Malaterre North Circular via Bois Barbu

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Family walk in the woods. With no difficult sections, this route is also accessible by mountain bike, and the diversity of trails in the area means that you can enjoy many sections in complete solitude with nature.
The route follows the marked snowshoe trail no. 2 in the opposite direction, which in winter connects the Auberge de la Glisse (starting point for cross-country skiing) to the Auberge de Malaterre.

Details

n°3785734
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 4.53 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 35 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 535 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 535 ft
  • ▲
    Highest point: 4,199 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 3,737 ft
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Depression

Description of the walk

Access: from Villard-de-Lans, head towards the Nordic site, pass the village of Bois-Barbu and continue past the ski slopes and the Auberge de la Glisse on the Herbouilly road until you reach the "Porte de Bois-Barbu" sign at the intersection with the Galmiche Forest Road, the starting point for this hike.

(S/E) From the car park, take the Route Forestière de Galmiche for 150 m and take the path that enters the woods on the right. A few steps further on, turn right again to rejoin a forest road (the "Bordennet" track).

(1) Turn left for 250 metres, then turn onto the path that enters the woods on the right and heads towards Combe Verte/Grande Allée. The path crosses another road (Loubet track) before coming out onto the Grande Allée Forest Road.

(2) At the crossroads, the path descends into the woods between the two roads. A little further on, it emerges onto the Grande Allée forest road, which it follows first on the right and then on the left, before finally crossing back over and turning right onto the Pison track.

(3) Shortly afterwards, leave the Pison trail on the left and follow the Route Forestière de la Grande Allée until you reach the Auberge de Malaterre.

(4) Leaving the inn, take the same path and quickly turn right towards "Sapin BELLIER" via the path that runs alongside and then crosses the Route Forestière des Charbonnières and continues to the Carrefour de la Glacière.

(5) Turn left onto the GTV (Grande Traversée du Vercors). After 250 m, turn right towards Les Granges, then immediately left towards Sapin Bellier.

(6) Continue north through the Forêt de la Louvière, passing close to Sapin Bellier, named after the forest ranger who spotted it nearly a century ago. The trail runs alongside the Route Forestière de Galmiche until the next intersection, where it joins a logging road. Turn right and continue east towards the Col de Liorin.

(7) Turn left towards the pass, and quickly take the path that branches off to the left and descends to the Galmiche Forest Road, joining the La Forestière track.

Once on the Galmiche Forest Road, it is only about 50 metres to the right to reach the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 3,737 ft - Galmiche car park
  2. 1 : mi 0.63 - alt. 3,940 ft - Bordennet trail, on the left
  3. 2 : mi 0.85 - alt. 4,019 ft - Grande Allée/Toboggan Run intersection
  4. 3 : mi 1.18 - alt. 4,085 ft - Leave the Pison trail on the left.
  5. 4 : mi 1.72 - alt. 4,199 ft - Malaterre Inn
  6. 5 : mi 2.44 - alt. 4,042 ft - Carrefour de la Glacière
  7. 6 : mi 2.74 - alt. 4,124 ft - Junction, straight ahead
  8. 7 : mi 3.75 - alt. 4,062 ft - Carrefour Généty - Col du Liorin
  9. S/E : mi 4.53 - alt. 3,737 ft - Galmiche car park

Notes

There are no water sources along the trail.

There are no particular difficulties, and the trail is accessible without any special equipment; trainers are sufficient.

(4) You can reserve a table at the inn or eat your picnic in the woods.
There is no dedicated picnic area on the route, but it is easy to sit down on the rocks in many places. You can still find a table if you stay on the path after the (7) and continue for 150 m towards the Col de Liorin next to the parking area, or in the car park (S/E).

If the inn is not open, there are two tables available outside.

As the area is used for forestry and cross-country skiing in winter, most of the paths are wide and very flat.

However, please be careful, as there are often faults in the rock off the paths that may not be visible (leaves, branches, snow, etc.) and therefore pose a risk of losing your footing or even falling: avoid straying from the paths, especially with children who may be less attentive.

Worth a visit

Note the presence of numerous karstic caves of varying sizes, typical of the Vercors massif.

"Almost a hundred years ago, Mr Bellier was a forest ranger with the Water and Forestry Administration.
He was in charge of the beautiful La Loubière fir forest on the Vercors plateau. This benevolent forester spotted an elite fir tree that perfectly met the desired silvicultural criteria: straight trunk, thin branches, rapid growth.
Today, this magnificent fir tree is 224 years old and bears the name of its forester. It has a circumference of 3.90 metres."

Excerpt from the Guide to Walks produced by the Villard-de-Lans Tourist Office.

Reviews and comments

4.6 / 5
Based on 16 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.7 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.6 / 5
Route interest
4.6 / 5
LeDoc
LeDoc
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 24, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A walk that lived up to our expectations, with plenty of shade during the heatwave.

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User 1671993

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

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

The perfect route for a walk in the shade and in the cool

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FraBor
FraBor

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 27, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A very shaded walk at an altitude of 1,200 metres, ideal in sweltering heat.

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Ange Heureux
Ange Heureux

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 21, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

This short walk ticked all the boxes (circular, under 10 km, minimal elevation gain (D+ < 180 m), at altitude, through woodland, and less than 20 minutes’ drive from home) for my wife, who is recovering from illness, and it certainly delivered 😉! As advised by a previous Visorandonneur user, at point 5 we completed the circular route as far as La Glacière (an interesting sign, but you can no longer get close enough to feel the cool air coming out), a circular route which adds 10–20 m of elevation gain and 1.3 km if you walk the full circuit (which I recommend)
Overall, varied and pleasant paths, hardly any tarmac, and almost always in the shade, which was very welcome in the heatwave.

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marthinoel38
marthinoel38

Overall rating : 4.5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 14, 2026
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant walk, mostly in the shade of the forest and along narrow paths not used by mountain bikes.
Most of the route is marked with yellow-green signs (Vercors Regional Nature Park).
It’s worth making a short detour (20 mins) to La Glacière, even though the entrance is blocked off 20 metres before it.
The elevation gain is around 250–300m as there are quite a few short ascents and descents.

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User 1281650
• Edited:

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 : No

A pleasant, easy, well-marked, shaded route. The inn along the way is well located and serves good food, but does not accept credit cards.

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Mag-38
Mag-38

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 04, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant woodland circuit in the heat of summer.
The trail crosses the road several times and runs alongside it on several sections, but given the very low volume of traffic, this did not spoil the walk.
We came across several giant anthills along the way. We only encountered two other hikers, so it was easy to find yourself alone in nature, which was very pleasant.
The inn was closed when I passed through (until mid-July if I remember correctly).
I made a mistake at point 7 where, instead of turning left, I continued straight ahead. I was able to reach the finish point via a small path, which was pleasant but added 2 km to my walk. According to my GPS, it was 9.66 km for a 2 hour 19 minute walk.

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Petitcrunch77
Petitcrunch77

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

This is the second time I've done this hike for the pleasure of having afternoon tea at the Malaterre inn. It's a must-stop. The hosts are very welcoming. The strawberry soup is delicious. The atmosphere is great. Bring cash or a cheque. A very enjoyable hike.

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Beciu
Beciu

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 24, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Many other ski trails and forest roads intersect and cross each other, which can sometimes make the walk a little tricky to follow, so you need to pay attention. Outside of peak season, it is a very relaxing walk.

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Degivry Françoise
Degivry Françoise

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 09, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A route entirely through woodland, very pleasant in summer.

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Inaya
Inaya

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 06, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely little walk with plenty of shade. You're alone with nature, and what magnificent nature it is. No views, but a very pleasant haven of peace.

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Petitcrunch77
Petitcrunch77

A great walk in the cool air, even in the afternoon when the sun is shining brightly.
Be sure to stop at the Malaterre inn. Great welcome, great decor and great desserts.

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jldequin
jldequin

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 14, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A break in the clouds allowed us to go on this hike, which we extended by passing through the Liorin Pass, which adds little to the length but offers a beautiful view of La Moucherolle and the Villoard slopes and avoids having to climb back up.
A very wooded and not particularly strenuous route, very pleasant.

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Robert38090
Robert38090

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

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

A lovely walk under the trees, but without a view.
As it was very hot, being under the trees was much appreciated.
Having the GPS track is a plus!

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jldequin
jldequin

Overall rating : 5 / 5

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

Route completed in hot weather, pleasant because it is very shady.
Plenty of places to picnic.
Great for recovery

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