue straight up Rue de la Commanderie, then pass the former Commander’s fortified house and reach the national forest. Climb the hill, staying on the main path. At the top, at a place called Jardin Gascon, admire the view (bench) and continue along the small path that branches off to the left and head straight on.

(11) At the junction, take the track to the left, going round the first stone of the Fossé des Templiers. Continue along the edge of the national forest. A descent leads to a small stream which you must cross. Then turn right onto the path through the plot and immediately left to climb back up onto the plateau. Then begin a descent into the Fossé des Templiers to the Fontaine aux Grès.

(12) At the fountain, continue straight on up the slope along the edge of the state-owned forest. At the top of the climb, turn left onto a wide path and keep to the left. Continue straight on until you reach the Chêne Bibi picnic area.

(13) At Chêne Bibi, head off to the left, then turn left and then right to descend to the Grand Colas forest road. Follow it to the right, cross the road carefully and take the path opposite until you reach a junction on the left.

(14) Turn left into the lane and at the next fork, turn right, then immediately left and left again. Head uphill, then turn left down a slope and right at the bottom to reach the Étang de la Linette, where you can have a picnic. Go round the pond on the left and head back up onto the Route Forestière du Mariage. Follow it to the right until you reach a car park, 600 metres further on.

(15) Take the path on the right, then turn left into the ditch. Go downhill, continue straight on at the junction, then go uphill to reach the Carrefour des Mallassises. Continue straight ahead.

(16) At the junction leading to a regenerating plot (known as l’Amérique), turn right at the boundary of state-owned land. Take a slightly technical downhill section, then a winding forest track to the left, which you must not leave.

(17) At the Route Forestière du Chêne Pâté, turn right. 800 metres further on, you can head down to have a picnic at the Étang de la Demoiselle. Continue along the forest road to the large junction with the Route Forestière des Bois de Termes.

(18) Take the track on the right, then immediately a path on the right to return to the woods. Continue straight ahead on the flat plateau, then veer slightly right onto a descent of about 1 km. At the bottom of the descent, turn right. Take care at the hairpin bend; head right then immediately left onto a path below. This section remains damp for part of the year. Continue straight on, cross a stream then climb slightly towards the edge of the woods to rejoin the Route Forestière du Chêne Pâté.

(19) At the Route Forestière du Chêne Pâté, continue straight ahead. The road winds before reaching a crossroads.

(20) At this large junction between the Route Forestière du Chêne Pâté and the Route Forestière de la Noue Marion, proceed into the junction then turn left to continue climbing the Route Forestière de la Noue Marion to its end, following all the bends in the road without leaving it.

(21) At the end of the road, turn right onto the downhill forest track; as you emerge from the woods, follow the track straight ahead between the fields and head towards Beaurepaire.

(22) Cross Beaurepaire and then the main road with care, and head up the path straight ahead. After a long climb, turn left then right along the edge of the woods. Continue climbing, enter the Bois de la Sarte and ride straight on. At a junction, turn right and after a few metres on level ground, the path descends to a forest road.

(23) Turn left onto it, follow it all the way up and pass through the forest gate. Continue along it until you reach a crossroads.

(24) Turn left and follow the winding descent to the village of Termes (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 124 m - Church and square in Termes - Aire (rivière)
  2. 1 : km 1.03 - alt. 126 m - Junction with the RD15
  3. 2 : km 3.28 - alt. 159 m - Junction with the RD41
  4. 3 : km 5.98 - alt. 214 m - RF des Bois de Termes and descent
  5. 4 : km 7.87 - alt. 165 m - RF fork at Le Mariage and ascent
  6. 5 : km 10.36 - alt. 153 m - Fumuy crossroads and Les Gouffres
  7. 6 : km 13.23 - alt. 228 m - RF junction at Le Petit Bourgogne
  8. 7 : km 16.57 - alt. 232 m - Crossroads at Rocan towards the grassy path
  9. 8 : km 17.78 - alt. 236 m - Junction with the alternative route
  10. 9 : km 20.82 - alt. 179 m - Gros Chêne junction - Gros Chêne (La Croix-aux-Bois)
  11. 10 : km 22.6 - alt. 172 m - Junction on the RD947 in front of the basket-weaving workshop
  12. 11 : km 24.07 - alt. 236 m - Crossroads at the first Templar stone
  13. 12 : km 25.69 - alt. 193 m - Fontaine aux Grès junction
  14. 13 : km 27.48 - alt. 209 m - Bibi Oak picnic area
  15. 14 : km 28.99 - alt. 223 m - Layon
  16. 15 : km 30.57 - alt. 230 m - Layon
  17. 16 : km 32.16 - alt. 215 m - Crossing of America
  18. 17 : km 33.51 - alt. 212 m - Chêne Pâté forest road
  19. 18 : km 35.08 - alt. 214 m - Junction of the Bois de Termes and Chêne Pâté trails
  20. 19 : km 37.31 - alt. 145 m - Junction on the RF at the Chêne Pâté
  21. 20 : km 38.08 - alt. 141 m - Junction between forest roads
  22. 21 : km 40.74 - alt. 173 m - End of the forest road
  23. 22 : km 41.54 - alt. 124 m - Beaurepaire
  24. 23 : km 43.51 - alt. 151 m - Junction on the RF de la Sarte
  25. 24 : km 44.44 - alt. 189 m - Route
  26. S/E : km 46.85 - alt. 124 m - Church and square in Termes

Notes

Sections of the trail shared by cyclists and walkers.

A 35 km alternative route is available (see the relevant route description).

Between October and February, check the hunting dates before setting off.

Worth a visit

Termes Church.

The Gros Chêne and its picnic area.

The Maison de la Nature.

Ditch and Templar stones.

The Bibi Oak and its picnic area.

Always be cautious and plan ahead when you're outdoors. Visorando and the author of this route cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurring on this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

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The GPS track and description are the property of this route's author. Please do not copy them without permission.