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Park near the town hall.
(S/E) Turn right when facing the hiking information board on the town hall wall (the other two hikes start on the left). Continue along the road that goes around the church on the right. Admire the stone buildings that make up the village, not forgetting the seesaw on the left.
You will come to an intersection with a cross. Turn right onto Rue du Fournil and continue along the road until you reach the corner of the cemetery.
(1) Turn right onto Rue du Repos. Go down this street, cross the street perpendicular to it and take the dirt track opposite that leads down to the stream. Please note that this path is stony and steep.
Cross the stream via a wooden bridge and follow the path through the woods to climb back up. When you come out of the woods, you can admire the entire landscape of the Gier Valley with a view of Rive-de-Gier. Walk past a lodge on your left and cross the tarmac hamlet of Bajard, where a farm is advertising poultry for sale. Admire the view of the Gier Valley on your right with an orchard on the left of this street.
You will reach a three-way junction where there is a sign indicating the lodge from which you came.
(2) Turn right onto Route de Granay and continue straight ahead until you reach the T-junction at the end of the road. Admire the beautiful stone houses along this road as you pass.
(3) Turn right and climb up to the iron statue of a man. Turn right again under the sign saying "no entry except for agricultural vehicles", where you will find the Farnay 3 signpost. Climb the path and admire the view of the Gier valley on your right. As you climb higher, you can see Chamond, Rive-de-Gier, Génilac, Saint-Martin-la-Plain, etc. Enter the woods on a very pleasant path.
Pass a wooden water reservoir on the left as you leave the woods, with a beautiful view on the left this time, towards Sainte-Croix-en-Jarez. Return to the undergrowth with broom, stone pyramids and pine plantations. In spring and at the best times of day, you may see a sea of clouds, which is absolutely breathtaking! Otherwise, the view is exceptional. There are no difficulties and it is impossible to go wrong. Follow the path, which generally heads south. You will reach the Croix du Cerisier (535 m), located at a four-way intersection
(4). Take the path opposite, towards Croix du Mazet: this is where it gets a little steep, but it's worth the effort. Don't forget to take breaks and turn around to see the beautiful contours of the mountains and the beautiful colours of nature. There is a view of the Couzon dam in particular. At the top of the climb, you will find a picnic table (Neufond).
(5) Continue straight ahead, following the signposts, until you reach a three-way junction.
(6) Take the path that branches off to the right and climbs uphill. A second wooden water reservoir is visible on the left. The path climbs gently through the woods on a pleasant trail with a few possible puddles. Every 100 metres, the view changes angle, which is very pleasant. There is a new view of hamlets in the hollow of the mountains, criss-crossed by roads. Halfway along, the view is cleared by tree cuts and you can see the Gier valley again on the right.
Continue the climb, with a view of Saint-Paul, and arrive at a place called Le Sud (740 m), from where another dam is visible below.
(7) Continue along the path to descend to Arbre à Jacques.
(8) At Arbre à Jacques, continue straight ahead to reach the statue of the Madonna.
(9) Descend gently to the village of Farnay, enjoying exceptional views of the Gier valley. Continue straight ahead to return to the starting point behind the town hall (S/E).
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