Roche Rousse viewpoint

de fr

This walk leads to the top of the Roche Rousse cliff and offers a lovely view over Châteauroux and the Durance and Rabioux valleys.

The Roche Rousse viewpoint is reached via a shaded, gentle path that allows you to gain height easily... ideal for a ‘landscape appreciation’ break on arrival!

Details

n°35003922
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 3.44 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 1h 35 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 204 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 203 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 1,346 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 1,134 m
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Photos

The Roche Rousse rock face
Panoramic view from the viewpoint

Description of the walk

Take the small path that climbs to the left at the first houses, then turn right towards St Étienne.

(S/E) Car park at the Roche Rousse climbing site, Châteauroux-les-Alpes

(1) Walk up the road for 300m.

(2) A little further up, join the road that crosses the hamlet and follow it for 150 m.

(3) Take the old mule track to the left at the signpost. Just before reaching the small treeless plateau, take the path to the left (yellow markings) to reach Roche Rousse after two small hairpin bends.

(4) The viewpoint is reached after a gentle descent to clear the trees. Take the same path back to the car park. (S/E)

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 1,142 m
  2. 1 : km 0.35 - alt. 1,171 m
  3. 2 : km 0.54 - alt. 1,195 m
  4. 3 : km 0.74 - alt. 1,214 m
  5. 4 : km 1.71 - alt. 1,342 m
  6. S/E : km 3.43 - alt. 1,143 m

Notes

Access:
From the village of Châteauroux, head up to the hamlet of St Marcellin and follow signs for St Etienne. Park at the Roche Rousse climbing site.

Car park:
Car park at the Roche Rousse climbing site, Châteauroux-les-Alpes

Tips:
There are no guardrails, so please ensure young children are supervised at all times.

Worth a visit

Common juniper
Capable of living for up to 400 years, this shrub takes on a prostrate form and may even creep along the ground when it reaches its upper altitude limit. Further down, it takes on a rigid, stately form. Its very prickly needles grow in clusters of three. Its purple, fleshy berries, borne only by female plants, make it easily recognisable. They are used as a herb for their digestive properties.

Sabine juniper
The sabine juniper, a spreading shrub with a dark, matt green colour, is covered not with thorns but with smooth, fleshy scales. Do not pick its berries which, although they resemble those of the common juniper, are poisonous and can cause haemorrhaging.

The Roche Rousse viewpoint
On the other side of the Durance, the view from left to right takes in the Pics du Clocher, St André, Mont Orel, Le Pouzenc, Le Morgon, amongst others, and below, the village of Châteauroux. The mountains above are Mt Guillaume, L’Hivernet, Soleil Boeuf and the Rabioux valley with the Col des Tourettes, of which only one of the two ‘tourettes’ is visible.

Incense juniper
Clinging firmly to the rock face, this grey-green tree with its gnarled trunk defies the laws of gravity. It withstands the scorching sun, the wind and very low winter temperatures. It gives off a pleasant scent due to the essential oils contained in its small, scale-like leaves.

Reviews and comments

4.5 / 5
Based on 4 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.5 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.5 / 5
Route interest
4.5 / 5
manapani51
manapani51

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 24, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A short but pleasant walk, with the promise of a stunning view at the top.

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David aka anapala
David aka anapala

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 06, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Thank you very much for the very nice hiking suggestion, which was accessible and, as described, offered an exciting panoramic view.
As for the route, you need to be careful 5-10 minutes before you arrive. On the way up, the path and the trail leading to the destination are not very visible. We ended up following a path uphill for 5 minutes that was not part of the route and led us first to a very pretty clearing and then to a canal that appears on the IGN map. We turned back and saw the yellow trail on the way down, which led us to the top of Roche Rousse where we enjoyed the scenery.
A very nice hike for those who like to contemplate and a great spot for those who enjoy reading in front of a magnificent panorama.

Alternative route: We set off from the village square in Châteauroux-Les-Alpes, which allowed us to follow the GR trail up to the pretty hamlet of Saint Marcellin, which is well worth a leisurely stroll. We then left the GR on our right and took the road that climbs up to the hamlet of Saint-Etienne, where we joined the car park for the climbing site, which is the start of the proposed route.
It took us 2 hours and 20 minutes to complete the route via this alternative route, walking at a leisurely pace and wandering through the hamlet of Saint-Marcellin (including 30 minutes from Châteauroux to the start of the route).
You should add an additional 100 to 150 metres of elevation gain.

In any case, thank you for this short and very beautiful walk, which was very well described and which I will certainly do again.

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jp11
jp11

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 04, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

The appeal of this short walk is the beautiful views from the viewpoint. But don't get your hopes up: the heat is such that the views are very hazy and disappointing.
Two minor issues: the car park at the climbing site is not very good. It's better to park after the first few houses and walk back down to 1. On the way back, continue along the road to find your car without going back up. Take a detour to visit the chapel, which is open. The numbers on the description sheet are not the same as those on the GPS track.

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Lafalla
Lafalla

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 13, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant little walk with a lovely view at the end. On the way back, to make a circular route, we found a small, barely marked path on the right that led to the chapel and back to the starting point.

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