Pourchères - Rocher d'Ajoux - Serre de Pied de Bœuf circular loop

The hike is located on volcanic terrain, allowing you to approach the Rocher d'Ajoux, which is part of a lava flow. On the last section of the circular route, we follow a ridge line with panoramic views of the Alps.

Details

32291294
Creation:
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 13.00 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 5h 20 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 563 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 558 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 924 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 509 m

Photos

Description of the walk

On the D2, between Privas and Les Ollières-sur-Eyrieux, turn left at Lyas onto the D260 and follow it to Pourchères. Park in the church car park.

(S/E) At the "Place de l'Église" sign, turn left towards Rocher d'Ajoux.

(1) Keep right and follow the path, which further on makes a first turn right then left at Rocher Noir and then joins a crossroads at the "Les Côtes" sign.

(2) Ignore the two paths on the right and take the one on the left. At the "Greytus" sign, the path leads to a road.

(3) Turn right and go around the church.

(4) About 100 m after the church, leave the road and take a path that turns sharply left towards Lavastret.

(5) At the "La Chabanne" sign, turn left towards Rocher d'Ajoux. Then, about 150 m further on, keep right towards Rocher d'Ajoux.

(6) At the "l'Auzenet" sign, take the path on the right towards La Pra, which crosses a small stream. 200 metres after the houses, take a wide path that climbs to the right. At the hamlet of Le Cros, the path branches off to the left towards the hamlet of Ajoux.

(7) Cross the hamlet, heading left to reach the foot of the rock and return.

(8) Turn back.

(7) At the "Rocher d'Ajoux" sign, take the road that climbs opposite.

(9) At a large bend to the right, leave the road and take the path that climbs to the left.

(10) At a small clearing, continue straight ahead on the white and yellow marked trail.

(11) Keep to the right to pass in front of the Combes farm. From there, the markings disappear, but several small paths lead to the ridge, where you will find them again.

(12) Continue climbing to the right until you reach the fire lookout tower at the top of Serre de Pied de Bœuf.

(13) Continue along this track until you reach a road at a place called Les Colombières.

(14) Turn right and follow this road, which leads directly back to the car park at Pourchères church (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 683 m - Car park at Pourchères church
  2. 1 : km 0.19 - alt. 707 m - Three-way junction
  3. 2 : km 1.19 - alt. 820 m - Signpost "Les Côtes"
  4. 3 : km 2.25 - alt. 739 m - Signpost "Greytus"
  5. 4 : km 2.44 - alt. 723 m - Path on the left
  6. 5 : km 3.74 - alt. 609 m - Sign for "La Chabanne"
  7. 6 : km 4.45 - alt. 535 m - Signpost - Auzenet (cours d'eau) - Affluent de l'Auzène
  8. 7 : km 6.5 - alt. 718 m - Ajoux
  9. 8 : km 6.69 - alt. 734 m - Foot of the Rocher d'Ajoux
  10. 9 : km 7.46 - alt. 746 m - Path on the left
  11. 10 : km 7.88 - alt. 802 m - Small clearing
  12. 11 : km 8.49 - alt. 849 m - Embranchement des Combes
  13. 12 : km 9.01 - alt. 895 m - Return to the trail
  14. 13 : km 9.54 - alt. 923 m - Serre de Pied de Bœuf
  15. 14 : km 11.57 - alt. 741 m - Crossroads with road
  16. S/E : km 13 - alt. 682 m - Car park at Pourchères church

Reviews and comments

4.4 / 5
Based on 8 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.6 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.4 / 5
Route interest
4.3 / 5
User 25058385

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 20, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant walk with many viewpoints and panoramic views.

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mortluiloeil
mortluiloeil

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 01, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

The second part is less appealing (after the village of Ajoux), with a less frequented path covered in brambles. It gets more complicated around the farm, where it's not easy to find the right path. Like many others (even though I had been warned and had read the reviews!), we found ourselves inside the fence, even though we had clearly started out on the left side of the lookout. I had read the reviews! ) we found ourselves inside the fence, even though we had started off on the left of the lookout point, but apparently not far enough. It should be noted that there is a particularly interesting orientation table at the lookout point. The descent to the village is a bit monotonous and, admittedly, not very interesting.

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grossemy
grossemy

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 07, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Very busy route : No

Hike completed on 6 September 2024. The first part to Greytus is interesting in terms of landscape and geology. The part after Greytus church is generally much less interesting. You reach the Auzonet stream via a forest path, then climb steeply up to Ajoux without any clear views. The rest of the hike to the summit of Serre de Pied de Bœuf is also uninteresting, with little-used paths covered in brambles. The descent to Pourchères is along a charmless track.

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gamagi
gamagi

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 21, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike with stunning views. There has been a lot of rain this spring, so the grass is tall and there are lots of small streams here and there. There are quite a few flocks of sheep and goats guarded by sheepdogs, but they are friendly if you ignore them. Beautiful flowers throughout the hike, including pasque flowers, etc. When you reach point 13, there are passages with fences but no barbed wire to climb over to get back on the trail. I recommend this hike. Thank you to the author for sharing.

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abeauville
abeauville

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

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

A lovely walk, very varied, with beautiful views. Without climbing to the top of Rocher d'Ajoux, there is a pleasant spot halfway up the slope for a break. And I confirm ROBERTO26200's comment on point (12): if you aim for the lookout tower as we foolishly did, you'll come across barbed wire that is difficult to cross.

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jeanluc guilhot
jeanluc guilhot

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 14, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Beautiful hike with volcanic terrain. Be careful when you arrive at the farm before the lookout point: do not cross the farm. At the gate, turn right, follow the fence and arrive at the lookout point. Turn left.

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ardechom
ardechom

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 28, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike in a volcanic area, with varied landscapes and very pretty views. Magnificent oculus in the church of Greytus. Thank you to the author of this lovely suggestion.

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ROBERTO26200
ROBERTO26200

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

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

A very beautiful hike with varied landscapes and elevation changes accessible to all. Just one note about point 12: when you arrive at the fire lookout tower, approach it from the left, walk along the fence and rejoin the marked hiking trail a little further on.

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