Tour of the Ain Gorges

Park in the car park next to the supermarket on Rue du Tilleul.

(S/E) Leave the car park and head left along the main street towards the bridge over the Ain, then cross it.

(1) Immediately afterwards, turn right onto the D91 towards Courtouphle and head into the village.

(2) On leaving the village, at the corner of No. 372, turn slightly right and take the track that leads down towards the River Ain.

(3) At the fork, turn right onto the path that runs alongside the River Ain.

(4) Leave the main path on the right, as it has become impassable due to fallen trees and rocks. Continue along the River Ain for about 300 metres until you reach a track. Follow this track back up to the road.

(5) Carry on straight ahead along the road (D91) to the hamlet of Granges, pass through the village and reach house number 810.

(6) Take the track on the right which descends towards the River Ain. Follow the river, then continue along the road until you reach the end of Chemin du Port in the village of Bonbois.

(7) Turn right and follow the D91 to the junction under the viaduct.

(8) Carry on straight ahead on the^D91A, towards the Cize-Bolozon Viaduct, and cross it.

(9) On the other side, turn left onto the^D91A towards Cize, and continue for about 50 metres until you reach a small car park. Cross the car park and take the path on the right (the orange-marked mountain bike route) for about 250 metres, then continue along the^D91A for about 100 metres.

(10) Turn left towards the Cize power station and you’ll reach a three-way junction.

(11) Carry on to the left along Route de l’Usine, pass the power station and continue along the road, which quickly turns into a track. Follow the River Ain to the Serrières road bridge, go under it, then look for the start of a track on the left, after passing the hairpin bend to the right.

(12) Take this track and climb towards the village of Merloz. At the entrance to the village, turn right and head towards the end of the Chemin des Chenevières.

(13) Continue to the right and follow the road to the next junction.

(14) Turn left onto the D979 and follow it for about 400 metres until you reach a hairpin bend to the left.

(15) Leave the departmental road and take the track on the right which descends through the woodland. After about a hundred metres, turn off onto the track which climbs up to the left. Then, keep left at all junctions (tracks not shown on the map) and, at the top of the climb, turn left until you reach the next junction.

(16) Turn right, continue for about fifty metres and you’ll reach a signposted route (Orange MTB route). Turn left towards the Villettes dinosaur footprints and reach the site about a hundred metres further on. Continue down a technical descent along a track suitable for vehicles until you reach a junction with the hairpin bend start of a signposted mountain bike trail on the right (note: difficult to see whilst descending).

(17) Take this path and follow it as it winds round the Hautecourt-Romanèche quarry on the right. Pass the quarry entrance and you’ll soon reach a three-way junction.

(18) Continue along the track to the right for about a hundred metres (still on the orange-marked mountain bike route), then leave the track and continue to the right onto a footpath. Walk for about a hundred metres until you reach a fork in the path.

(19) Turn left and carry on straight ahead until you reach a road, opposite No. 213.

(20) Turn right and head up to the end of Chemin des Teppes in the village of Romanèche.

(21) Turn right, follow the road for about a hundred metres and, at the 90° left-hand bend, carry on straight ahead along the track, which quickly turns into a technical trail at the end. Follow this trail straight ahead to the Belvédère du Jarbonnet.

(22) After taking in the view, carry on straight ahead along the mountain bike trail, first uphill and then quickly downhill, to the church in Romanèche. Please note: this descent is technical (with rocks and roots) and can be difficult in wet weather.

(23) Continue to the right along Chemin du Tiller, a street that quickly turns into a track suitable for vehicles. Cross the departmental road with care and continue, on the opposite side, along the track which rejoins the road.

(24) Turn left, enter Cize and go straight on along the^D59C, towards Bolozon.

(25) At the junction with a cross in the centre, turn right onto the^D59A, towards Bolozon. Continue for about 500 m until you reach a wide hairpin bend.

(26) Leave the^D59A and follow the Route du Moulin to the right, which descends towards the River Ain, and rejoin the route you took earlier.

(11) Carry on straight ahead and follow the route back in the opposite direction to the one you took on the way there, until you reach the junction just before the Cize-Bolozon Viaduct.

(9) At the small car park before the viaduct, take the path leading down to the right towards the River Ain. Go through a gate on the left to take the private track, where the owners have permitted access on foot or by mountain bike. Pass under the viaduct. Continue to the end of the track suitable for vehicles, then carry on along the footpath that climbs back up towards the EDF site at Chalour. Cross the estate and join the D59.

(27) Carry on to the right until you reach the junction with the D936.

(28) Cross it carefully and carry on straight ahead on the D59 until you reach a track leading uphill to the left and a path leading downhill to the right, just after kilometre marker no. 1.

(29) Take the footpath on the right for about twenty metres, then the road on the right, until you reach the end of the Route de Chaléa in Conflans.

(30) Turn left onto the D936 until you reach the car park on Rue du Tilleul in Thoirette (S/E).