The Fountain of Abysses

The walk starts from the car park at the foot of the Coulangeron wash-house, below the church (there is another car park 100 m away, near the town hall).

(D/A) Reach the church and, facing it, turn left. At the crow's feet, turn right into Rue de la Chaumotte. This road ends at the last houses.

(1) At the crossroads, go straight on, leaving the side exits. On the plateau, leave the first fork in the road on the left, then the second on the right. Descend towards the woods to reach a cross-country track at the bottom of the valley.

(2) Turn left. A stream often accompanies you on the right, but at some point it slips out of your path and into a field. This path becomes a road when you reach the first houses in Pesteau-le-Bas. Keep to this path until you reach the next crossroads.

(3) In front of the farm shed, cross the road on a slight left/right and begin a fairly steep climb. Halfway up the hill, bear left. After levelling out, descend to reach the crossroads.

(4) Cross this road and immediately set off again on an uphill track. At the crossroads, follow the track with the fenced enclosure on your left. You will come to a fork in the road and the first wind turbine opposite.

(5) Continue uphill for a short distance on the left. You will again come to a second wind turbine. Turn left and continue along this main track, keeping the wind turbines on your right. At the riding school, continue downhill until you reach the hamlet of La Grilletière.

(6) Turn left onto the road overlooking the washhouse. Turn right at the first crossroads and right again at the next. You will soon come to a bend in the road to the left.

(7) Take the track opposite, which starts out quite steep but then becomes a gentler climb along the edge of the wood. At the end, you come to a level track.

(8) Turn left to reach a cross-country track. Turn left for a good hundred metres, then right. Continue down this level track until you come to a tarmac lane on the right, heading towards the washhouse.

(9) At the washhouse, leave the road and take the path on the left.

(10) At the T-junction, turn left (it is advisable to make a round trip to the Chapelle de Chéry on the right beforehand). Pass under a power line and, opposite the village of La Grilletière, turn right downhill onto a green lane (a row of cherry trees runs perpendicular to this lane). This path leads down to Les Chocats.

(11) Cross the road and go up into the street with its central gutter. At the top, in the curve described by this road, take the path on the right.

(12) After a fairly steep climb, bear right towards the woods. Keep to the edge of the wood, forgetting a start on the left.

(13) Take the path on the left that passes under a farm building and keep it to find the crossroads at the start.

(1) Go down the tarmac lane on the right and join the car park (D/A).