Circular Fétrus-Pertuis from Saint-Laurent-du-Pont

This circular can be done in almost any season (except after storms or heavy rain) and allows you to discover some lesser-known parts of Chartreuse.

Details

1544170
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 10.25 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 5h 30 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 889 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 884 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 1,389 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 574 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Access is from Saint-Laurent-du-Pont, on the right bank of the Guiers Mort: go up to bypass the hospital via the small road leading to Provenches and Piquetière, ending in an unpaved road at Le Désert: park opposite the former convent, as the forest road is closed to traffic beyond this point.

(S/E) Go up the path on the right, heading south and cutting across the wide bend in the road. Then follow the paved forest road to the crossroads (823m) indicating the direction of L'Orcière.

(1) Take the wide path on the right, which climbs slightly to the edge of the Orcière meadow and its Habert. Do not go as far as the Habert, but take the path at the entrance to the meadow, which descends in a straight line to the foot of the clearly visible Fétrus rocks.

(2) At the stream bed, join the path that climbs up from Guiers Mort and turn left into the gap through which the intermittent stream flows. Follow the yellow markings carefully on this climb, as the route first follows the bottom of the ravine, through the chaos of rocks disrupted by the stream, before climbing a few switchbacks in the forest on the left bank. In one of these curves, a path branches off to the right, which sometimes disappears and leads to the Rocher du Solitaire. Do not take this path, but instead turn left to continue climbing in hairpin bends while rejoining the stream bed. Head north to cross several branches of the stream until you reach a forest track coming from the right in the forest.

(3) Take the path on the left that continues along it: it approaches the bed of a stream (usually dry), climbs in regular zigzags through the forest, then crosses the stream and continues to climb steadily in zigzags on the forest side of the Rochers de Fétrus. Reach a gentler ridge, which you follow to the right, leaving the forest and reaching the Col de Fétrus below the Rochers d'Arpison, the highest point of the hike.

(4) When you reach a crossroads on this wide grassy ridge, turn left towards the north to begin the descent, initially along a gently sloping path. The path descending from Arpison arrives from the right. The route crosses a wet area where tree trunks in the ground maintain the profile of the path. The slope gradually becomes steeper and the path gradually becomes passable by vehicle. At La Cellière, take a path across one of its wide curves to reach a grassier area at Le Pertuis.

(5) There, a signposted path branches off to the left and leads to the Belvédère du Pertuis viewpoint in 10 minutes.
Retrace your steps to the forest road and descend to Pas du Pertuis, carved into the rocky ridge, followed by two tight hairpin bends.

(6) At the crossroads, you can choose to continue along the road, but this is very long as it makes a wide detour towards L'Orcière. It is better to take the marked trail on the right of the slope: it winds down the hill and joins other trails before reaching the forest road.
Follow this road to the right: it makes a wide curve that takes you back to the starting point (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 574 m - Parking at a place called Le Désert.
  2. 1 : km 1.71 - alt. 828 m - Crossroads towards L'Orcière
  3. 2 : km 3.26 - alt. 868 m - Foot of the Cheminée de Fétrus
  4. 3 : km 3.91 - alt. 1,093 m - Forest road junction
  5. 4 : km 5.4 - alt. 1,385 m - Col de Fétrus
  6. 5 : km 6.47 - alt. 1,221 m - Le Pertuis (towards the viewpoint)
  7. 6 : km 8.38 - alt. 988 m - Trailhead below the Pas du Pertuis
  8. S/E : km 10.25 - alt. 574 m - Parking at a place called Le Désert.

Notes

The route follows a generally well-marked trail, or even a forest road, with only the passage at the bottom of the Cheminée de Fétrus (just after (2)) potentially causing problems, as you are practically walking in the riverbed.
It should therefore be avoided during storms or immediately after heavy rain.
Otherwise, given the moderate altitude, it is generally feasible outside of peak season.

Worth a visit

As most of the route is through forest, the views are limited, except at the Col de Fétrus and especially at the Belvédère du Pertuis, which is well worth a detour.
Given the low number of visitors, you may spot chamois in the upper part (between (3) and (5)).

Reviews and comments

4.3 / 5
Based on 14 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.3 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.4 / 5
Route interest
4.2 / 5
Chamois38
Chamois38

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 29, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful route, partly through the forest, so it's nice and cool. The route is quite steep but the trail is perfect and easy to follow through the chimney between the boulders. At the top, there's a great view of St Laurent du Pont and the surrounding area. A challenging route, not very busy, completely immersed in nature. Difficult in rainy weather.

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sevy2
sevy2

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 19, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Hike on 15/05/2025 under a beautiful blue sky.
It had rained a little in the previous days, so the trail was a bit slippery in places.
The Fétrus chimney is very chaotic but fairly easy, and the passage is fairly easy to find. Allow a good hour from the bottom to the meadows at the summit.
The route is very varied, but often through forest.

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Lola_Lilous
Lola_Lilous

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 11, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

Hello, in reality, it's a difficult hike. It climbs continuously, especially in the riverbed with slippery rocks – quite dangerous – and once you reach the top, you have to descend again over rocks and part of the way through a meadow with very tall grass. It is marked as 10 km, but it is actually 15 km, and although it is described as a moderate hike, it is actually difficult and not everyone can do it. You need to be young and fit.

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Toine
Toine

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 25, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike through the forest, a tricky passage through the Fétrus chimney, and the Arpison meadow provided us with a lovely spot for lunch and a nap.
Beautiful view of the Piquetière Monastery.

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Jocelyne P.
Jocelyne P.

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 18, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Very busy route : No

Quite a strenuous hike in the chimney section, but that's the most interesting part in my opinion. The path that winds through the forest after the chimney is steep and seems endless. No view at the top, which is a shame. We had a picnic at the viewpoint, but that's already on the way down. We returned to the car at 2pm. Be careful at the start if you use the GPS "go to start" function, as it directed us onto a path that was inaccessible by car, meaning we had to climb an extra 100m to reach the desert (total 950m). Fortunately, the weather was good for this hike.

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Nousky38
Nousky38
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 26, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

The hike is quite physically demanding, especially if, like me, you take the Pas de Tramoley trail from the Piquetière monastery (which leads to the upper part of the Pertuis forest road). In this case, allow for an extra 1 or 2 kilometres with the same elevation gain, and two cable-assisted sections (to be avoided in wet and slippery conditions).
The Cheminée de Fétrus trail, taken downhill, is well marked, so there is no risk of getting lost.
In winter, the views are clearer and the hike is well worth doing.

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berling
berling

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 12, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

Good walk, I was expecting a view of the Chartreuse from the Belvédère, but it faces exclusively towards St-Laurent du Pont and the plain. However, it's still very nice, with a view stretching far into the distance.

It should be noted that the climb up the Fétrus chimney is really difficult. You can follow the markings, but there are times when it's almost like climbing, with sometimes unsafe footholds. I think it's better to go with someone else.

Everything else is very doable, even if the switchbacks in the forests are sometimes steep.

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versionx
versionx

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 10, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hi, you need to be sure-footed to climb the steep part of the chimney with large boulders and trees in the way. The second part of the chimney is a lovely mountain path through the trees. I would rate the hike as difficult because of the first part of the chimney. Have a good trip, everyone!

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etr73
etr73

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 26, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

With our senior walking group, we did the hike in the opposite direction to the recommended route. The descent via the Fétrus chimney, which is the bed of a torrent, is extremely difficult. You should do the hike in the recommended direction.
Otherwise, you're guaranteed to get lost.

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etr73
etr73

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 26, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

With our senior walking group, we did the hike in the opposite direction to the recommended route. The descent via the Pétrus chimney, which is actually the bed of a torrent, is extremely difficult. You should do the hike in the recommended direction.
Otherwise, you're guaranteed to get lost.

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Gerard.REYNAUD
Gerard.REYNAUD

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 09, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

I followed the trail to the chimney and then began the climb through the chaos of rocks in the torrent. It wasn't easy to find my way or make progress. I was alone and I'm 73 years old, so I decided to turn back to be on the safe side. At L'Orcière, I took the path that joins the forest road, which was overgrown with scrub and muddy but well marked. I climbed up to the viewpoint and then descended following the marked route.
Would you classify this as a difficult hike?

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flimoza
flimoza

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 27, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful walk with lovely passages through the gorges and beautiful viewpoints. Note that by following the yellow markings, you can cover a large part of the suggested route.
There are indeed a lot of ticks at the start in the tall grass because the path is not well cleared.
Young chamois in this area.
On the last section, there is two-coloured tape to prevent people from straying off the path. Foresters have made the path impassable.
Thank you for the route!

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Obiou38
Obiou38

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 15, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Beware of ticks on the old path leading to the Fétrus chimney, which is often overgrown with tall grass!

Once you reach the Fétrus ridge (or the "gentler ridge" mentioned in the guidebook), it would be a shame not to take a short detour to the left to the viewpoint of the same name: magnificent views of the Guiers Mort gorges, the Charmant Som, Chartreuse de Curière and the Grande Sure.

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Aurore1976
Aurore1976

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 11, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Hello,

I would classify this hike as difficult. The climb up the riverbed is dangerous, with falling rocks and no possibility of turning back. The last section, where you can take a path downhill to avoid the longer road, is also very dangerous. There are no cables in some very steep places. This hike is not suitable for children or people who are afraid of heights.
Nevertheless, the climb through the forest is very pleasant and the view from the peak is splendid!

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