Skiing in the Jura in winter means immersing yourself in the Nordic countries. Along the 185 km of the Great crossing of the Jura on cross-country skis, everything smacks of nature and the culture of Nordic skiing. The story of this GTJ began in 1978 with the desire to connect the villages of the Jura Mountains with each other. It is the big sister of the other GTJs. It is located on the highest reliefs of the massif. From Villers-le-Lac in the Doubs to Giron in the Ain, it winds skillfully between combes and cluses. When the snow dresses the landscape in whiteness and softens the relief, the groomed and marked trails of the GTJ take you along the Jura crescent. To the north, the track sometimes crosses the Swiss border before reaching the highest village in the Doubs, Les Fourgs. A little further on, the effort made to climb Mont d'Or will be rewarded by the wild landscapes that unfold. The track is exclusively reserved for itinerant hikers from the GTJ to Mouthe. Beyond, it passes above 1 m altitude and will remain so until Giron. The relief is varied, the climate harsh.

The Combe des Cives is the gateway to “the mecca of cross-country skiing”: Chapelle-des-Bois. Open space before the forest of Risoux then that of the Massacre, this sector retains of the richness of the Jura flora only the flowers of frost and ice. The numerous and varied fauna will be more difficult to see than in summer. The fox may cross the path of the itinerant hiker, the lynx more rarely, but all are nearby. Nature, which will give the best of itself 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 Hautes-Combes with its majestic view of the Crêtes du Jura and deserves to be a contemplative skier. Let silence accompany the journey and the discovery of architectural, natural or geographical particularities will only be stronger. Doing the GTJ on cross-country skiing means living an unforgettable adventure for a week or more, punctuated by stops in member accommodation that the association has listed for hikers. They will be able to inform the traveler about the track, the weather and all other useful information for the smooth running of the stay.

Find the practicability of the route on thesnow information

North end

Le Meix-Musy (Villers-le-Lac, Doubs)

South end

Giron (Ain)

Minimum altitudes and max.

↓ 906m ↑ 1m

Elevation

4 200 m

Average distance per stage

20 to 30 km

Period

Christmas holidays → March 25 depending on snow conditions

Le Meix-Musy ↔️ Giron