Start from the car park of the Salle des Fêtes in Villards d'Héria at the entrance to Rue du Lac d'Antre.
(S/E) Head towards the viaduct, then turn right just before it to join the D470. Continue right towards the roundabout, then take the third exit towards Martigna.
(1) 150 m after the roundabout, turn left and continue along the stony track, heading due south. Pass the Grange de Pré Vert, then 1.5 km further on, the Grange de Bioux, and arrive at the crossroads.
(2) Continue straight ahead heading west for about 1 km until you reach the D295.
(3) Keep left onto the road heading south. Pass through the village of Martigna, continuing straight ahead, and carry on towards Montcusel. About 600 m after leaving the village, look out for a signpost marked “Côte Venière” a few metres before a crossroads.
(4) Turn right onto the PR® towards Nezan, following the yellow markings. Enter the forest and continue until you reach a left-hand bend followed by a sharp right-hand bend.
(5) At this bend, leave the wide path and head left onto the PR®. You will reach the signpost marked “Chemin de Cruzille”.
(6) Turn right and continue westwards, keeping towards Nezan. Cross the Bois sur Cruzille to reach a junction of several paths.
(7) Keep to the right, cross the Prés aux Loups to reach the hamlet of Nezan.
(8) At the T-junction, turn right towards Chancia. Leave the hamlet and continue along the stony path, following the yellow markings. Watch out for the sheepdogs guarding the flocks! Continue until you reach the Chancia viewpoint.
(9) From the viewpoint, which offers a superb view of Lac du Coiselet, continue down the tarmac road for about 600 m until you reach a junction with a stony path.
(10) Leave the road and head down to the left onto the path marked in yellow. Continue down the slope, crossing the tarmac road further down, and head to the signpost marked “Sur Vallière”.
(11) Continue straight on to the roundabout, just past the entrance to the chapel, then turn right and cross Rue du Jura with care. Take Rue du Village, then, after a few metres, turn right to walk along the lake on your left. Follow the banks westwards, then, when you reach the bend in a small road, turn right to reach the campsite entrance and the D60E.
(12) Follow the road carefully northwards, passing the EDF facilities. Cross the bridge over the Ain.
(13) At the crossroads, turn left towards Condes. Continue along the D60, keeping an eye on the traffic, until you reach the village of Condes.
(14) At the wash house, turn right into Impasse des Sources then follow the PR® (yellow markings) towards Oliferne. Stay on this path for about 1 km until you reach the junction with another PR®.
(15) Turn left, following the PR® (yellow markings) towards Château d'Oliferne. Continue for about 200 m, then veer to the right. Stay on this path for 2.8 km heading south-west until you reach the signpost “Au-dessus des Puits”.
(16) Head left towards Château d'Oliferne to enjoy the view and find a spot for your camp (A).
Villards-d'Héria - Pic d'Oliferne
First stage of the Way of St James. This first stage, starting from Villards-d'Héria, takes you up to higher ground with a superb view of Lake Coiselet and, ultimately, a peak and a castle that are well worth the detour. Indeed, the Pic d’Oliferne towers over the Ain Valley by almost 500 metres and offers a beautiful view, particularly of the Haute-Chaîne du Jura.
This walk is part of a multi-day hike: The Way of St James from Villards d’Héria to Santiago de Compostela
Details
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
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Activity: Walking -
Distance: 14.58 mi -
Duration according to the author: 8 hrs -
Difficulty: Very difficult -
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Back to start: No -
Ascent: + 2,438 ft -
Descent: - 1,972 ft -
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Highest point: 2,602 ft -
Lowest point: 994 ft
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Country:
France
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Areas: Jura mountains, Haut-Jura -
City:
Villards-d'Héria (39260) -
Start: N 46.416683° / E 5.732225° -
End: N 46.319981° / E 5.588773° -
IGN map(s): Ref. 3227OT, 3228OT, 3327OT, 3328OT -
Hour-by-hour weather
Photos
Description of the walk
Waypoints
- S : mi 0 - alt. 2,136 ft - Car park at the Villards d'Héria Village Hall
- 1 : mi 0.79 - alt. 2,159 ft - Crossroads after the roundabout
- 2 : mi 2.32 - alt. 2,188 ft - Crossroads
- 3 : mi 2.94 - alt. 2,218 ft - D295 road
- 4 : mi 4.22 - alt. 1,972 ft - Signpost for “Côte Venière” - Lac de Chanon
- 5 : mi 5.02 - alt. 1,893 ft - Sharp bend
- 6 : mi 5.51 - alt. 1,991 ft - Signpost for the “Chemin de Cruzille”
- 7 : mi 7.06 - alt. 2,398 ft - Crossroads
- 8 : mi 7.72 - alt. 2,093 ft - The hamlet of Nezan
- 9 : mi 8.98 - alt. 1,703 ft - Belvédère de Chancia
- 10 : mi 9.33 - alt. 1,578 ft - Trail
- 11 : mi 9.85 - alt. 1,181 ft - Signpost for “Sur Vallière”. Towards the - Bienne (rivière)
- 12 : mi 10.9 - alt. 1,027 ft - Campsite entrance, D60E
- 13 : mi 11.24 - alt. 1,014 ft - Ain (rivière)
- 14 : mi 12.25 - alt. 1,060 ft - Condes - Wash house
- 15 : mi 12.99 - alt. 1,693 ft - PR® junction
- 16 : mi 14.41 - alt. 2,454 ft - Junction of the - Vestiges du Château d'Olliferne
- E : mi 14.58 - alt. 2,602 ft - Oliferne Castle - Pic d'Oliferne
Notes
Water points at Martigna and Nezan. No provisioning available along the route. Bring food for two days. For camping, head up to the top of the castle ruins. There are lovely grassy clearings with picnic tables and superb views of the lake, where you can pitch your tent. In case of bad weather, a freely accessible shelter has been built: you can spend the night there.
Worth a visit
Lake Coiselet: viewpoint and lakeshore (A) Ruins of Oliferne Castle
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+1,283 ft
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+1,083 ft
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8.25 mi
+1,112 ft
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+909 ft
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+1,063 ft
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