Lake Lod of Antey, from the Bourg d'Antey

Introduction

A pleasant little lake that can also be reached by car located above the village of Antey-Saint-André.

Description

Leaving the car in the forecourt of the Antey-Saint-André sports centre, follow the dirt road that runs alongside it as far as the concrete construction of the aqueduct. Turn right and continue along the track. After a few ups and downs between the forest and the meadows, you reach a clear spring that flows into a small puddle of water below the road, rich in watercress and bordered by reeds. Walk up the steep slope at the foot of the Calvaire crags to the cemetery, go around it on the left and continue along the track that crosses the meadows dotted with apple trees to the beginning of the path that branches off to the right, just before a concrete aqueduct basin. Pass the oratory of the hamlet of Avout and continue uphill until reaching the tarmac road leading to the village of Herin. Follow it until you come to an opening on the old path that cuts across the Calvaire hairpin bend. Once you reach the asphalt road again, continue the long ascent on the municipal road facing south-west, in full sunlight, until you reach the start of the mule track to Herin (markings 107, 105 and 4), which branches off steeply to the right immediately after a hairpin bend. It climbs steadily uphill, past a small scrub of cherry and ash trees, the little church of La Magdeleine can be glimpsed in the distance, with the Tantané in the background. On the right, in the middle of the forest, is the Herin siphon pipeline, which carries water from the Maen hydroelectric power station to the Covalou power station. When you reach the village of Herin, take the path to the right, following trail marker 105, and pass under a characteristic farmhouse with a wooden part hanging over the path. The neighbouring building, unfortunately abandoned, has a fresco dated 1883 on its south façade dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The path continues almost level across the meadows until it reaches the old mill outside which the old larch wood pipes are still visible. It climbs for a short distance, then after a right-hand bend, descends again until it reaches the small bridge that crosses the stream. Just above the path are the intake works that convey the excess water that descends from the La Magdeleine valley to the Covalou hydroelectric power station. Climb up along the tractor track until you find the path that tears off to the right, near a stream that you cross immediately afterwards. One ascends a landslide slope on a characteristic little bridge built with rough logs from the surrounding coniferous forest. At the end of the small bridge, Monte Miracolo can be glimpsed among the trees. When you reach the crossroads, turn right and follow trail marker 105; the level path widens out to become a tractor-track that after a few minutes leads to the small playground with a view of Lake Lod. The descent follows the same route as the ascent. Lake Lod is a basin of glacial origin that gave its name to the small hamlet located nearby. It plays an important role from a naturalistic point of view because it is the natural home of various botanical species. The most common is the marsh reed, which is abundant around its shores. Along the shores of the lake, one can also encounter other less common species, which are unfortunately on the verge of extinction.