Col de la Tençon walks

Pleasant circular route starting from Voreppe, which passes through Pommiers-la-Placette and the Col de Tençon at the foot of the Rochebrune summit.

A lovely but fairly strenuous hike. Return via the same route.

This circular route starts at the La Rigonnière outdoor activity centre in Voreppe and goes around Rochebrune, the highest point of the Grand Ratz, the southernmost link in the Jura mountain range. Although the altitude remains modest, the hike covers a significant elevation gain and distance. The landscapes are very varied and change throughout the route, with views of the surrounding mountains: Chartreuse, Vercors, the hills of Bas Dauphiné, as well as the Isère valley and the Grenoble metropolitan area.

At the southern tip of the Jura massif (Ratz range), this walk is rich in history:- Former fireclay quarry.- Sites associated with the Resistance.- Ruins of an ancient settlement (with a bread oven).- A centuries-old track, of which the paving and retaining walls remain.- Views over the Cirque de Roize.- The Isère plain and gorge, a true corridor carved out by glaciers between the Vercors and the Chartreuse Trail No. 2 of the "Western Chartreuse Trails". This trail presents risks typical of mountain and forest trails (falling branches and rocks along the cliff face) and care should be taken when crossing the main road.