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Hiking: in the footsteps of the smugglers
IGN cards
Description
This hike, designed for good walkers, allows you to discover the Valserine valley and ridges in a picture-postcard setting.
The Reculet Cross was the brainchild of Abbé Monnet, the parish priest of Thoiry. He wanted to reaffirm the Catholic faith in the face of the Protestant and anticlerical movement in Geneva. It was made by François Nallet, a blacksmith in Thoiry.
It was transported piece by piece by four villagers (Louis and Auguste Girod, Aimé Fusier and Faustin Antonioli). It was inaugurated on July 25, 1892. From the banks of France's 1st wild river to the summit of the Haute Chaine du Jura, nature awaits you!
Part of the route lies within the Haute Chaine du Jura National Nature Reserve. Please check the regulations before setting off.
Technical Information
Altimetric profile
Starting point
Points of interest
Date and time
- From 01/04/2024 to 30/11/2024
- From 01/04/2025 to 30/11/2025
Additional information
Updated by
Office de Tourisme du Pays de Gex - 14/09/2024
www.paysdegex-montsjura.com
Report a problem
Guidebook with maps/step-by-step
From Chezery, follow the signs for "La Rivière", passing the police station.
Continue in this direction, ignoring the Moulin Thomas road at a crossroads. At the hamlet of "la Rivière", cross the road and climb up to a cable-stayed footbridge over the Troubléry stream.
From here, follow the signs for "Le Reculet" (note that at Verney-Dessus, the path climbs to the right of the houses). Pass the Chalets de Lachat and enter the Thoiry-Derrière mountain pasture, where the Reculet cross is visible.
The climb ends on the northern ridge. Descend south along the GR. Skirt the Polvette and Capitaine alpine chalets, pass the "Pierre de la Lune" and arrive at the "Passage des Chezerands" near the Gralet chalet.
A yellow-marked path immediately descends into the forest and, after crossing a forest track several times, reaches the hamlet of Rosset, La Grande Bossonaz, Bellaigue and then the village.
Environments
In a nature reserve
Reception conditions for animals
Dogs strictly forbidden
Open period
From 01/04 to 30/11.
Subject to favorable snow and weather conditions.
Type of land
Ground
Contact
Phone : 04 50 28 09 16
Email : contact@paysdegex-tourisme.com
Website : www.paysdegex-montsjura.com
Reception complements
Safety instructions
This trail crosses part of the Haute Chaîne du Jura National Nature Reserve, so please respect its regulations.
www.rnn-hautechainedujura.fr/
Dogs are forbidden, even on a leash!
Before setting off
- Check the general and local weather forecast, and make sure there's no precipitation.
- Find out about the approach route, the height of the itinerary, the time it will take to complete the climb, and any possible escapes (IGN map, GPS, topo-guide, etc.).
- Evaluate possible risks by asking mountain professionals, mountain huts and gîtes.
- Inform someone close to you of your objective, and contact them again if there are any changes: departure and return times, number of participants with telephone numbers for each, vehicle(s), parking.
- Avoid setting off alone, and use equipment that is suitable for the activity, adjusted and in good condition: headlamp, complete first-aid kit, survival blanket, etc.
In the event of a problem, call 112 (European emergency number).
Data author
