Rochettes loop

de fr

A hike starting from Le Bessat, in the Pilat Regional Nature Park, offering unobstructed views of the Mont Blanc massif and then the Mézenc.

N.B. Hike not accessible in winter (area reserved for skiing).

Details

n°2589658
Creation:
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 6.98 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 20 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 124 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 124 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 1,290 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 1,166 m
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Description of the walk

Departure from the Tremplin car park in Le Bessat.

(S/E) Head towards the stadium at the back of the car park. The tarmac road turns into a footpath.

(1) Turn right onto the Chemin de Peatland.

(2) Cross the wide track and take theGR®7/GR®42opposite towards La Croix des Fosses.

(3) At the crossroads, turn right onto the path towards Le Creux du Loup. (You can also continue on theGR®7to reach point 6 (alternative route).

(4) At the Creux du Loup crossroads, continue straight on theGR®42towards Bourg-Argental via Croix Fayard, then follow a marked path towards Les Loges de Lapras.

(5) At the Les Loges de Lapras crossroads, turn right towards "Bourdouze - Pont Souvignet".

(6) After crossing theGR®7, continue for about 100 metres, then turn right onto the wide track and stay on it until you reach the fork in the road on the way out.

(2) Turn left to return to the starting point (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 1,166 m - Tremplin car park in Le Bessat - Furan (rivière)
  2. 1 : km 0.3 - alt. 1,196 m - Chemin de peatland
  3. 2 : km 0.51 - alt. 1,217 m - Junction point of the loop
  4. 3 : km 0.76 - alt. 1,240 m - Head towards Creux du Loup
  5. 4 : km 2.08 - alt. 1,275 m - Le Creux du Loup crossroads
  6. 5 : km 3.17 - alt. 1,269 m - Lapras lodges
  7. 6 : km 4.19 - alt. 1,259 m - Head towards Le Bessat on the right
  8. S/E : km 6.98 - alt. 1,166 m - Tremplin car park in Le Bessat

Notes

Large car park at Le Tremplin.
Hike only to be undertaken outside the ski season.

Worth a visit

Between (3) and (6), there are views of the Mont Blanc massif and, on a clear day, the Mézenc massif. Information boards are provided.

Always be cautious and plan ahead when you're outdoors. Visorando and the author of this route cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurring on this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

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Reviews and comments

4.5 / 5
Based on 22 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.5 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.6 / 5
Route interest
4.4 / 5
Favershamer
Favershamer

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 29, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant walk. There was a bit of snow, but not enough to cause any problems with our walking boots, and the cross-country ski trails were open.
We parked at the Croix de Chaubouret but it was easy to get to this route.
The walk was mainly through the woods, with no steep slopes but few views.
Our dog had a brilliant time!

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michelemounier
michelemounier

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 06, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

parish specific to Brittany, thank you very much to the visorandonneur

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Jamirio
Jamirio

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 07, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk with a variety of landscapes: in the forest with open stretches offering great views. The only downside was that there was quite a lot of tall grass in places. Perfect description

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MAXOUNET
MAXOUNET

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 04, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A short, very easy walk with no elevation gain and plenty of shade....

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Cigalou84
Cigalou84

Nice path for the first part of the circuit, but a wide, straight and monotonous track for the second part.

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Cigalou84
Cigalou84

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : May 14, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

A lovely mountain trail for the first half of the circuit, but a wide and monotonous track for the second half.

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PAULLYNE
PAULLYNE

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 16, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Beautiful route entirely through the woods.

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aquilons
aquilons

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 24, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

a beautiful, easy hike with one small drawback: the path at the start and finish is rutted and uneven, so be careful. Hiking poles are useful. The description is very clear, so it's impossible to get lost

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Babs Sirène
Babs Sirène

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 03, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

A very pleasant hike, especially when it's hot in the valley. However, there are far too many people on the last part of the circuit when you reach the main forest path

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ROXAV
ROXAV

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 25, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

A pleasant, short hike that is well described by Visorando. The signposts are easy to find on site. It is important to read the description carefully and follow it to the letter. For example, at No. 4 at the Creux du Loup crossroads, make sure you identify the GR 42, which is marked by two red and white stripes, as the path on the left, which appears wider, is misleading and does not lead to the right place.

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stuch
stuch

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 16, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A wonderful walk with 5 cm of fresh snow crunching underfoot

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meallierpierre
meallierpierre

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 08, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Hike along the cross-country ski trails in winter.
Possible confusion regarding signposting and various information.
Thanks to the protection of the fir trees and the altitude, we did not suffer
from the heat and temperatures close to 30 degrees.

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Netra
Netra ★

Hello manade59,

Thank you for your report (sorry you weren't able to complete the entire hike). I have just added a warning about this in the introduction to the hike.

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manade59
manade59

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 07, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Just to clarify, this route cannot be done in winter.
This is because the hiking trails are transformed into cross-country ski trails and reserved exclusively for skiers, meaning that walkers are not allowed on these trails!
Nevertheless, as it was a weekday, we were able to do a small part of the route, which is very pleasant and easy to follow with a phone and the GPX track. We had to stop the hike because several skiers pointed out that we were not allowed on the slopes.
It would therefore be preferable to point out that this hike can only be done from spring until the end of October, I think, to avoid the inconvenience of a wasted trip and disappointment.

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bd69
bd69

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 06, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Superb walk in Pilat. Easy to reach from Le Bessat thanks to the location/Waze. Undergrowth atmosphere, cool temperatures, discovery of diverse flora even in September. Great picnic spot on the rocky outcrop just at the top of Les Rochettes (take your rubbish away with you, of course).

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