Hiking loop: aux sources du Parnant

A beautiful loop, skirting the sources of the Parnant (a small tributary of the Rhône) and offering a variety of paths, through the agricultural plain, undergrowth or on an ancient glacial moraine, where the views are astonishing.

The hike starts near the Clarafond church, remarkable for its narrow white cement spire topped by a cross!
The name of this commune comes from the Latin "clara" (clear), and the Old French "font", which translates as "spring, fountain, spring water". The parish was even called "Claire Fontaine" in the 14th century.
Go around the church to the left and follow the road as it winds its way between the houses to the west. Continue along the farm track, which first skirts a beautiful hedge, then the edge of the wood.
After about a kilometer, at the corner of the wood, leave the track (which continues straight ahead) and fork left onto a small forest track. Shortly afterwards, this joins the Chemin Rural de l'Epery, which you then take to the right, descending through the bocage.
As you approach the farm buildings (private property), turn left and follow the edge of the forest for around 100 metres. Turn right on the path through the grove, then right again at the entrance to the forest clearing. The path then descends along the municipal boundary between Clarafond and Eloise, in the heart of the Bois de l'Epery.
After reaching and crossing the Parnant stream, turn right and head uphill towards the hamlet of Fruitière. After the first houses, turn left onto the road and follow the signs for Trainant.
At a fine wooden cross, fork right and climb up to "Les Crêts", where the landscape gradually opens up, revealing a breathtaking panorama of the Haute-Chaîne du Jura and the Vuache massif, both separated by the famous "Défilé de l'Ecluse" (a historic passageway and migration hotspot for birds).
At the "Trainant - 550 m" signpost, turn right onto the road leading down to Clarafond. At the bottom of the hamlet, stay on the road and climb up the hill to reach "Marlogne" and the ancient château de Verboz.
This area was the seat of the seigneury of Verboz, whose late medieval castle is now a farm overlooking the road to Arcine. In 1215, Clarafond was included in the donation of the Peillonnex estate to the abbey of Chézery (Valserine valley) by the Count of Geneva. The vines on the Clarafond hillsides were first cultivated by the monks of Chézery, then by farmers. The first of these was a certain Louis Prodhon, a resident of Chézery, who came to live in Clarafond and settled there. In those days, Roussette du coteau de Tempoury, a grape variety brought to our land by the Duchess of Savoy Anne of Cyprus, was renowned. Even today, the commune is part of the AOC terroir for wines and Roussette de Savoie.
As you approach the town center, turn right onto the Chemin de l'Oratoire, then join the Route de la Mairie and finally the parking lot.