Circular from Yzeron via Croix de Pars, Montromant and the dam.

Park in the car park near the town hall, just below the D25 road leading to Thurins.

(S/E) From the car park, head towards the D25 road and turn right onto it for 20 m. In front of the town hall, look out for a sign on the right.

(1) At the Yzeron-Village sign (alt. 715 m), follow the signs for La Rivière straight ahead. Walk along the village square and, opposite the Auberge Chez Mono, take the road leading down to the right. At the junction, 50 m further on, follow the Chemin du Châtel to the left. At the bottom, cross the D489 road with care.

(2) At the La Rivière sign (alt. 670 m), head towards Crêt de la Madone by turning left onto the D489. Immediately afterwards, climb up Chemin du Vayen on the right. At the top, turn right and join the D113 road. Follow it to the right for 100 m, then leave it to climb a path going in the opposite direction, to the left of the road. From 2025 m, take the log steps on the right, follow the clearly marked yellow signposts to reach the large statue of the Madonna and the junction just beyond. Note: this section is not yet mapped.

(3) At the Crêt de la Madone signpost (alt. 860 m), head straight ahead along the marked path towards Pimongon. After 100 m, at the junction, ignore the path to the left. Continue straight on and, after a descent, reach a crossroads.

(4) At the Pimongon signpost (alt. 816 m), continue towards La Chapelle Saint-Clair along the ascending road straight ahead. Ignore the side streets and proceed to a crossroads.

(5) At the La Chapelle Saint-Clair sign (alt. 831 m), take the first path on the left, which is almost level, towards La Croix de Pars. Ignore a few side paths and continue straight on to reach a road. Follow it straight ahead, ignoring the left-hand branch towards the hamlet of Le Cazot. At the junction 300 m further on, continue straight ahead to reach a crossroads.

(6) At the sign for La Croix de Pars (alt. 812 m), head down the path opposite towards Les Avergues via the GRP®. Ignore the side paths, including the one on the right at a fork 700 m after the previous sign, photo. Cross a road and continue along the one opposite towards Les Avergues, photo.

(7) At the sign for Les Avergues (alt. 678 m), turn left onto the Chemin du Pêcher towards Futerer via the GR®7. At the end of the hamlet, ignore the road leading uphill to the left and continue straight on, along a muddy track, to reach a fork.

(8) At the Futerer signpost (alt. 661 m), leave the GR®7 to the left and head down towards Les Saignes on the right. When you reach the Route des Saignes, do not turn left but head for the fork opposite, photo.

(9) At the Les Saignes signpost (alt. 625 m), ignore the path straight ahead towards Montromant. Follow the path on the right towards Les Aguettants. After a left-hand bend, followed by a descent, you’ll reach a junction in the hamlet of La Maillardière. Turn left onto the road and, 70 m further on, leave it for an ascending path on the right. After a nearly level stretch, you’ll reach a crossroads.

(10) At the sign for Les Aguettants (alt. 628 m), ignore the two paths on the right and the one opposite. Follow the first path on the left, towards La Croix du Vire. Reach a fork 50 m after the sign.

(11) At the sign for La Croix du Vire (alt. 623 m), continue left along the Chemin de Vernegora, towards Le Creux, ignoring the path on the right towards Le George. About a kilometre further on, you’ll reach a road. Take it to the right and, at the junction in the hamlet of Le Creux, turn left to reach a fork.

(12) At the sign for Le Creux (alt. 524 m), ignore the left-hand branch and follow the Farlayère to the right, photo. Walk down the street for 50 m before leaving it to turn right onto the Chemin de la Farlayère, running alongside the stone wall of a building, photo. After a flat stretch, descend diagonally down the side of the Rossand valley. Pass a hairpin bend, photo, and, 20 m further on, turn sharply right onto a path that descends the slope to join a wide track.

(13) At the La Farlayère sign (alt. 452 m), turn left towards L’Entremont. Ignore the sign on the right for Saint-Genis-l’Argentière. Stay on the wide, flat track, ignoring the side paths, photo of hairpin bend and photo of hairpin fork. After a slight descent, approach the Le Rossand stream. Ignore the bridge crossing it to the right, photo, and continue straight ahead for 30 m. Cross a small wooden bridge over the Ruisseau de la Maillardière, photo. Climb a steep, winding path and reach a junction.

(14) At the ‘L’Entremont’ sign (alt. 470 m), ignore the sign for Courzieu on the left. Climb the sunken path straight ahead towards Montromant Town Hall. Reach the entrance to the village of Montromant. Just past the town hall and school on the left, you’ll see a car park on the right.

(15) At the sign for La Mairie (alt. 543 m), located at the entrance to the car park, continue straight on along Rue du Verger towards Les Roches. At the junction, pass Rue du Pavé straight ahead and Rue d’Aqueduc on your left. Turn right onto the latter to reach, 100 m further on, a T-junction. Cross Route d’Yzeron and take Rue des Sœurs uphill opposite (see photo), leading to a fork in the road.

(16) At the sign for Les Roches (alt. 558 m), leave Rue des Sœurs straight ahead. Climb the steep Chemin des Roches on the left towards Le Michaud and reach a fork.

(17) At the sign (broken and lying on the ground) for Le Michaud (alt. 590 m), ignore the path to the right towards Le Pagnon and follow the direction of Faverges to the left up a long, steep, stony climb. Cross the D643 road to Faverges with care and follow a path running alongside it on the left, photo, rejoining the road 200 m further on. Continue along this road to the hamlet of Faverges.
(18) At the Faverges sign (alt. 780 m), leave the road continuing straight ahead, ignoring the path to Pagnon on the right. Turn left towards La Fromentière. The road continues as the Chemin de terre du Plat de l’Âne. Ignore the side paths and continue straight on to reach the junction with the D489 road.

(19) At the La Fromentière sign (alt. 862 m), cross the D489 road with care and continue straight ahead along the Chemin du Plat de l’Âne towards Les Brosses, signposted GR®7. At the crossroads marked with a cross, continue straight ahead on the GR®7, photo. Walk along the left-hand edge of a wood to reach a junction.

(20) At the sign for Les Brosses (alt. 865 m), ignore the path leading in the opposite direction to the right. Continue along the GR®7 straight ahead, towards the Clairière des Brosses. Turn left and head for a fork in the path located about a hundred metres from the last sign.

(21) At the Clairière des Brosses signpost (alt. 872 m), leave the GR®7 to the right (south). Take the path opposite, heading towards Yzeron, and, 100 m further on, reach a junction.

(22) Leave this path, which continues straight down. Turn right onto a path running horizontally into the woods in the opposite direction, photo. Its start is marked by two crosses, yellow and red, on a shrub (alt. 855 m). A little further on, it is signposted along its route with a white T on a blue label. Follow it for about a hundred metres until you reach a fork.

(23) Ignore the ascending path opposite. Take the one heading downhill to the left, photo. It crosses several other paths, but the clear blue markings leave no doubt as to which direction to follow. Leave the forest, then follow its edge and cross the D122 road

(24) Cross it carefully to take the small road towards Le Pinet. Pass the last farm in a bend and continue along the descending road to join the D628.

(25) At the junction, cross the road to take the path opposite, marked with a white T. Cross the Goutte de Bellevue stream and, on almost level ground, enter the woods. Go round a pond, ignore a blocked path leading uphill to the right and head downhill to the left. At the fork, head down to the left onto the path marked in red and ignore the one opposite marked with a white T. Further down, ignore a path going uphill to the right and head towards a junction.

(26) At the ‘La Goutte de Bellevue’ sign, follow the Biternay to the left. Take the marked path, cross the Goutte de Bellevue stream and head back up to the junction in front of Bellevue Farm. Leave the marked path opposite and turn right against the flow of traffic towards a wood. After a left-hand bend, follow it for 50 m before you notice a small path on the right marked on the ground with yellow dots.

(27) It descends through the trees alongside an irrigation pipe. At the junction, leave the path on the left and head down the straight path opposite. Join a track at a bend and follow it down to the right. You’ll come to a marked path; follow it as it bends sharply to the left and join the D628 road.

(28) At the unmarked sign, follow the road down to the right (see photo) for about 300 m to reach a junction.

(29) At the unmarked sign, leave the D628 and turn left onto the Route de La Mure, towards the dam. This continues as a path leading to the foot of the Garon dam, photo. The ‘Barrage’ sign is located to the right, off the route. Cross the bottom of the valley, following the foot of the dam, and climb up the opposite slope via two flights of steps.

(30) Once at the top, turn left onto the riverside path and leave it 100 m further on. On the right, climb a path—often very muddy—running alongside a stream. After two hairpin bends, reach the lower part of the hamlet of La Cornelière. Leave the path and head for a clearing near a house. Follow its access path to reach a junction.

(31) At the sign for La Cornelière (alt. 642 m), ignore the path on the right towards Les Bruyères. Follow the path on the left towards Le Phily.

(32) At the sign for Le Phily (alt. 683 m), ignore the path on the left towards Le Garon. Climb the hill straight ahead, towards Le Planil. At the top of the climb, turn right onto the Chemin du Planil, photo, and reach a junction 50 m further on.

(33) At the sign for Le Planil (alt. 731 m), ignore the Chemin du Planil continuing straight ahead. Turn left onto Rue de la Chazière, towards Yzeron-Village.

(1) At the sign for Yzeron-Village, turn right to return to the car park (S/E).

Route identification.
From point (S) to point (22), conventional markings, but sparse between (11) and (13).
From point (22) to the fork before point (26), markings consist of a white T in a blue label, then red markings up to point (26).
From point (26) to Bellevue Farm, the route is marked with yellow signs and is unmarked until the junction before point (28).
From point (28) to point (E), conventional markings.

Along the route, there are numerous viewpoints over the Rhône Valley with the Alps in the background.