The Black Wood snowshoe circuit

The start of the trail is located at the toboggan run to the right of the snow front. Pass between the Bézou gondola departure hut and the Ley gondola arrival hut, which connects to the Ley car park. When you reach the toboggan run, go up it on the right, against the safety net. A little further on, the trail goes off to the right to enter the forest. The undergrowth trail starts shortly after. To reach point 1, do not go back up the La Balade trail behind the La Boule de Neige hotel, and do not take the access that leads to the daycare. The circulation of pedestrians or snowshoers on the trails, outside the defined areas, is prohibited by municipal decree.

After point 1, the path, initially flat or slightly uphill, crosses a first forest area. Here begins the Bois Noir. This is the area of ​​the beech-fir forest, which gives this forest its dark character. After a few bends, the route opens up a little higher onto the La Balade trail. Stay well to the right, along the edge, until the safety net that protects the Bois Noir bend. At the end of the net, the route turns off to the right to enter the forest. Do not follow the horizontal track, but continue by taking the wide path that goes up to enter the forest. The latter continues in a winding path through the Bois Noir. You enter the large Bois Noir forest, a quiet area for the Capercaillie. Be careful of disturbances that may disturb the wildlife (shouting, music, etc. are to be avoided, thank you).

The trail winds through the vast forest, where you can observe numerous tracks and signs of animal presence. This is the domain of the Western Capercaillie, more commonly known as the Wood Grouse. This protected species is a strong indicator of the forest's health and biodiversity. The most frequent tracks belong to an animal well-known to all: the fox. On old tree trunks with stripped bark, you can make out, if you look closely, the pecks of the Black Woodpecker. It is the largest of the woodpecker family. It has a very powerful beak, which allows it to strip bark from tree trunks in search of the larvae it feeds on. A little further up, the trail levels out as it leads to a small clearing. You have arrived at the pond, which borders the La Balade ski slope. Please be careful, as the snow-covered pond remains a habitat and should be respected; please do not walk on this area. At this point, you have the option of continuing the route to reach the mountain restaurant Le Cairn. This connection is marked and classified as difficult. After a short section through the woods, the route follows part of the La Balade ski slope before soon reaching a steep section that climbs back up below Le Cairn. CAUTION: Stay within the designated walking corridor on the outer edge of the La Balade ski slope. As a reminder, snowshoeing is prohibited on the ski slopes by municipal decree.