Circuit 18 The Trail of the Rocks

General Information :

Starts :
- Orches: 13 km south-west of Beaune on the D973, parking by the welcome area at the southern entrance to the village D1
- Saint-Romain: 13 km south-west of Beaune on the D973, then the D17E, parking near the town hall D2
- Evelle: 14 km south-west of Beaune on the D973 and then the D111, parking by the Mille Club and tennis D3
- Baubigny: 14 km south-west of Beaune on the D973, then the D111, parking by the church D4
- La Rochepot: 16 km south-west of Beaune on the D973, by the town hall D5
Distance: about 15 km (can be shortened between Évelle and Orches: north loop, about 10 km)
Duration: about 5 hours (3 hours for the north Loop)
Height gained: about 490 m (about 400 m for the north loop)
Level: sport for the whole thing; average for the north loop.
Markers: directional posts and paint marks on various objects (walls, trees, ground etc).
Restrictions: TAKE CARE during the hunting season (September till end-February) and official culls: stick to just the north loop.

"Step by step" :

Starting from Orches D1
From the car park at the southern exit from the village of Orches near the D17i (sign for different walking trails of the commune of Baubigny), take the D17i down towards the village. At the crossroads, go straight on.
At the next, go up left 1. Ignore a road on the right and then one on the left 2, then another on the right 3. The road passes under the cliffs 4.
Before the top of the hill, turn right down a rocky path.
At the crossroads, ignore a path on the right and turn left along various farmers’ fields.
The wide road gives way to a small trail entering the woods on the right. Pass the new relay antenna and go down (be careful in wet weather) to the tarmac road.
Turn left on the road, the route entering Saint Romain, leaving the Pays Beaunois circuit no 17 on the left. Near the old wash-house, turn right into Rue de la Pierre Ronde, then at the crossroads (post P127) D2 (Place du Pont), take the 2nd street on the right (Rue de la Perrière). Ignore two roads on the right.
At the next crossroads (post P129), turn right onto Rue de Poillange (route now shared with circuit no 16).
Then turn right up the rising road 5. Ignore a track on the right and take a left along a rocky path for about 400 m. Then enter a field on your left. Cross it to take, at its far side, a right along a path entering the bushes.
Arriving at a road (post P122), continue straight ahead, leaving trail no 16 on your left. At the crossroads, turn left and head towards the road.
Turn left at the road and, in about 300 metres, ignore on the right the climb up to the village of Orches. Continue straight ahead, passing between orchards to the right and vines to the left. At the junction, turn left and descend for 250 m to cross on the right the small wooden bridge and climb gradually through the copse among the boxwood. When the slope starts to level out, the path suddenly turns right, crosses an old wall, turns right again, still among the boxwood. The trail then runs along the edge of the cliff (slippery in wet weather), skirting the rocky outcrop (great view of the gorge on the right, a narrow, steep-sided slice out of the hill).
Continue on the lightly marked trail of Chaume du Château 6, along the edge of the cliff.
Arriving at a wide rocky path, turn right. Arriving at Croix de Choux A, continue straight along the grassy path lined with lime trees. (A shortcut allows you to return to Orches – see description at the end.)
After the benches and table, at the bend, continue left along the wide grassy path passing between a hedge of bushes for about 250 m, turn left on a vineyard road and continue straight ahead to the tarmac road. Turn right onto it, ignoring on both sides the roads into the vineyards.
At the crossroads, turn right. At the bend (careful when crossing), take the second road on the left, rising gradually (Chemin de la Cité).
Pass a vineyard.
At the top of the hill, at the crossroads (post P57), when Baubigny is in sight, turn left, still uphill. Pass below a vineyard. The trail then works its way into the boxwood and climbs gently for almost 1 km in the direction of a pine wood.
Before the wood, ignore the first road on the left, then at the woods themselves, turn left under the pines. The wide path then passes between two walls enclosing the château and comes out by its entrance 7. Turn right, leave the château car park to emerge onto the D111d, turn right past the panel for circuit no 18 D5 (post P103), continue climbing (post P104) ignoring a road and a path on either side to go down to Baubigny. At the crossroads, take a left on the D17. Go past the church 8 D4.
Ignore the side roads.

On leaving the village, by the newly restored wash-house (post P56), go up to the left along a rocky path 9. Pass post P105, continuing straight ahead. At the crossroads, at the foot of the cliffs, turn right, still climbing. Cross the former village of Dracy 10.
Ignore a path down to the right and continue to climb. Ignore on the right a path rising straight ahead and continue to climb for about 100 m. Turn right (post P55) to cross a hedge of brambles and follow the field edge to the orientation table. Pass close to it 11. Continue on the grassy path and then take the wide rocky path. When it turns slightly to the left (post P101), leave it and turn right on a small path into the thicket, with its slippery flagstones in wet weather. On reaching the road, turn right back to the car park.

Shortcut description
A At the Croix de Choux, turn right onto the little tarmac road. Pass near the tennis courts and the "Mille Club" D3 and continue straight ahead towards Évelle.
At the junction (stop), go up right past the château wall (Montagnes Bleues).
Arriving at the D17i, continue right, with the car park in 500 m.

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