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To reach the start of the walk by car from Grenoble: head towards Sassenage, then at the roundabout at the village exit, take the D531 which climbs up to the Vercors plateau.
Just before the signs indicating the turn-off for the entrance to the village of Engins, you can park in a car park on the left-hand side of the road. This car park overlooks the Engins dam.
(S/E) To start the hike, you will need to follow the D-road for about 300m. This is the tricky part of the route. Take care as there is heavy traffic!
To do this, you must cross the road immediately and then take the right-hand verge heading uphill. It is wide enough for pedestrians provided you walk in single file. You will pass the road leading up to the village of Engins on your right (this will be the route back) and continue along the right-hand verge to reach the hamlet of Les Jaux, the start of the walk off the D-road.
(1) Leave this path by taking the road leading uphill to your right, heading due west (signs for "Ferme des Rapilles" and "La Grande Combe"). The climb is quite steep but on a tarmac road with very little traffic.
(2) After 600m at a place called "Rossinière", leave the climb and you will find a road on your right that levels out and heads towards the village of Engins. Follow it to the village. You will pass the church and its bell tower, the town hall and the school. Continue straight on for about twenty metres and you will see a sign on your left indicating "Sornin-La Molière".
(3) At this sign, leave the road and take the small slope leading to a wide track. You will then be on theGR®9, also known asthe GRP® Tour des Quatre Montagnes. Following this track, you will climb for about an hour, gaining nearly 300 metres in altitude. During this climb, which is quite steep in places, you will come across a path on your left and, further up, you will cross a large valley, the Combe Pellerin. A short stop is recommended to admire the meadows and the road below, at the edge of which lies the Engins outdoor activity centre.
(4) After crossing this valley, you will have about 20 minutes of climbing left to reach the 1,186m mark, where you will come to a junction with several paths branching off.
(5) Ignore the two paths climbing up to your left and another one descending to your right. You should take the wide track heading north. From this point on: the climb is over. You will continue along the track that runs alongside the hamlet known as "Les Touches". Further on, it curves north-east for just over 1 km. You will then reach a circular bend with a change of direction of almost 180°.
(6) At this point, the track continues almost parallel to the start but heading south-west. A hundred metres after the circular bend, you’ll have two options for descending to the hamlet of Le Fournel:
- either take the path on your left heading due south,
- or you continue straight on, staying on the track. It is this route that is marked on the map. The track continues on level ground for 800m and ends at a much narrower path that descends towards the east.
(7) At this point, a barely visible path descends steeply towards the hamlet of Le Fournel. Given the gradient, it is best to descend in a zigzag pattern through the woods, taking the bends. The woods are not dense and the descent through the trees is not very long (10 to 15 minutes). The general direction is clear and you will soon be able to see the destination in a meadow. Nevertheless, good walking shoes and walking poles will be very useful.
As you continue the descent, you will soon pass a farm and then a beautiful stone pond, before arriving at the hamlet of Le Fournel. This hamlet was once home to farms, which have gradually been replaced by residential houses.
(8) After a short stop, all that remains is to return to the starting point by taking the almost flat road heading due south. In a circular route, you will cross the lower part of the Combe Pellerin, where the day-care centre you spotted on the way up is located. A little further on, you will reach the junction with the road leading up to the village of Engins.
(9) Ignore this road climbing up to your right and continue straight on. You will have just 700m left to cover on the descent before joining the D531, where you should turn left to reach the car park (S/E).
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