Hiking from Vallorbe to Orbe on Foot.
Hiking from Vallorbe to Orbe is possible by following the foot path that goes along the River Orbe. If the river looks a little slow, and stagnant compared to what you would expect there is a simple reason. There is a hydroelectric dam that is slowing the flow of water. When I walked along it I noticed that there were logs and other debris floating. With the recent storms and rains they will need to remove debris from the water.
As you leave the city of Vallorbe you pass by the Iron and Railway Museum. From outside you can see a few of the [old waterwheels spinning fast], due to the speed of the flowing water. These wheels used to drive the iron forging hammers before wheels were used to generate electricity.
Viaduc du Day
The next point of interest on the walk is the Viaduc Du Day. Originally this was a lattice truss bridge from 1870 onwards before being upgraded to be a stone arch bridge between 1923-1925. Today TGV Lyria use the line to connect Paris and Lausanne.
Within a few minutes you arrive at the dam from which you have a nice view of the viaduc, as well as the empty stream bed behind the dam. The dam seemed lower than usual when we did this walk. It is possible to jump off of this bridge as a saut pendulaire on specific Tuesdays. I noticed that they had the specialist gear prepared for something like this when I walked across the bridge to see what views were available.
Saut Du Day
The next site along the way is the Saut du Day waterfall before walking by some fish farms and then crossing a bridge. The view from that bridge is nice. From this point the walk is more exposed to heights. You walk along a wall before joining hiking trails. At this point you go through several tunnels that have been carved out of the rocks to allow people to walk more easily. The tunnels are short so a head torch is not needed, although if you have one you can take the time to look at details.
The Unnamed Cave
Along the path we came across a cave/man made tunnel which I can’t find information about. It was a long corridor carved out of rock that went laterally in both directions. One side was flooded and harder to walk along and the other side was dry. I had head torches and I wanted to explore but none of the people I was with wanted to go further so I turned around.
I want to go back, and see more, with people who are comfortable exploring a cave system. All I saw during my exploration was a human made tunnel. There was a plaque on the wall but I couldn’t read what was written on it.
When you get to Les Clées you can stop for a coffee at the Auberge de La Croix-Blanche and a snack at the table nearby.
The walk from les Clées to Orbe is a little more exposed to heights so if you are not sure footed or comfortable with heights study contour maps and find an alternate route to the one I took. See the segment via the Switzerland Mobility map. The closer the lines are, the more vertical distance there is between the path and the river below.
Simplified
From Vallorbe you follow the 135 Sentier de la Jougnena and 5 Jura Crest Trail until after the dam, There is an intersection where you can follow the 135 back to Vallorbe but that is a 19km hike or follow the five to Ballaigue but that is the wrong way. You want to follow Trail 70, the Via Francigena towards Orbe.
And Finally
For the most part this is a forest and gorge walk with foot paths, wider dirt tracks and a few more exposed segments. Despite the rain the path, for the most part was dry and it is possible to avoid walking in mud and deep puddles. The path is occasionally slippery when wet. For this reason shoes with good grip are better. Hiking sticks help. Due to the exposure and duration this is a good hike for people with experience.