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Head to the village of Cras, situated on the D153 between Tullins-Fures and L’Albenc. Parking spaces are available along the departmental road or next to the school.
(S/E) Follow the main road (on the left or right depending on where you’ve parked) until you reach Route de l’Église heading west. Walk up to the church and turn left (signposted‘Le Château’). Follow the D201 and, at the crossroads, continue straight on along Chemin de la Combe du Moulin (the D201 branches off to the right towards Vatilieu). Cross a small bridge with a wash house on the right and continue straight on. Follow the Chemin de la Combe du Moulin to the right and, at the last houses, take the track that climbs slightly to the right (sign a few metres away on the left). Join the GR® de pays Tullins-Vinay (signposted ‘Le Moulin’).
(1) Follow it to the left. After a hairpin bend to the right, pass in front of a house and, at the Combe Billard sign, continue straight ahead. The path crosses a walnut grove to reach the hamlet ofLa Ville. Walk straight through it and arrive at the D201c. Cross it and continue straight ahead (signfor Champ Naud) on the path opposite. At the three-way junction, turn left, staying on the GRP® (signposted ‘Les Sablières’). The path joins a tarmac road (signposted‘Étang de Chantesse’).
(2) At the junction, you can take a short detour to the left to the Étang de Chantesse, about a hundred metres away, via a small path between the forest and a fence.
Return to the road and follow it to the left, leaving the GRP® by staying on the road, and reach the village of Chantesse and the D153 via the Chemin de l’Etagna (tarmac road).Cross the departmental road and turn left towards the wash house located on the town hall square.
(3) At the Chantesse-Lavoir sign, take the road leading down to the right (Chemin Neuf), follow it to the bottom of the valley and join the D1092, formerly the RN 92.
(4) Turn left onto this road and follow it for 30 metres, crossing the bridge overthe Lèze. Cross the road (caution: fast-moving traffic) and take the Chemin de Linage opposite, which climbs due south on the other side of the valley. Pass a large farmhouse (on the left) and, at the bend where the Linage sign is, take the Route de la Croix de L’étang on the right. Follow it for about a hundred metres and continue straight on along the dirt track. Pass in front of the Château de Linage and continue along this track until you reach a walnut grove. Walk along its left-hand side to reach a stony track.
(5) Follow it to the left (back onto the GRP® but no sign), pass a high point, then descend towards Pierre Brune.
(6) Please note: at this point, leave the track to your left and continue straight on (GRP®) along the grassy path to the hamlet of Pierre Brune.
Then take the road on the left (signposted‘Pierre Brune’ just after the junction) and head uphill along it.
(7) About fifty metres after the first hairpin bend (on the left), take the Belvédère path on the right with a view over the Isère plain and the walnut groves, continue straight on and at the junction a few metres further on, take the track on the left (GRP®), ignoring all the turnings to the left and right, until you reach the place calledThivolière (sign).
Cross the road and continue straight on to the hamletof Ventacul (signpost).
Continue straight on again to the hamletof La Roche (signpost).
(8) Then take the path downhill, lined with bamboo. Caution: this is a tricky path with a deep ravine running down its centre. Continue down this path until you reach the D201b (signpost).Follow itto the right, go under the railway line (narrow passage) and continue to the stone church at Poliénas. Turn left and follow the D201B to the war memorial located at a junction on the left (cemetery opposite) overlooking the plain.
(9) Take the middle road towards the station. Walk past the station and continue straight on along the railway line. The road then becomes a footpath which eventually leads onto a stony track. Follow it to the left, pass immediately under the railway line and continue to the tarmac road. Follow it for about a hundred metres and turn left.
(10) Head towards a house; pass by it (on your left) and continue uphill to join a tarmac road at a place calledLes Essarts. Follow this road (Route de Champisse) to the right for one kilometre. The road passes over a high point then descends to join the D1092 (formerly the RN 92). There is a sign at the previous junction, about thirty metres before the junction, on the left.
(11) Cross the D1092 (watch out for traffic!) and take the path directly opposite. Follow it to a junction with several roads.
(12) Turn left, then immediately right onto the Chemin des Étangs, which climbs up to the D153 and the car park (S/E).
We did this hike in glorious sunshine. We cut the route short because, at point 6, my mobile ran out of battery – I’d forgotten my spare – so we only managed 9 km instead of the planned 15. No matter; we’ll do the rest this autumn. A lovely hike all the same – thanks to the route planner.
Visorando member
Easy 
