Loop between Rontalon and Chaussan

A beautiful loop through the forests and meadows surrounding the villages of Rontalon and Chaussan.

The path sometimes runs along the edge of the valley, offering beautiful views of the Alps, weather permitting!

Technical sheet

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 14.88 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 5h 45 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Return to departure point: Yes
  • ↗
    Vertical gain: + 515 m
  • ↘
    Vertical drop: - 511 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 629 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 403 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Departure from the Randonneurs car park (follow the signs in the village).

(S/E) Leave the car park and walk up the street to the right

(1) On the main street, turn left onto the Route de la Croix Blanche.

(2) Turn right onto Route de Fondrieu and leave it after 20 metres to follow Chemin du Vieux Moulin, which descends to the left. It quickly turns into a path that descends to the bottom of the small valley and then turns left onto a pleasant trail along the edge of a meadow.

(3) When you reach the stream and the paved road, take the path furthest to the right. Ignore the marked trail. At the water treatment plant, follow the path that branches off to the right through the forest. Continue along this path. You will leave the forest, cross meadows, follow a small wood on your left and finally arrive at the D115 road. Follow the road in front of you (if you turn right, you will return to Rontalon) and continue for about 300 m. At the farm, keep to the right.

(4) At the crossroads, take the road on your right and follow it for 200 m. At the Boulard farm, follow the road that branches off to the left. It turns into a pleasant path with wide views of the plain in front and the Alps in the background.

(5) At the intersection (elevation 543) marked by signposts, turn right. The path winds its way along a balcony, surrounded by fields and meadows. It then descends in a zigzag pattern through a small wood. Ignore the paths that branch off to the right and left and continue to the Bruyère farm. After this, you will find yourself on a road that leads to Chaussan.

(6) At the crossroads, turn right towards Chaussan. Continue straight ahead to the centre of the village.

(7) After the church, turn left downhill onto the Route de Mornant, then after 100 m, on your right, take the Chemin des Ménestrels, which descends and runs alongside a housing estate that is not yet on the map. Continue straight ahead to the next point.

(8) At the crossroads, take the path that climbs into the forest on the right of the road. Stay on this path, which climbs quite steeply at times through the woods (partially cut). At the end of the forest, the path turns left.

(9) When you reach a crossroads (elevation 517), take the marked path to the right. This sunken path through the woods will cross the Malval stream and climb up to the Grand Champ farm.

(10) Follow the road on the left. Just before the entrance to a private garden, follow the small path that climbs up to the left. When you reach the road, turn right and climb up towards Chavagneux.

(11) At the entrance to Chavagneux, turn right, then very quickly left into the road that climbs uphill. After a farm shed, follow the path that starts behind it on the right. Continue until you reach the road.

(12) Turn right onto the road. After the hamlet of Arfeuille (a beautiful log house on your right), the road becomes a path and takes you downhill to the hamlet of Baudoy.

(13) In the hamlet, at the crossroads, take the road that climbs to the left. Ignore the path that climbs straight ahead and follow the marked trail that branches off to the right. Continue on this trail, which climbs gently along meadows to the hamlet of Saint-Genoux. In the hamlet, take the first road on the left. Cross the departmental road 34.

(14) Take the marked path opposite you that descends towards Rontalon. Continue straight ahead to the bottom of the valley, ignoring the marked path that branches off to the right (elevation 570). The path widens after crossing the stream and climbs towards the hamlet of La Ferrandière.

(15) Cross the road and take the path that leads through the fields in front of you. At the stream, it branches off to the right and climbs gradually towards the Julanière farm. At this point, take the road to the right downhill. After the bend in the small wood, the path becomes a trail and passes over private property. You will quickly rejoin the road. Continue straight ahead, keeping to the side. Leave the road when it turns downhill to the right and continue on the trail in front of you.

When you reach the road again, turn left. This will take you to the village of Rontalon and the car park where you started (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 486 m - Randonneurs car park
  2. 1 : km 0.05 - alt. 489 m - On the right, take the Route de la Croix Blanche
  3. 2 : km 0.21 - alt. 480 m - On the right, take the Route de Fondrieu
  4. 3 : km 0.96 - alt. 405 m - Turn right and cross the stream
  5. 4 : km 2.15 - alt. 544 m - Turn right
  6. 5 : km 2.95 - alt. 544 m - Path on the right
  7. 6 : km 4.57 - alt. 477 m - Turn right towards the village of Chaussan
  8. 7 : km 5.14 - alt. 475 m - Route de Mornant on the left
  9. 8 : km 5.61 - alt. 419 m - Path uphill on your right
  10. 9 : km 6.37 - alt. 520 m - At the crossroads, take the road on the right
  11. 10 : km 7.52 - alt. 518 m - Road on the left
  12. 11 : km 7.98 - alt. 572 m - Entrance to Chavagneux
  13. 12 : km 8.39 - alt. 610 m - Turn right onto the road
  14. 13 : km 9.52 - alt. 567 m - In the hamlet, take the road that goes up to the left
  15. 14 : km 10.68 - alt. 628 m - Path opposite, downhill towards Rontalon
  16. 15 : km 12.29 - alt. 544 m - Path opposite on the other side of the road
  17. S/E : km 14.88 - alt. 486 m - Randonneurs car park

Practical information

(S/E) The route is described starting from the Randonneurs car park in the centre of the village. If this car park is full, there is another car park in the village on Chemin des Garennes and in the church square.

There are a few shops and cafés open in the village of Rontalon. A café is open on Sunday afternoons on the church square

Reviews and comments

4.5 / 5
Based on 28 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.4 / 5
Clarity of route map
4.4 / 5
Route interest
4.6 / 5
CaroDuetti
CaroDuetti

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Apr 30, 2025
Reliability of the description : N/A
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

A superb hike on a sunny 1 May. I only came across a few other hikers and felt completely alone in the middle of nature. Be careful after the steep descent at the start, as I found that it climbed very steeply, but then in other places it was nothing insurmountable if you take your time, and it's well worth the effort. There are magnificent views throughout this walk (especially towards the place called Le Richoud, which combines different types of terrain: plains, forests, small villages, etc.). I will definitely do it again.

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Azur42
Azur42

Overall rating : 4.5 / 5

Date of walk : Nov 24, 2024
Reliability of the description : N/A
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Very beautiful hike, pleasant paths and landscapes, starting point in Chaussan. We followed the route using GPS => no problems; 1:25,000 map in our backpacks.

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christiane longin-sauvageon
christiane longin-sauvageon

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Nov 17, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

The hike starts in Rontalon, which is not easy to find.

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Balestranelle69
Balestranelle69
• Last modified:

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : May 25, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

A lovely walk in the Monts du Lyonnais. Beautiful views!

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papaMEME
papaMEME

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Mar 10, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

This route description was really helpful. We rarely got lost. A beautiful hike in the stunning Monts du Lyonnais!

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AMISUR
AMISUR

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of walk : Feb 25, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

A beautiful route in strong winds and cold weather. Stunning views of the Alps

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bader
bader
• Last modified:

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Sep 24, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

I've done this hike several times to train, nice views and a few sunken paths.

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marietherese.rodarie
marietherese.rodarie

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of walk : Jul 26, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Clarity of route map : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

at number 2, instead of turning left towards a ruined house, we turned right and crossed the forest through brambles and nettles. We should have turned back. We then found the path again at the top.
Given the heat, we took a slightly shorter route back to Rontalon.

That day, we had a view of Mont Blanc.

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M Grisel
M Grisel

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Oct 30, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

Hike completed on 30 October 2022, wearing a T-shirt, under beautiful sunshine. The route varies between forest and meadow sections, returning from farm to farm. There are some sections on roads, but this isn't a problem at this time of year. We took the precaution of putting a "yellow vest" on our backpacks so that hunters could see us. We could hear them everywhere, but they weren't too close.

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pascal.amieux
pascal.amieux

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Jul 12, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Departure at 6:50 a.m., return at 11:30 a.m. Beautiful weather, warm, slightly overcast. Half-day trip, very early to avoid the heat. Until 11 a.m., the valley floor is cool, which is a pleasant experience that we will definitely repeat this summer Beautiful route, varied and fairly fast. You ride halfway up the slope between Rontalon, Chaussan and below Saint André la Côte. The route description is accurate, so you don't need to use GPS. Thanks to the author for this great idea.

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chrisbonval
chrisbonval

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : May 14, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

A pleasant hike in the sunshine with beautiful views. Not physically demanding.
Thank you!

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becau
becau

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Jan 30, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

very good walk, well explained

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Lyjalu38
Lyjalu38

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Jul 17, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

We didn't meet many people on the trail except for one group of about forty hikers...
A very beautiful route, varied with magnificent views. It was hot on Sunday, which made the hike more tiring, as there are many uphill and downhill slopes.
It took us four hours without walking too fast and with stops.

The comment by "Patlemarin" about the index on the map obscuring place names in particular is very relevant.

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Patlemarin
Patlemarin

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of walk : Jun 26, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

Hike completed on Sunday 27 June. Met a female hiker and a few mountain bikers who were very friendly. Climbs, descents, sunshine, shade, views: it has everything.
Only general comment: the numbered points obscure details of the route, forcing you to use your mobile phone to zoom in and see where to go. Example on this hike for points 1 and 7

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gerardleo
gerardleo

Overall rating : 4.5 / 5

Date of walk : May 14, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : N/A
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

a lovely little hike to warm up, with views of Pilat and the Alps, some climbs and descents – perfect.

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