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Micro-adventure: The high peaks of the Jura Massif

Hiking Trail · Ain
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  • Ben Becker
    Ben Becker
    Photo: Sophie Chapuis Cté Départemental de Randonnée Pédestre, Aintourisme
Claire
on  June 04, 2025

Est-ce qu’il est possible de faire la randonnée dans l’autre ...

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Selected alternatives for you
    A 3-day tour from Mijoux to the Valserhône train station on the GR®9.
    difficult
    Distance 50.3 km
    17:18 h
    2,072 m
    2,465 m
    1,716 m
    335 m
    3 days of roaming from refuge to refuge on the Haute-Chaîne du Jura and its reserve, offering panoramic balconies over the Rhône valley, Lake Geneva and the Alps.
    3 walking days / 50 km / 2072 m ascent

    > Stage 1: From Mijoux to the La Loge refuge (guarded refuge, half-board possible)
    13.7 km / 5h30 walking / 852 m ascent

    > Stage 2: From La Loge hut to Chalet de la Poutouille (unguarded hut)
    15.2 km / 5h45 walk / 579 m cumulative ascent

    > Stage 3: From Chalet de la Poutouille to Valserhône station
    20.7 km / 6h45 walk / 641 m cumulative ascent
    Transport between Valserhône and Mijoux on the A53 regional bus line.

    Author’s recommendation

    A 3-day itinerary accessible by public transport, since a bus service will take you to the starting point of the itinerary in Mijoux, and your hike will bring you back to the Bellegarde-sur-Valserine TGV/TER station.

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    Difficulty
    difficult
    Overall difficulty
    difficult

    Derived from the technical difficulty and the stamina requirements.

    Experience
    Landscape
    Highest point
    1,716 m
    Lowest point
    335 m
    Best time of year
    Jan
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    Track types

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    Safety information

    It's not possible to get drinking water on the high chain, so pack what you need.

    You'll be walking on a high-altitude ridge subject to severe weather conditions (late snow, fog), so be careful and plan ahead: set off well-equipped and check the weather forecast.

    Tips and suggestions

    Please respect the regulations in force in the Haute Chaîne du Jura National Nature Reserve (rnn-hautechainedujura.fr): dogs are not allowed, even on a leash, and there are no fires or camping.

    For safety reasons, pedestrian traffic is temporarily prohibited on the section between the Métral dam and the town center, until further notice. Hikers will take a detour via the Voie du Tram.

    Public transport

    Transport between Valserhône (TGV station) and Mijoux on the A53 regional bus line.

    Parking

    Find out more about parking at Valserhône: Link

    Coordinates

    DD
    46.367600, 5.994820
    DMS
    46°22'03.4"N 5°59'41.4"E
    UTM
    31T 730350 5139250
    w3w 
    ///loners.inherent.development
    Show on Map
    Get there by train, car, bike, or on foot!

    Book recommendation by the author

    Topoguides® FFRandonnée "La Grande Traversée du Jura...à pied®" and "Tours et traversées dans l'Ain".

    Author’s map recommendations

    IGN TOP 25 maps: 3328OT - CRÊT DE LA NEIGE and 3330OT - BELLEGARDE-SUR-VALSERINE

    Book recommendations for this region:

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    Recommended maps for this region:

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    All publications

    Equipment

    Ten tips for getting started in touring by the FFRandonnée: Link

    Localization

    Parts of this content were machine translated using French as the source language
    The most beautiful hikes in the Ain
    France › Bourgogne-Franche-Comté › Jura › Chézery-Forens

    Questions and answers

    Profile picture of Claire
    Question from Claire · June 04, 2025 · Community
    Est-ce qu’il est possible de faire la randonnée dans l’autre sens ?
    More
    Answered by Sophie Chapuis Cté Départemental de Randonnée Pédestre  · June 04, 2025 · Aintourisme
    Bonjour, Si on parcourt cet itinéraire en sens inverse, cela fait une étape très difficile le 1er jour : Bellegarde-sur-Valserine > Chalet de la Poutouille : 20,7 km / 1721 m de dénivelé positif cumulé / 9h30 de marche Il faudrait donc envisager de découper l'itinéraire différemment ou de partir d'un point moins éloigné. Bonnes randonnées dans l'Ain !
    Answer
    Profile picture of Vincent Raizer
    Question from Vincent Raizer · April 04, 2025 · Community
    Bonjour, je cherche un itinéraire sur 3 jours à réaliser avec nos deux enfants deux garçons qui ont l'habitude de marcher (11 et 14 ans). Est-ce un parcours faisable généralement en famille et ce fin avril? En vous remerciant. Des randonneurs Belges :)
    More
    Answered by Sophie Chapuis Cté Départemental de Randonnée Pédestre  · April 07, 2025 · Aintourisme
    Bonjour, cette itinérance présente un dénivelé positif cumulé de plus de 2000 m sur 3 jours et il n'y a pas d'eau potable sur la crête. De plus, le 2nd refuge est non gardé, il faudra donc être un peu chargé en matériel. Cette itinérance est donc relativement difficile pour des enfants. Vous pouvez trouver sous le lien ci-après d'autres idées de randonnées itinérantes sur ce secteur : <a href="https://www.paysdegex-montsjura.com/en-ete-rando-nature-activites/randonnees/randonnees-itinerantes/" class="oax_externallink" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.paysdegex-montsjura.com/en-ete-rando-nature-activites/randonnees/randonnees-itinerantes/</a> Je vous souhaite de belles randonnées dans l'Ain !
    Answer

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    Difficulty
    difficult
    Overall difficulty
    difficult

    Derived from the technical difficulty and the stamina requirements.

    Distance
    50.3 km
    Duration
    17:18 h
    Ascent
    2,072 m
    Descent
    2,465 m
    Highest point
    1,716 m
    Lowest point
    335 m
    Summit route Multi-stage route Linear route

    Weather at the starting point

    10-day forecast

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    Excursions and leisure tips for the region

    Routes France Ain Micro-adventure: The high peaks of the Jura Massif