Tour of the Montagne d'Émondeaux

The route starts from a car park near the Coiselet dam, along the RD936 road on the outskirts of the hamlet of Coiselet.

(S/E) Cross the road carefully and, almost directly opposite, take the Chemin de Royères uphill. After a short while, you’ll come to a path coming from the left.

(1) Continue straight on along the small road, then turn right at the next junction to reach the hamlet of Royères.

(2) Carry on, then turn left onto the forest track heading uphill to reach the hamlet of Arfontaine.

(3) Continue to the left, then straight on into Rue de la Rochette. Carry on until you reach a Y-shaped junction at the end of this road. Take the right-hand branch to reach the Petit Longchamp car park.

(4) Continue left towards the Vierge de Diesse. Not far on, take a path on the right whilst following the yellow markings. After crossing a forest track, turn left immediately afterwards towards the viewpoint; head back to the junction to reach it. Turn left and head to the Belvédère de la Pierre du Curé.

(5) Return to the crossroads then continue left, heading due north. At a power line, head straight on; optionally, you can take a left to reach a viewpoint of moderate interest, then continue right.
Shortly afterwards, turn right at a fork, then not far on you’ll reach a junction marked by a wayside cross: take the left-hand path. You’ll reach the statue of the Virgin of Diesse.

(6) Continue straight ahead towards Émondeaux. Carry on, ignoring all the turnings to the right and left, until you reach a wider path at the end of the trail on the edge of the Bois de Diesse.

(7) Cross the clearing by taking this path. At the fork where four paths meet, turn right to reach the nearby hamlet of Émondeaux.

(8) Ignore the^first road on the right, and take the next path on the right towards Maissiat. Immediately afterwards, continue straight on along an uphill path towards Maissiat.
After ignoring a path on the left and turning right at a fork, quickly turn left onto a path leading downhill: the route crosses a small road twice before joining it a little further down at a bend.

(9) Continue along the road for a few hundred metres downhill. At the^second fork, take a path on the left (no signposts). You will reach the hamlet of Maissiat d’en Haut.

(10) Turn right towards Dortan. Join a road: continue straight on, then take the^first street on the right towards the Cascade de la Combe. Continue along the path on the left to reach the Cascade de la Combe.

(11) Walk back to the fork and continue straight on, until you reach the wide left-hand bend in Rue de Massiat. Turn left here and head towards the crossroads at Massiat d’en Bas.

(12) Take the path on the right towards La Pierre-qui-vire, then at the junction, continue to the left. At the water catchment area, continue straight ahead, then at the bend, continue straight ahead along the path, still heading towards La Pierre-qui-vire. You will then reach the crossroads leading to this viewpoint. Take the path on the right to reach the Belvédère de la Pierre-qui-vire.

(13) Return to the previous crossroads, take the path on the right towards Émondeaux.
You’ll reach a fork after a short descent: keep right towards Émondeaux and La Grange de Véra on an uphill path. You’ll come to a flat area where there’s a transmitter on the left, partially hidden by vegetation.

(14) Continue straight ahead on the downhill path. Here too, stay on the path, ignoring all the branches to the right and left. You’ll reach a forest track; take it to the left to reach La Grange de Véra.

(15) Stay on this track and continue slightly uphill to reach a crossroads with several directions facing the Rochers des Trois Damettes.

(16) Take the gently ascending path to the right. You’ll reach the open area of Sur les Ormes, with its meadows.

(17) Continue to the right along the path, skirting the edge of the forest (no signposting). After a short descent, pass the edge of a meadow: at the fork, continue left uphill to reach another fork at a bend.

(18) Continue along the path to the right to reach the Grange de Bar after a short while.

(19) Turn right, passing in front of the building, then take a path. After a short left-right bend (follow the arrow), continue to the right at the fork.
Further down, at a bend, keep right until you meet another path.
Further down, you’ll join another path: keep left.
At the bed of a stream (which may or may not be flowing depending on the season), turn left as you cross it. A little further on, you’ll reach the crossroads you saw on the way out.

(1) Turn right and follow the route you took on the way out to return to the Coiselet Dam car park (S/E).

Good walking boots and walking poles are recommended.

The starting point can be seen here

Nature struggles to cope with your rubbish. Please take it with you!

The route is in fairly good condition throughout:
From (S/E) to (2): the route is very easy to follow along a small tarmac road. There are no visible markings or signposts.
From (2) to (3): finding your way is not a problem on this section. The few traces of markings (in yellow) are rather old.
From (3) to (4): guided by a few signposts and sparse markings (yellow), the route follows a good track, then a good path.
From (4) to (8): this section follows good paths and tracks with a series of short ascents and descents.
The signposting (markings and signposts) along the route is not consistent (note that the signposting between points (5) and (6) is somewhat misleading).
From (8) to (9): the route follows a good path, then a clearly visible track that is slightly steep at times on the descent.
Regular yellow markings, aided by a few signposts, help you find your way.
From (9) to (10): after a short stretch of road, you follow a good path along a route that presents no difficulty. The yellow markings are rather sparse.
From (10) to (12): the yellow markings and signposts are fairly regular.
From (12) to (14): the route follows a path with a gentle incline, then a trail with a few steeper slopes, all accompanied by regular yellow markings and a few signposts
From (14) to (15): the route follows a good path with regular (yellow) markings and is fairly easy.
From (15) to (16): finding your way along a good path (sometimes tarmac) is straightforward.
From (16) to (17): the route follows a clearly visible path. No markings are visible.
From (17) to (18): whilst locating the start of the path (less than 100 metres from the entrance to the meadow) is moderately obvious, the rest of the route is fairly easy (marked in yellow).
From (18) to (19): the route follows a good path with some steep sections at times. It is marked with regular yellow markings.
From (19) to (1): the route follows a decent path where you need to be careful about your direction at times, whilst following the instructions above. There are no markings on this section.
Alternative routes
As an option, I suggest three alternative routes:
- Option 1: this offers more direct access to the Belvédère de la Pierre du Curé, with a more interesting route but one that is slightly more physically demanding. To find out more, click here.
- Option 2: through the woodland, the route winds its way up Mont de Maissiat, then continues overlooking the Sur les Ormes marsh. To find out more, click here.
- Option 3: the route takes you through a pretty meadow but follows an off-trail path running almost due north. To find out more, click here.

Coiselet Dam: built in 1970, it forms a lake stretching to the confluence of the Ain and the Bienne. To find out more, click here.

Our Lady of Diesse: she suddenly comes into view right in the middle of the forest. At her feet is a plaque inscribed with ‘Chatonnax Mons in recognition of the Blessed Virgin – 1944’.

Dortan: a ‘Martyr Town’, it was completely burnt down (with the exception of the castle) on 22 July 1944. To find out more, click here.

Cascade de la Combe: a travertine waterfall, this is a beautiful highlight of the route that is well worth a detour

Marais sur les Ormes: a treasure trove of biodiversity located near the hamlet of Émondeaux. To find out more, click here.