RANDONNEE PEDESTRE - MASSIF DE LA MADELEINE - M3

Circuit M3: Chemin de la Hache / Carrière de la Biche / Roche de la Biche / Tête de la Biche / Solitude / chemin des Diligences / chemin de la Hache. ( Ref. map IGN Top 25 3617 ET). Markings : Red, yellow and green cross, then blue easel and finally red cross. Duration: about 3 hours. Good walking shoes recommended. Departure : Saint-Dié-des-Vosges, follow the rue de la Bolle (N 420 towards Épinal) as far as the faubourg des Tiges and, at the crow's feet, turn right onto the D 82 towards Herbaville and Nompatelize for about 1.5 km, as far as the junction of the Chemin de la Hache going up on the left in a curve (signpost planted in the embankment of a private road). Follow this road, excellent for 300 m and bad for 100 m, and you arrive at the crossroads of the Manufacture where you stop and park the car properly. Now, on foot, continue the "chemin de la Hache", marked with a red cross, in the direction of Carrière de la Biche, for about 1 km until you reach the crossroads of the Carrière. Then take the left path, still marked with a red cross, then 500 m further on the right path which winds up to the Carrière de la Biche (alt. 580 m). This former disused quarry is used as a training wall for climbing (see pitons). Continue on the path, still marked with the red cross, passing in front of the quarry, then 300 m further on you will reach the climb which in a good quarter of an hour takes you to the Biche rock (alt. 625 m), an enormous sandstone boulder from where the view is magnificent. Then join the Tête de la Biche and, still by the red cross path, which now runs on a ridge, reach the Solitude (alt. 637 m) in 20 minutes. Then take the yellow cross path on the right and reach the Solitude (alt. 632 m) in 10 minutes by the chemin de l'écureuil (squirrel path) and go down on the right the chemin des Diligences marked out with the green cross (old road linking Rambervillers to Saales) in the direction of the chemin de la Hache which you reach in 10 minutes. All you have to do now is to go down on the right towards Saint-Dié-des-Vosges this forest road for about 1.8 km, marked first with a blue easel and then a red cross until you reach the crossroads of the Manufacture. This path passes just under the Biche quarry and crosses the route of the old funicular by which the quarrymen used to bring down the blocks of pink sandstone that contributed so much to the charm of the houses of the old Saint-Dié-des-Vosges. All you have to do is get back in the car and drive down the 100 m of bad road thinking that if you were in a stagecoach you would be even more shaken up!