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Head for the Col de la Chevestraye between Plancher-Bas and Fresse (Haute-Saône), at the junction of the D97 and D98 roads.
Park your car in the small car park near the memorial stone honouring the soldiers of the 2nd Regiment of African Light Infantry, who liberated this part of France.
(S/E) Head down the road towards Fresse, following the red and white markings ofthe GR®59, and at the first hairpin bend, turn right onto the local track towards Montvilliers.
(1) About 200 m past the hamlet of Haut de la Chevestraye, leave the road and turn right onto an unmarked track used by 4x4s and quads, which climbs through the woods.
Halfway up, you could turn left, but it is better to continue climbing and cross the old pastures, some of which have been replanted with spruce trees and others left to run wild. There are some lovely views over the Planche-des-Belles-Filles and then, to the right, over the Lizaine valley. The slope levels out and you reach the crossroads at the top of the Prés Février.
(2) Turn left and follow theGR® (red and white markings) down through the fir plantation.
(3) After a few hundred metres, take the path on the right (marked with a Yellow Rectangle). A short climb through former pastures and hay meadows, now overgrown with ferns and dotted with service trees, takes you to the Plain de la Rise (alt. 875 m), offering a fine view of the Monts du Lomont.
(4) This is the section where you cross the Sapoz wood and the stream of the same name. The path leads onto a lovely forest track, which you should take to the right.
(5) Lined with fir trees, the track climbs steadily but pleasantly and takes us to the boundary between the villages of Fresse and Miellin.
(6) At the end of the track, follow the path on the left along the ridge to the Refuge du Grand Bois, a lovely spot for a short break.
(7) Leave the yellow markings on your right and follow the Blue Ring markings along the ridge. Stay on the boundary between the two municipalities.
(8) Here is the Caleuche farm. Continue along the road; note the building on the right which served as the resistance fighters’ command post. Here is the junction with the ‘Route du Souvenir’ which climbs up from Ternuay.
(9) Take this road to the left for a few tens of metres and take the time to head up to the left to the Montagne monument.
(10) (a memorial erected in honour of the FFI resistance fighters and civilians who died during the Battle of Montagne de Fresse in August 1944; beautiful views to the west and north).
Return to the crossroads.
(9) Continue westwards, first along the tarmac road and then along a good forest track (marked with Red Rectangles).
Pass through the hamlet of Montagne de Fresse.
(11) Note on the left the fence of the old garden, made of large lava stones set vertically, which served both to keep out unwanted animals and to retain some warmth at night. After 300 metres, take the first unmarked road on the right to reach the boundary of the municipality and the Dame Louise farm.
(12) Then take the road on the left. After a slight flat section following the 660 contour line, the descent becomes easier. Follow the Yellow Ring signposting with the horseshoe symbol. A view opens up over the Ognon valley and the entrance to Ternuay.
(13) Do not be tempted to follow the path; instead, turn left towards Le Magny de Fresse, which you will reach after about ten minutes.
On the main road, turn left (Yellow Ring markings) and after 200 metres turn right towards the Auberge de la Bomilière.
(14) The path crosses the river ‘Le Raddon’ and a rather tricky, steep goat track (still marked with Yellow Rings) leads to the tarmac road; turn right here and follow it to the viewpoint, which serves as the launch site for hang-gliders.
(15) A short break at this rest area, situated in the shade beneath the beech trees, will help you recover from the exertions of the climb. But it’s time to set off again, and soon the farm and the Abbey of Mont de Vanne come into view.
(16) After a tour of the site and a moment of quiet reflection in the chapel, it’s time to leave this idyllic setting and return to the road. Turn right after about ten metres and then turn right again onto the path, which is occasionally used as a logging track (marked with Yellow Circle signs – direction Le Plainet, 4 km). Through the fir trees, you’ll remain at roughly the same altitude. Here is a lovely track which you take to the left to reach a junction with two tarmac roads. Do not head towards Ronchamp but carry straight on to reach the hamlet of Le Mavoy.
(17) Follow the signs for Le Plainet.
(18) At Le Plainet, you’ll come across the red and white markings ofthe GR®59, which climbs up from Ronchamp. Walk past the school. At the edge of the woods, leave the main path on your left and take the track that climbs up the hill (signposted ‘viewpoint, 10 mins’) on the border between the municipalities of Fresse and Ronchamp to reach the Roc du Plainet.
(19) After the Roc, continue along the path to rejoin theGR® (red and white markings) and follow it to the finish. On the right, a clearing offers a fine view of Champagney (view of the Alps on a clear day). Here is a section of the Remembrance Trail and the remains of the fighting from November 1944.
(20) (engraved trees, remains of trenches, shell casings) and, on the left, the ‘Chat’ spring used by the Maquis.
(21) At the Col du Coporot, cross the forest track. Here are further remains of trenches on the left; a little further down lies the site of the hamlet of Bois de la Dame, which was completely destroyed during the fighting in 1944.
(22) A very steep descent takes us straight back to the starting point (S/E).
Visorando Member
Moderate 
Easy 
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