Mont Pezard route

de fr

A family hike with a variety of attractions: flora, slate quarry, chapel and other points of interest. Beautiful view of the Val Gelon on the way down. Directional signs on the ground complement this description. In addition, Lac Saint-Clair is a pleasant place to relax before or after the hike.

Details

n°1070177
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 7.86 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 15 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 340 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 340 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 687 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 344 m
Downloads
Open in the mobile app
Download GPX GPX
Download PDF PDF

Photos

Mont Pezard
Slate quarry
Below Mont Pezard

Description of the walk

Park in the large car park at Lac Saint-Clair.

(S/E) Take the footbridge at the start, go around the lake on the left, then turn left towards the campsite entrance, cross a small car park and join the road.

(1) Turn right and follow the road for 500 metres until you reach an intersection.

(2) Turn left onto Rue de la Mairie and continue straight ahead on the road. After 180 metres, the road turns right. Continue on this road, which climbs slightly.

(3) Pass this crossroads and you will reach an intersection with an oratory.

(4) Turn left; the road will soon turn into an uphill path. Ignore the side intersections. Then, as the route begins to descend, leave the path.

(5) Take the path furthest to the left, climbing steadily until you reach the end of a road.

(6) Do not continue along the road; turn completely left and continue until you reach a track. Turn left onto the track, which continues to climb, and after a wide circular you will reach the Sainte-Marguerite Chapel.

(7) Descend the track on the right and rejoin the road above the village of Arvillard. Continue downhill along the road, following a path that quickly rejoins the road. Pass two junctions on the right and you will reach a large crossroads.

(8) Turn left, and on the descent, pass two turnings on the left. Return to the village of Détrier, passing close to the cemetery and the church, and continue descending until you reach the outward route.

(3) Turn right and, after the town hall, take a path downhill to the left, which allows you to avoid the road for a short section. Then return to the car park via the road (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 347 m - Lac Saint-Clair car park
  2. 1 : km 0.36 - alt. 354 m - Route de la Plaine
  3. 2 : km 0.78 - alt. 349 m - Rue de la Mairie
  4. 3 : km 1.18 - alt. 378 m - Crossroads of the circular
  5. 4 : km 1.32 - alt. 368 m - Oratory overlooking the - Bréda (rivière)
  6. 5 : km 2.38 - alt. 475 m - Chemin de Barret - Path overlooking the - Bens (cours d'eau)
  7. 6 : km 3.07 - alt. 574 m - End of a road
  8. 7 : km 3.93 - alt. 687 m - Sainte Marguerite Chapel
  9. 8 : km 5.13 - alt. 529 m - Left towards Détrier
  10. S/E : km 7.86 - alt. 347 m - Lac Saint-Clair car park

Worth a visit

Mont Pezard itself is located on private property.

Reviews and comments

4.5 / 5
Based on 13 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.8 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.7 / 5
Route interest
4.1 / 5
Nicole JACQUIN
Nicole JACQUIN

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 05, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Pleasant route.
The wooded sections are very welcome on these hot summer days.

Thank you

Machine-translated

muse_88_
muse_88_

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 08, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

Hello,
A lot of the route is on tarmac roads, which makes the walk pleasant at times, especially on the descent. It's a pity there are no signs explaining the quarry, as we're left wanting more.
Easy, uncomplicated walk.
Thank you for sharing.

Machine-translated

locamama
locamama

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 18, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful route with lovely views between forest paths and meadows, with a few slightly steep sections but no difficulty.
I set off at 10 a.m. for a picnic on the heights of Arvillard, enjoying a short walk through the small town.
I made a small change to the return route at No. 8 to avoid taking the same path back, and ended up walking around the lake, covering a total distance of 11.31 km.

Machine-translated

jc.chiari
jc.chiari

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 03, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely half-day walk...forest, meadows, villas and beautiful grasslands around the lake with picnic tables.

Machine-translated

TaX38
TaX38

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 29, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A varied route through the undergrowth, ideal for a proper mid-altitude hike in mid-season. Beautiful views of the mountain villages of Détrier and Arvillard.

Machine-translated

Dupuy Gérard
Dupuy Gérard

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 20, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Incorrect elevation displayed when recording with the application...

Machine-translated

Cécilette
Cécilette
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 03, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

Hike completed in June on a weekday.
A pleasant route, very flowery when I did the hike in June.
A few viewpoints, but it's a shame that the top of Mont Pezard is private property.
Picnic facilities available upon arrival at Lake Detrier.

Machine-translated

opale
opale

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 09, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant half-day walk.
Beautiful views of the surrounding mountains, especially "under Mount Pezard"
where there is plenty of space to take a break.
On arrival, a moment of relaxation by Lake Détrier was much appreciated.

Machine-translated

bassinot
bassinot

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

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

A pleasant autumn route. The direction is well chosen and allows you to admire the landscape for much of the descent. Views of Belledonne (Grands Moulins, etc.), Les Bauges and La Chartreuse.
Despite several days of rain, the route was not too muddy. The path sometimes turned into a stream on the north-facing descent, but the ground is stony enough that this is not a problem.
However, it is borderline between points 5 and 6. There are two slippery and narrow passages on the edge of the void, which should only be attempted in wet conditions by people with sure footing.

Machine-translated

happynette
happynette

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 13, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

The route is reasonable in terms of size and difficulty, but I would avoid it with very young children. The path up the rather steep climb is narrow. Some sections are more tricky, with uprooted tree stumps and gullies. You need to watch your step, which can be more difficult with small children. Walking sticks will be useful, especially in autumn when the path is more slippery. The descent to Arvillard opens up the landscape, which is superb in good weather.

Machine-translated

quencez
quencez
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 02, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A lovely walk without any major difficulties but varied with beautiful scenery, particularly on the descent to Aiguebelle. Mont Pezard is occupied by a private house

Machine-translated

TETRAS73
TETRAS73

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 29, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A pleasant half-day hike. The highlight is the superb views of BELLEDONE and the CHARTREUSE. Suitable for families.

Machine-translated

xtian74
xtian74

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 10, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average

A short but interesting hike, ideal if you don't have much time. Curiously, the trail on the map does not lead to the summit of Mont Pézard, so perhaps the author of the guidebook didn't go there? The walk is known for its many flowers, such as martagon lilies and orchids, but it was too early in the season.

Machine-translated

Other walks in the area

Walking From Chapelle-du-Bard to Pont du Diable via Beauvoir

Visorando member
↔9.86 km ↗+488 m ↘-485 m ◔4h 15 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from La Chapelle-du-Bard (Isère)
A lovely hike with beautiful views and scenery, quite varied, a little bit of tarmac but not much, with good signposting. Doable almost all year round, except in muddy conditions after rain, of course. At the Pont du Diable, you will cross the Dauphiné-Savoie border, with its pretty, colourful boundary stone. By whom?

Walking Vallon du Bens circular

Visorando member
Vallon du Bens en boucle
↔17.34 km ↗+901 m ↘-903 m ◔7h 30 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from La Chapelle-du-Bard (Isère)
This hike is certainly a little long in its entirety, but it can easily be broken down into shorter circular loops. In addition, the wide, shaded track along most of the route is well suited to family walks.And it offers a magnificent panorama at its highest point over the Allevard massif (Belledonne range).

Walking Les Hauts de Sainte-Hélène

Visorando member
Les Hauts de Sainte-Hélène
↔4.55 km ↗+112 m ↘-112 m ◔1h 35 ▲Easy
⚑Departure from Sainte-Hélène-du-Lac (Savoie)
A short hike that takes you through a few hamlets and offers unobstructed views of the Belledonnes and Chartreuse mountains.

Walking Tour de Chantemerle

Visorando member
Tour de Chantemerle
↔7.08 km ↗+107 m ↘-101 m ◔2h 20 ▲Easy
⚑Departure from Sainte-Hélène-du-Lac (Savoie)
A route for everyone that will take you to a remote hamlet and its castle steeped in history, then along the shores of Lake Sainte Hélène.

Walking Circular Prodin, Lac des Grenouilles, Chapotet

Visorando member
↔10.08 km ↗+813 m ↘-814 m ◔5h 10 ▲Easy
⚑Departure from Presle (Savoie)
A lovely late summer walk in Belledonne. From the start, there is a superb view of the Bauges Massif. There is also a small orientation table at the start.

Walking Col de la Perche and Col de l'Arbarétan

Visorando member
Col de la Perche et de l'Arbarétan
↔11.28 km ↗+749 m ↘-749 m ◔5h 20 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Presle (Savoie)
Hike in the Val Gelon, varied landscapes with beautiful views of Mont Blanc and the Belledonne mountain range.

Walking Route on the Plagnes ridges via the Tournelalon bypass

Visorando member
Circuit sur les crêtes des Plagnes par le contournement de Tournelalon
↔7.68 km ↗+576 m ↘-573 m ◔3h 50 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from La Chapelle-du-Bard (Isère)
Circular route via the Tournetalon bypass. Climb up to the orientation table at the top of Les Plagnes, where a 360° panorama awaits you. Descend via Super Small Pass before returning to Prerond via the snowshoe trail.

Walking Brame-Farine ridges

Visorando member
Crêtes de Brame-Farine
↔11.95 km ↗+842 m ↘-842 m ◔5h 50 ▲Difficult
⚑Departure from Saint-Maximin (Isère) (Isère)
Hike starting from a small village in Isère (on the border with Savoie) to reach the summit that separates it from its neighbour Allevard-les-Bains. From the ridge, a superb panorama allows you to discover the latter at the foot of the massif of the same name.This hike is more athletic than recreational, with a long and fairly steep climb, mainly through sometimes damp undergrowth, which can make the descent quite slippery.

For more walks, use our search engine .

The GPS track and description are the property of this route's author. Please do not copy them without permission.