Wild balcony at Cordéac

Wild balcony above the village. Start gently on the Sentier des Pavés, then turn off towards the Ruisseau de Chalanne. This is where a small, very wild path begins, often in poor condition due to bad weather. The hike ends at the Bois du Permay and then Pierre Grosse.

Details

90214977
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 5.20 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 05 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Difficult

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 1,955 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 1,936 ft

  • ▲
    Highest point: 4,452 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 2,920 ft

Photos

Description of the walk

Park at the Cordéac cemetery. Another car park is available at (3).

(S/E) Walk past Saint-Martin Church, then past the primary school, ignore Impasse du Ruisseau on your left and join Route de Chalanne (D66) not far from the town hall. Take the D66 on your left for about 50 metres, then turn right. Reach the junction with Chemin des Guions, at no. 622.

(1) Take the street on the left, pass the bread oven and continue to the Fossés crossroads, located right next to a ford on the Ruisseau de Chalanne.

(2) Continue to the right without crossing the stream and arrive at the car park, which can be used as a possible starting point.

(3) Continue along the path, which narrows. You will reach the water source.

(4) Begin the climb on the Sentier des Pavés, which winds its way up a series of very tight hairpin bends before joining a wider path.

(5) Turn left and follow a small path that crosses a scree slope further on and joins the Ruisseau de Chalanne.

(6) Cross the ford and, in the forest, take a balcony-like passageway that is somewhat reminiscent of high mountains. Join a wider path.

(7) Continue straight ahead. You will reach a fork with a path on the left leading to a hut.

(8) Ignore it and continue straight ahead. Walk for about 150 m to reach a crossroads. Turn left and keep an eye out for the start of a small path on the left: this is a tricky junction.

(9) Follow it along several bends and you will come out onto a forest track.

(10) Head right and follow the track for about 500 m.

(11) Leave the track and turn left. Reach the Pierre Grosse crossroads and continue on the left. Leave the undergrowth and come out onto a wider path.

(12) Turn left, cross the ford over the Ruisseau de Chalanne and, just after, you will come to the crossroads you passed on the way there.

(2) Turn right and retrace your steps to return to the cemetery car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 2,927 ft - Cemetery car park - Four à pain des Guions
  2. 1 : mi 0.34 - alt. 3,005 ft - Chemin des Guions
  3. 2 : mi 0.49 - alt. 3,107 ft - Les Fossés, straight ahead
  4. 3 : mi 0.81 - alt. 3,287 ft - Possible parking
  5. 4 : mi 1.34 - alt. 3,878 ft - Sentier des Pavés
  6. 5 : mi 1.64 - alt. 4,163 ft - Crossroads, on the left.
  7. 6 : mi 1.94 - alt. 4,157 ft - Crossing the Chalanne.
  8. 7 : mi 2.3 - alt. 4,393 ft - Crossroads, straight ahead.
  9. 8 : mi 2.82 - alt. 4,127 ft - Trail junction to the hut, straight ahead.
  10. 9 : mi 2.99 - alt. 4,219 ft - Tricky junction, path on the left.
  11. 10 : mi 3.3 - alt. 3,875 ft - Forest track.
  12. 11 : mi 3.64 - alt. 3,661 ft - Leave the track on the left.
  13. 12 : mi 4.45 - alt. 3,100 ft - Crossroads, on the left.
  14. S/E : mi 5.2 - alt. 2,927 ft - Cemetery car park - Four à pain des Guions

Notes

The upper trail is sometimes washed away by bad weather.

Use of GPS or a map is strongly recommended to find the small path at point (9).

Worth a visit

A touch of high mountain air on the balcony trail.

(4) The Cobbled Path.

The Guions wood-fired oven.

Reviews and comments

3.7 / 5
Based on 1 review

Reliability of the description
4 / 5
Ease of following the route
4 / 5
Route interest
3 / 5
rochefendue
rochefendue
• Edited:

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 28, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

This hike is suitable for 3 to 4 people, but is strongly not recommended for a group. There are two tricky sections between points 6 and 8.

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