La Grande traversée du Jura à ski de fond - GTJ à ski de fond

Ski touring in the Jura in winter means immersing yourself in Nordic countries. Along the 185 km long Grande traversée du Jura cross-country ski trail, you'll find the very essence of nature and Nordic ski culture. The history of the GTJ began in 1978 with the desire to link the villages of the Jura Mountains. It is the big sister of the other GTJs. It is located on the highest slopes of the massif. From Villers-le-Lac in the Doubs to Giron in the Ain, it meanders deftly between combes and cluses. When the snow dresses the landscape in white and softens the relief, the GTJ?s groomed and marked trails take you along the Jura crescent. To the north, the trail sometimes crosses the Swiss border before reaching the highest village in the Doubs, Les Fourgs. A little further on, your efforts to climb Mont d?Or will be rewarded by the wild landscapes that reveal themselves. The trail is reserved exclusively for GTJ touring hikers up to Mouthe. Beyond this point, it passes above 1,100 m altitude, and remains so until Giron. The terrain is varied, the climate harsh. The Combe des Cives is the gateway to the "mecca of cross-country skiing": Chapelle-des-Bois. An open space before the Risoux and Massacre forests, this area retains only the frost and ice flowers of the Jura?s rich flora. The numerous and varied fauna will be harder to spot than in summer. The fox may cross the path of the itinerant hiker, the lynx more rarely, but all are close by. Nature, which will give its best and show all its richness to the hiker, is fragile and deserves the respect of those who discover it. In Lajoux, the forest gives way to the magnificent territory of the Hautes-Combes, with its majestic view of the Crêtes du Jura, and deserves to be enjoyed by contemplative skiers. Let silence accompany your journey, and you'll be all the more impressed by the architectural, natural and geographical features you discover. Doing the GTJ on cross-country skis means experiencing an unforgettable adventure for a week or more, punctuated by stopovers in member accommodations that the association has referenced for hikers. They'll be happy to give you all the information you need about the trail, the weather and anything else you need to make the most of your stay.