Sainte-Croix-en-Jarez circular route, Couzon reservoir, Le Chirat Rochat

By car: coming from Rive de Gier via the D30, cross the cobbled square, passing in front of the two priory towers. Leave the D30 towards Pélussin and use the car park opposite for all vehicles, avoiding the one reserved for residents. Opposite a staircase leading up a hill, leave the visitors’ car park on the first street on the right. Continue for 30 m and turn right onto Route de Seyoux, following it for 50 m, to park in the car park for hikers and visitors.

(S/E) Follow the Route de Seyoux uphill to the right, then, after about 1.5 km, reach a level section leading to a junction with a dirt track.

(1) At the sign, leave the road. Continue along the often muddy track. After about 250 m, turn left onto a path that becomes rocky as it descends. After a left-hand bend, where the slope levels out, it joins Route de Sayoux. Follow it to the right and cross the bridge.

(2) At the sign, head back up the road. Just at the entrance to Sayoux, leave the road and its markings. Turn right onto a street marked with a cross. After 100 m, there is a junction with a dirt track on the right.

(3) Ignore the road opposite and head down the track, following the sign for Les barrages. At the fork 30 m further on, ignore the track opposite and turn right. A few stony hairpin bends further down, follow the Ruisseau Couzon along the left bank. Following a major flood, the small concrete footbridge was washed away and, at this point, the path follows the top of the bank. Reach the end of the small dam’s reservoir. Continue along the left bank of Lac du Couzon. Ignore the road to the right over the dam and take the one to the left

(4) At the signpost, continue along the road towards Seyoux. Leave it 100 m further on and continue right along the Route du Sorbier, which climbs via a hairpin bend. Pass under the high-voltage power lines and, after 500 m, reach a crossroads (elevation 410 m). Leave the road, turn left and then, 20 m further on, right onto a path with a double electricity pole marked with cycle route signage, and head towards the hamlet of Granay.

(5) At the signpost, turn left towards La Croix du Cerisier, ignoring the side paths. Climb to an altitude of 560 m (south-south-west), passing under the high-voltage power lines again, then descend (south-south-east) to the La Croix du Cerisier junction (elevation 535 m).

(6) At the La Croix du Cerisier signpost, take the steep climb opposite towards Neufond / Croix du Mazet.

(7) At the Neufond signpost (elevation 661 m), continue straight on towards La Croix du Mazet for about 1.3 km until you reach a fork in the descent (elevation 669 m).

(8) At the signpost, ignore the right and left branches and continue along the path which turns left towards Croix du Mazet (elevation 650).

(9) Cross the D7 with care and continue straight ahead, veering slightly left towards the Croix de Montvieux along the steep, rocky path, ignoring the side paths. Once in the woods, the path levels out and becomes a sunken track, often muddy. After about 1.5 km, leave the woods, turn left and reach a crossroads.

(10) Ignore the paths to the right and left and continue along the track towards the Croix de Montvieux. Cross the D62 with care

(11) At the sign, continue along the road opposite towards Collet de Doizieux. After 30 m, ignore the road on the left. Another 250 m further on, at the fork in the hamlet of Le Châtelard, leave the road and take the lane on the left for about 300 m until you reach a junction (elevation 853).

(12) At the signpost, follow the sign for Collet de Doizieux to the right, heading up a stony track. At an altitude of 970 m, ignore a grassy, overgrown path on the left (shown on the OpenStreetMap but not on the IGN map). Continue straight on until you reach a right-hand bend (elevation 1000 m).

(13) Leave the track and take the wide dirt path that heads left in the opposite direction. After 400 m, reach a junction (alt. 1020 m). Ignore the path overgrown with vegetation opposite and the one descending to the left. Take the path ascending to the right (south) through dense woodland. At the top, at an altitude of 1045 m, turn left onto a path leading to the summit of Chirat Rochat, marked by a cairn (elevation 1047).

(14) Retrace your steps until you are 2 or 3 m past the edge of the woodland on the left (south). Enter the woodland by following a track through the grass and, after about ten metres, join a well-marked path and carefully follow it straight down the slope to reach a less steep path.

(15) Follow this down to the right (south-west) for about 500 m to reach a forest track diagonally across. Cross it and follow a path down the opposite side which, 100 m further on, meets another forest track.

(16) Follow it to the left (east). Along this stretch of about one kilometre, ignore the side paths and keep heading in the same direction to reach a fork (alt. 795 m).

(17) Ignore the path on the left. Descend the steep path on the right and join a wide, level track.

(18) Follow it to the left (north) for 200 m to reach a fork (elevation 802 m).

(19) At the signpost, take the path on the right (the sign has disappeared) for about 500 m before passing a path on the right and, just after that, reaching a junction (elevation 780 m).

(20) Leave the wide path on your left. Continue straight ahead, northwards, along the sunken track that winds down the slope and join a road at a place called l’Eau-qui-bruit.

(21) Follow it up to the left (north-west) for about a kilometre. After a long straight stretch, just before a right-hand bend, a wide, level dirt track appears on the right, running alongside a stone wall.

(22) Leave the road and turn right onto this flat track which, 400 m further on, joins the D62 road (elevation 792 m).

(23) Cross it carefully and continue along the ascending track opposite. At the top, you’ll reach a fork on the ridge.

(24) Ignore the open area on the left and follow the path down to the right for 200 m to reach a fork (elevation 834).

(25) At the signpost, ignore the sign for Crêt des Quatregrains on the right and continue straight on for 200 m until you reach a junction.

(26) Ignore the path straight ahead and take the one on the left, which leads to the car park of the Grange Rouet inn. Cross the car park on the left towards the inn. Go down the street on the right leading to the inn. At the bottom, turn right and, after 30 m, you will reach a junction (elevation 778).

(27) At the sign, leave the road continuing straight ahead. Turn onto the path on the left heading towards Sainte-Croix-en-Jarez, ignoring the side paths, and join the D7 road (elevation 662).

(28) Cross the road with care. At the signpost, keep going in the same direction, ignoring the path towards Le Petit Valluy 30 m further on and, after 50 m, the one on the right. Continue for 500 m to reach the Route du Petit Valluy (elevation 598).

(29) Take this road to the left for 50 m until you reach a junction in a bend.

(30) At the signpost, leave the road and turn right onto a path leading down towards Bois la Paccaly. In the woods, ignore a path on the left and continue straight ahead. At the edge of the woods, you’ll come to a crossroads (elevation 524).

(31) Cross the track and follow the path opposite, which turns left and leads to the Route de la Grande Combe.

(32) Follow it down to the right for about fifty metres before joining the Route de Sayoux on the left, which leads to the car park (S/E).

Route marking.
From point (S) to point (3) Conventional markings.
From point (3) to point (5) Unmarked.
From point (5) to point (13) Conventional markings.
From point (13) to point (15) Unmarked.
From point (15) to point (20) Conventional marking.
From point (20) to point (23) Unmarked.
From point (23) to point (E) Conventional marking.

For a visit to the medieval monastery of the Chartreuse de Sainte-Croix-en-Jarez, founded in 1280, see https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chartreuse... and practical information at https://chartreuse-saintecroixenjarez.co...

In fine weather, from the summit of Chirat Rochat, a magnificent, sweeping panorama opens up over the Rhône Valley and the Alps, stretching from the Mont Blanc massif to the Écrins massif, via La Chartreuse, Belledonne, Les Grandes Rousses, the Vercors and the Diois.