Orne valley around Clécy

A superb walk to discover the Normandy bocage and the Orne valley.
This hike takes in "le pain de sucre", "les rochers de la Houle" and "les rochers des parcs".

Details

82628
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 9.92 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 35 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 276 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 281 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 249 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 32 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Park in one of the many car parks in front of the "guinguettes" on the banks of the River Orne in Clécy.

(S/E) Head towards the Vey bridge but do not cross it.

(1) Head towards Placy following the PR® and continue to the left to reach Cantepie.
Cross the bridge over the River Orne and turn left onto the D133b. At the crossroads before Serverie, turn right in a hairpin bend.

(2) Go up a steep track on the left, still following the GR®.

(3) At the intersection of several paths, take the PR® on the left. Continue as far as the road and turn right.

(4) At the first crossroads, turn right towards the car park and paraglider departure area: don't miss the view over the Orne valley.
Continue along the road past another paragliding area and admire the view once again. Leave the next track on the right and continue as far as the T-junction.

(5) Turn right towards "La Commune" and "Soudeval" (steep downhill slope).

(6) At the Sourdeval junction, take the furthest left and continue until you reach the next road (D133).

(7) Turn left and then immediately right.

(8) At the junction, at the top of the steep slope, turn right along the GR®36, which you will not leave until you reach Le Vey.
This is the most beautiful part of the route, with magnificent views over the River Orne and the Clécy viaduct.
Continue along the GR® as far as Le Vey, then leave the GR® and turn left to cross the bridge and return to your starting point (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 38 m - Banks of the Orne at Clécy - Orne (fleuve)
  2. 1 : km 0.28 - alt. 41 m - Pont de Vey, straight on
  3. 2 : km 2.3 - alt. 56 m - Steep path
  4. 3 : km 2.85 - alt. 158 m - PR left
  5. 4 : km 3.39 - alt. 222 m - Turn right at the crossroads
  6. 5 : km 5.06 - alt. 243 m - Right at the T-junction
  7. 6 : km 5.87 - alt. 131 m - Sourdeval
  8. 7 : km 6.6 - alt. 141 m - Junction with the D113
  9. 8 : km 7.07 - alt. 148 m - Junction with the GR36
  10. S/E : km 9.92 - alt. 38 m - Banks of the Orne at Clécy

Notes

Please note that there are no water points along the route.
Good footwear is essential, especially for the climb after "La Serverie".
All shops in Clécy.

Worth a visit

Don't miss the viewpoints from the paragliding departure areas.
Admire the magnificent scenery from the Rochers des Parcs, with the vegetation and viaduct reflected in the Orne.
Train museum at Clécy: the largest miniature train circuit in Europe (ask about opening times).
Kayaking and other watercraft available along the Orne.

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.

Reviews and comments

4.7 / 5
Based on 106 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.7 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.5 / 5
Route interest
4.8 / 5
Kyndt
Kyndt

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 01, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hang gliding

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Nork
Nork

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 13, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful route, but difficult in my opinion
Steep climbs and descents
Very beautiful views

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User 19943322

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 22, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful route, easy, well marked and safe.
The best part: the magnificent view of the Orne River and the viaduct in the last section.
The downside: more than half of the route is on a quiet tarmac road rather than a footpath.

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Laurent50240
Laurent50240

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 15, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Superb hike with elevation gain. During the summer season, plan to park in the car park to the right of the viaduct. This adds 800 metres to the route.
Superb scenery. Good signposting. We completed the hike in 3 hours 17 minutes - 13 km.

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User 17336819

Superb hike! Magnificent scenery, discovering Norman Switzerland from above and below.

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gk
gk

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 02, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very pretty route with superb views of the Orne river and its meanders.
The route can be easily followed using GPS.
i recommend this route.

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claire.soli@sfr.fr
claire.soli@sfr.fr
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 14, 2025
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hike tracked with GPS
We set off early to avoid the heat, in foggy conditions. The view may have been beautiful, but it was nicer during the first few kilometres on the tarmac.
When we reached the top of the sugar loaf, finally clear of the mist, the view was magnificent.
The entire hike along the ridge was superb, and the arrival overlooking Clecy is very beautiful.

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User 18162789

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 11, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A beautiful walk in the hills above the Orne.
The signposting at the end of the hike is rather unclear, but you can still find your way (there are lots of paths but they all lead to the same destination).
There is a steep climb after 2-3 km (avoid in hot weather, 200 m elevation gain in 1 km), but the rest is easy going.
Superb views to admire all along the route.

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User 17336819

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 11, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

pleasant hike, poorly placed signposts

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Isabelle COB
Isabelle COB

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 07, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A magnificent discovery of iconic locations in Swiss Normandy.

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Ppppppp
Ppppppp

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 24, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Good, but subscription too expensive for one or two rides a year. It's a shame.

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gdavid
gdavid

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 01, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Despite the fog, we were able to make the most of this beautiful region with this lovely walk.

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dourlande
dourlande

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 28, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Lovely walk with superb views of the Orne from the heights

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Bergam
Bergam

Lovely walk, beautiful views.

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bourtoulou
bourtoulou

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 23, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Beautiful view

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