Balcony of the Sources of the Drôme

Starting from the hamlet of La Bâtie-des-Fonds and the sources of the Drôme via cross-country paths, you reach an enchanting ridge. The route winds between Drôme and Hautes-Alpes, offering a 360° panorama with views of Le Duffre, Le Dévoluy and, in the distance, Le Vercors, Les Écrins and the Lure mountain.

Details

543844
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 11.63 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 5h 05 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 602 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 601 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 1,555 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 1,022 m

Photos

Description of the walk

The starting point is at the hamlet of La Bâtie-des-Fonds. Park near the town hall.

(S/E) Head west towards Valdrôme, cross the bridge and take the small road to Chamel on the right. Follow the road up to the start of a farm track on the right, at an altitude of 1074m.

(1) Follow this road, passing a field on your right, then join a second field. Find the start of the trail at the upper corner of this field (the start of the trail is unclear, unmarked and in places overgrown with vegetation). The trail starts off heading north-east and then turns north-north-west. Join a track at a hairpin bend.

(2) Descend the track on the left towards the north-north-west to join the tarmac road leading to the hamlet of Chamel

(3) At the tarmac road, continue west along a track with an old marker (yellow triangle) at the start. This poorly marked shortcut takes you downhill to a hairpin bend on the tarmac road to Chamel.

(4) Do not take the tarmac road but follow the track north. At the fork, turn left, go around the Béal de la Ferrière and walk along a meadow on your right. At the corner with a second track, head north-west to reach the hamlet of Chamel via a path (which was being cleared on the day of the hike).

(5) For this less steep route, pass between the buildings and follow a yellow-marked track west-northwest. Pass the Ruisseau du Freyssinet stream, then, at the end of the right-hand bend, turn right and follow the track to its intersection with a forest road.

(6) Follow the track eastwards then north-eastwards. After the junction with the path leading directly up from Chamel, leave the track at a hairpin bend.

(7) A good path, marked in yellow, climbs northwards to reach a small pass on the ridge at an altitude of 1,490 metres.

(8) From the small pass, head south-east towards the ridge line, following old markings that are not always clearly visible. The trail enters the undergrowth and arrives at a rocky outcrop.
This tricky passage is not difficult but requires a little attention and the use of your hands to reach an altitude of 1574m.
From the summit, follow the ridge line south-east, enjoying the 360° panorama.

(9) Near the route, it is possible to make a round trip to the summit of Roc de la Tour (1414m) to admire the view. Continue to the junction with a track, which marks the end of the ridge trail.

(10) Take this road on the right and head south. At the first junction, continue left, then at the hairpin bend, continue right. Pass the next hairpin bend, leave a turning on the right and join a grassy track on the right, about 50m before the D106 (Côte du Four).

(11) Turn right onto the grassy track running parallel to the D106. At the hairpin bend in the road, the track heads north-west into a small valley to reach La Bâtie-des-Fonds.

(12) In the village, cross the D106 and turn left onto the Sources de la Drôme leisure park, then return to the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 1,027 m - Town hall of La Bâtie-des-Fonds - Drôme
  2. 1 : km 0.54 - alt. 1,069 m - Côte 1074m start of the random trail
  3. 2 : km 1.41 - alt. 1,205 m - Track suitable for vehicles
  4. 3 : km 1.79 - alt. 1,171 m - Random shortcut
  5. 4 : km 1.92 - alt. 1,142 m - Intersection of tarmac road and track
  6. 5 : km 2.41 - alt. 1,211 m - Hamlet of Chamel
  7. 6 : km 3.75 - alt. 1,256 m - Intersection of grassy track and carriageway
  8. 7 : km 4.78 - alt. 1,337 m - Yellow marked trail
  9. 8 : km 5.62 - alt. 1,494 m - Small pass, elevation 1490m
  10. 9 : km 7.97 - alt. 1,393 m - Roc de la Tour
  11. 10 : km 8.66 - alt. 1,319 m - Intersection of the ridge line and the track
  12. 11 : km 9.95 - alt. 1,231 m - Côte du Four
  13. 12 : km 11.49 - alt. 1,028 m - D106, cross and then turn left
  14. S/E : km 11.63 - alt. 1,027 m - Town hall of La Bâtie-des-Fonds

Notes

Water at the start.
To avoid following the tarmac road for too long, the paths used, although shown on the map, are not always easy to follow on the ground and are obstructed by vegetation in places, but they are still passable.
The rocky outcrop can be slippery in wet weather, as can parts of the ridge and the Roc de la Tour.

Variants:

(3) It is possible to reach the hamlet directly by going up the road.

(5) From the hamlet of Chamel, it is possible to head north and join the track before the point (7).

Worth a visit

The history of the village destroyed in 1935, the town hall and its sundial.
The development of the Sources de la Drôme site.

Reviews and comments

4 / 5
Based on 18 reviews

Reliability of the description
3.8 / 5
Ease of following the route
3.7 / 5
Route interest
4.6 / 5
oratio
oratio

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 19, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A superb hike completed in July 2023 and repeated in mid-May 2025. Very few people (no one encountered on either occasion) and nature is reclaiming the single-track trails, which have become "wild" again, just as I like them. There are a few faint traces of markings, so GPS navigation is essential
At point 3, you must go directly to point 5 via the road. Sections 3-4 and 4-5 are uninteresting and there is private property and fencing. Instead, at point 9, you must make the round trip up Roc de la Tour to admire the view to the west.
There are a few slightly "technical" passages where you need to be careful on the ridge line.
What a reward for the eyes up there on the long ridge with one foot in the Drôme and the other in the Hautes-Alpes and this almost 360° N-E-S panorama.
The return journey follows a simple route, mostly along forest paths.
The gradient is quite steep in places, both uphill and downhill, so walking poles are useful
Not worth doing in grey weather and best avoided when the ground is wet, but SUBLIME in clear, fog-free and sunny weather.
Note: there are few parking spaces near the town hall, so do not plan a hike with a group of 20 people.

Machine-translated

Richermi05
Richermi05

I posted this hike in 2017 and have never done it again! I sincerely believe that it can be problematic, but before setting off, it would be a good idea to read the reviews of the various participants. One of them recommends using a GPS, as the route on the website is already seven years old and may no longer be very reliable. I'm sorry and it's a shame for you because at the time, the ridge offered beautiful scenery.

Machine-translated

Candy26
Candy26

Overall rating : 1.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 19, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Route interest : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Very busy route : No

No signposts. Lack of information after the bridge to find the trail.

Machine-translated

26470MCS
26470MCS

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 05, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

This walk is impossible without a GPS. It's like a treasure hunt.
A truly superb walk along the ridges

Machine-translated

catche
catche

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 31, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

One of the most beautiful hikes I have ever done.
Exceptional views.
After starting the route at the beginning, we were forced to return to the road. It was impossible to find any tracks. We rejoined the route at number 3.
The explanations and trail markers for the rest of the route are very reliable. There are no yellow trail markers.

Machine-translated

DENIS 42
DENIS 42

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 01, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

AT FIRST WE SEARCHED FOR A LONG TIME WITHOUT FINDING THE TRAIL THAT AVOIDS THE ROAD, SO WE WENT UP THE ROAD TO HAMEU DE CHAMEL, AFTER THAT NO PROBLEMS
A superb hike with unique panoramic views: Grand Veymon, Mont Aiguille, Le Devolu, La Jarjatte, the Ceüse plateau...

Machine-translated

Kainigou
Kainigou

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 01, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

It is impossible to start the hike without being attached to your GPS. The existing path is too overgrown between (1) and (2).
Be careful! At point (7), the path is crossed by an electric fence that you have to climb over, and there is another one near (8). On the path to point (8), we were stopped by a sheepdog guarding its flock! We had to turn back and cross another fence east of (8), along the forest path.
After these mishaps, the path along the ridge is simply magnificent and well worth the effort!

Machine-translated

berbard k
berbard k

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 29, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike in the mid-mountains.
The initial section through the undergrowth is like a treasure hunt, but we were warned that "the vegetation is not maintained"!
On the ridges, the 360° view is magnificent, taking in Les Ecrins, the Hautes Alpes, Mont Ventoux and the Drôme slopes...
No major difficulties, best done in good weather.

Machine-translated

Eric04
Eric04

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 26, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant walk, but I would strongly recommend using GPS between points 1 and 2. We couldn't find the path at point 3 either, so we followed the road to Chamel. We then followed the track as indicated between 5 and 7 and regretted not taking the direct path north of Chamel, as the track is rather uninteresting.
The magnificent Crete makes the walk worthwhile. We had no trouble getting back to the car park, again with the help of GPS, which is not essential but useful in this part of the route.
Thank you for this hike.

Machine-translated

momoe2673
momoe2673

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 23, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

We only completed part of the hike due to lack of time.
We only went as far as the top of the hamlet of Chamel, where the view is very beautiful.
To be done again another time.
MOMOE

Machine-translated

devillers
devillers

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 21, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The view from the ridges is very beautiful.
A few comments:
- The path indicated at the start of the hike near the farm fields at (1) is very overgrown: you need a billhook, machete and three hours of clearing to make it passable again. After that, we did not try to follow the trail indicated at (3) - which we could not find - and followed the road to the hamlet of Chamel.
- From Chamel, for those who prefer trails and want to avoid a slightly long section of track (which does, however, make the slope less steep), it is better to take the trail that heads due north and is marked on the map (we found it further up when it joined the track and it seemed very nice, more so than the track).

Machine-translated

Eva26
Eva26

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 02, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Superb hike! On the ridge, you have a breathtaking 360° view all around you. We loved it!

Machine-translated

The user account associated with this content has been deleted.

bonnemarche
bonnemarche

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 24, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A pleasant hike in grey weather
At the start, I opted for the road to reach the hamlet of CHAMEL rather than the trails, which were difficult to find in the description. The ridges should be avoided in rainy weather (risk of slipping)

Machine-translated

Sylvie.F
Sylvie.F

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 16, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A very beautiful, gently sloping hike – 2 km along the ridge with superb 360° views. The start of the trail is not very well marked and without a GPS it is probably very difficult not to get lost. On the way back, don't miss the short trail through the woods at La Bâtie des Fonds, which explains why the old village sank.

Machine-translated

Other walks in the area

For more walks, use our search engine .

The GPS track and description are the property of this route's author. Please do not copy them without permission.