Circular mountain loop starting from Saint-Victor

Discover the village of Saint-Victor and its imposing neighbouring mountain.
The walk begins by following aGR® route but then takes you along steep, narrow paths leading up to the mountain’s near-summit.
I recommend this hike before the warm spring days, as some paths may prove almost impassable due to the sometimes dense vegetation.

Details

19823478
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 11.79 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 45 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 475 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 467 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 811 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 581 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Next to the cemetery, there is a car park where you can leave your vehicle.

(S/E) Leaving the car park, turn right and walk through the village following theGR®420route (marked in white and red) until you reach a crossroads.

(1) Stay on theGR® until you reach Chemin de la Bachole. Turn right towards a steep, narrow road leading onto a path.
Follow theGR®420markings until you reach a small road.

(2) From here, you should no longer follow theGR®420but the white and yellowPR® markings.
Then turn left and follow the main road until you reach Montplot.

(3) Turn slightly right and follow theGR®420for a few metres. At the next junction, turn left, leaving theGR®420behind once again.
Continue along the path to the next junction.

(4) Head along the path on the right, which is quite narrow and leafy. Continue along this path for a few hundred metres. It then becomes increasingly open. You will reach a small stone building in the hamlet of La Grioulet.

(5) Turn left, passing between the two buildings, then continue along the path. You will then come to a crossroads with several directions before the hamlet of Châtarain

(6) Turn right onto an uphill path.
After a few hairpin bends, the path becomes wider and wider. You will then reach a crossroads leading in several directions.

(7) Turn left and then right and continue along the path; you will then reach a fork where there is a metal cross.

(8) Continue left for about a hundred metres, then turn onto the small path on the right.
Ignore the small paths to the right and left until you reach a wider path.

(9) Turn right, then very quickly take a small sloping path on the left; here, take great care to ensure you take the correct path – you must leave the wide path.
Continue along this small path until you reach another wider path.

(10) Turn right onto it and take the first small path on the left as soon as you can.
From there, follow the path running alongside the small stream.
The vegetation here can be confusing, so make sure you keep track of the path.

(11) Turn right and stay on the main path. Cross a tiny stone bridge.
When you reach the next crossroads, turn right.
After a few hundred metres, turn right onto a tarmac road – this is the Chemin de la Maison Blanche.
Follow the road downhill until you spot a small path leading uphill.

(12) Once on the very narrow path, stay on it for about five hundred metres.
You should see the bell tower of Saint Victor’s church below, on the left.
At the end of this path is a metal cross marked with a V.
Continue a little further, cross the small road and carry on along a narrow path with low stone walls on either side. You’ll reach theGR® junction you passed on the way out.

(1) Turn left and follow theGR®420signposts until you return to the cemetery car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 610 m - Cemetery car park - Église Saint-Victor (Saint-Victor)
  2. 1 : km 0.43 - alt. 624 m - Crossroads of the circular loop
  3. 2 : km 1.2 - alt. 703 m - Tarmac road
  4. 3 : km 4.25 - alt. 785 m - Montplot, a cluster of houses
  5. 4 : km 4.8 - alt. 740 m - Passage onto a narrow path
  6. 5 : km 5.45 - alt. 713 m - Crossroads on the left
  7. 6 : km 6.1 - alt. 637 m - Crossroads, turn right
  8. 7 : km 6.98 - alt. 703 m - Crossroads
  9. 8 : km 7.3 - alt. 745 m - Crossroads, turn left
  10. 9 : km 8.17 - alt. 753 m - Crossroads, turn right
  11. 10 : km 8.84 - alt. 637 m - Crossroads, turn right
  12. 11 : km 9.39 - alt. 581 m - Crossroads, turn right / very wide path
  13. 12 : km 10.75 - alt. 617 m - Narrow path on the right - Église Saint-Victor (Saint-Victor)
  14. S/E : km 11.79 - alt. 610 m - Cemetery car park – Saint-Victor Church (Saint- - Église Saint-Victor (Saint-Victor)

Notes

I recommend this walk before the arrival of spring, as some paths may prove almost impassable due to the sometimes dense vegetation.
Wearing long trousers and sturdy shoes is recommended.

Worth a visit

(3) Montplot and its magnificent view of the village of Préaux
(12) View of the bell tower of Saint-Victor Church
(5) to (8) To your left, a possible view of the village of Préaux

Always be cautious and plan ahead when you're outdoors. Visorando and the author of this route cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurring on this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

Reviews and comments

3.9 / 5
Based on 10 reviews

Reliability of the description
3.7 / 5
Ease of following the route
3.8 / 5
Route interest
4.2 / 5
smiley26
smiley26

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 13, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk, but you really do need to follow the GPS track for the last section, as the path isn’t always easy to spot with the naked eye...

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Pascal07300
Pascal07300

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 11, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The section beyond Montplot, a beautifully restored hamlet (Le Grioulet, Chantelermuze), is wonderfully wild (except for the start, which is a 400-metre forest track newly laid in April 2026) and winds through the woods along the best of the existing paths. Note that without a GPS, it’s easy to get lost: there are lots of junctions, new and old tracks, and paths. But if you follow the GPX track, it’s spot on. Thanks for this route, which offers a change from the usual ones in the area.

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User 13494120

Overall rating : 2 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 08, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Fortunately, we had already done some hikes with Viso Rando because the route is very difficult to follow. The directions are
erratic.
The yellow and white markings are often missing, especially at crossroads
However, they are very clear in places where there are no difficulties (straight roads or paths where it is impossible to go wrong).
Only the GPS enabled us to return before nightfall!!!!!
Furthermore, the hike starts from the church car park and not the cemetery car park.
The starting point is on the right behind the church.
The GR signs are not visible in the village.

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pfr69
pfr69

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 11, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely route alternating between roads, wide paths, trails and woodland with a thick carpet of leaves at this time of year and a few slightly more technical sections. Some areas with overgrown vegetation or fallen trees. We mainly used the GPX track, to such an extent that we did the circular in reverse to the description, but in the end this allowed us to do the long downhill section towards the end and enjoy the view of the valley for longer.

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robert.marche
robert.marche

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 19, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

:The route must be lovely in good weather, as I did it in freezing fog. Lots of fallen trees. Between 5 and 6, a forestry vehicle has blocked the path. But thanks to the GPS, we managed to find our way back. A tricky stretch along the river. Lots of fallen trees. But I’ll do it again in fine weather.

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Max Albert
Max Albert

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 20, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant route, but there are issues with the route itself. Since it was first created, several tracks and forestry roads have been built, making it difficult to choose the right path at the many junctions and to spot the turnoffs onto smaller paths.
Without the GPX track, we would certainly have reached our destination, but not via the intended route. For this interesting route, it would be useful to amend the description of the second section, in the forest, to make it clearer.

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philkikou
philkikou

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 13, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Thanks for the route description. At point 4, I didn’t take the right path (broom, brambles); I had the impression that the right path was a gully carved out by the water. At point 10, I didn’t follow the stream but, 10 metres further on, there was a lovely winding path that joined the main track. Finished off by visiting the campsite, took the campsite/village path (oak leaf logo) and stopped at the orientation table, which is well worth a visit.

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Réré Anonyme
Réré Anonyme

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 11, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk in our beautiful Ardèche!
However, there are a few sections on tarmac, and between km 11 and 12, a Patou, a Beauceron and a German Shepherd are on the lookout. Pass by bravely and quickly!
We highly recommend this lovely walk, which offers a wide variety of landscapes and magnificent views.
Small streams make up the big ones!

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catalon g
catalon g

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 02, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Very busy route : No

The walk begins with a 4 km stretch along the road, with few views and a couple of pleasant sections through the woods. Not particularly interesting.
G. Catalon

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pallandre chantal
pallandre chantal

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 15, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

The route is clearly described; from time to time, the author points out sections of the route that are already signposted, which is helpful. The walk is punctuated by beautiful panoramic views and stretches through the heart of the forest. There’s a bit too much road at times, but it’s probably difficult to avoid that.

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