Crête de Montraillant from the Chapelle Blanche

A good half-day walk to enjoy panoramic views of the Chartreuse, the Vercors in the distance, Lauzière and the nearby Belledonnes.

Please note: there is an error. This hike is on foot and not by mountain bike as indicated.

Details

5157191
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Last review:
  • Mountain biking
    Activity: Mountain biking
  • ↔
    Distance: 9.87 km
  • ◔
    Duration according to the author: 3 hrs 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 310 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 304 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 787 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 489 m
  • ⚐ Country: France
  • ⚐
    Areas: Alps, Belledonne
  • ⚑
    Start/End: N 45.447781° / E 6.071579°
  • ❏
    IGN map(s): Ref. 3433OT

  • ◶
    Type of surface:
  •  
     
     
     33% Road  34% Byway  33% Path
  • ⇧
    Bike carrying: Not specified
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Not specified
  • Hour-by-hour weather

Photos

Description of the route

In the village, park on Rue de la Fontaine, where there are numerous parking spaces opposite the school.

(S/E) Go up the street and turn left onto Rue de l'Église. Continue along Route de Villaroux (D29) and go up to reach the centre of the village.

(1) At the crossroads with directional signs, turn right to go up the street, then turn right again. Follow the path, pass an isolated house and continue uphill. Pass a hairpin bend, gradually reach the ridge and stay on the path, enjoying the view. You will come to a crossroads, which is also the end of a small road coming from the village.

(2) Take the path furthest to the left, pass Gégé's barn and gradually enter the undergrowth. Given the presence of various intersections and the absence of landmarks, monitor your position with the mobile app and reach the intersection at point 769. In any case, be sure to keep heading north-northeast.

(3) Turn right and, 200 m further on, you will reach a new intersection with a marker. Turn left onto the dirt track and head for the Montraillant intersection.

(4) Turn right: after a left-hand bend, the path descends to an altitude of 721 m.

(5) At the hairpin bend, turn right towards Les Martins; the descent continues until you reach a small road.

(6) Then turn right to return to the village. Cross the hamlets of Grand Mont, Terraillon, Mont Cenis and Le Villaret, staying on the same road. Admire the landscape, fountains, chapels and rural architecture, and finally return to the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 489 m - Car park on Rue de la Fontaine.
  2. 1 : km 1.36 - alt. 572 m - Villaroux village
  3. 2 : km 3.67 - alt. 740 m - Perrier map, elevation 740
  4. 3 : km 4.91 - alt. 764 m - Cote 769, on the right
  5. 4 : km 5.31 - alt. 771 m - Montraillant
  6. 5 : km 5.8 - alt. 714 m - Cote 721, on the right
  7. 6 : km 6.71 - alt. 583 m - Les Martins
  8. S/E : km 9.87 - alt. 489 m - Car park

Notes

Yellow markings and directional signs except between (2) and (4).

Standard equipment.

Worth a visit

Various panoramic views.

Reviews and comments

4.4 / 5
Based on 10 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.4 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.6 / 5
Route interest
4.2 / 5
GC R.
GC R.

Hello to the team,
Not done yet, recording in anticipation of a possible hike in the area.
Apologies... Thank you.
Best regards.
GC.R

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Michou73
Michou73

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 02, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant hike, but difficult to navigate despite GPS, as the forest section is not marked and there are numerous trails running through it.

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frisona
frisona

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 24, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pretty route, especially after leaving the village of Villaroux. Magnificent views of the Belledonne mountain range accompany us all along the way. A lovely little spot after the Cabane à Gège (follow the north/east direction).

The return journey is mostly on the road, but this is not a problem as there is little traffic. For us, the trip took 2 hours and 40 minutes, including a 20-minute stop for refreshments.

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Quinso
Quinso

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 02, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

A lovely circular route on a fairly busy trail (even on weekdays). The sections through the forest are a bit tedious.

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NathD
NathD

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 06, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Magnificent panorama.
Return on a very quiet road.

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valleymise
valleymise

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 05, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

We never found point 3. But the route was obvious anyway.
It's a shame that the return trip along the tarmac road is too long and not very interesting.
Finally, we parked in front of the church (half a dozen spaces).
Michel

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Aseven3
Aseven3
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 03, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant walk with beautiful scenery that I really enjoyed. (Very windy that day)
It's quite a climb at the beginning, but after that it's almost entirely flat. Be careful on the descent, which can be a bit steep (make sure you have good shoes).
What I find a shame is that after the descent into the forest, it's all road back to the car park, which is a pity and not very comfortable for your feet. Despite this, it allows you to see some very pretty houses, lots of flowers and beautiful natural surroundings.
I completed the hike in 1 hour 50 minutes instead of 3, walking at a normal pace (with a bit of running on the downhill sections) and taking a few breaks to drink, catch my breath or check the route.
As for the route, I followed everything thanks to the app and my sense of direction (it would be nice to be able to post reviews and photos directly from the app!). This was fortunate because some paths are misleading and can be poorly marked (or not marked at all). The route is fine, although sometimes a little imprecise (with a little bit of navigation, it's fine!). It's also a good idea for beginners or for exploring unfamiliar areas.
I plan to buy a map (IGN or other) to avoid relying on my phone. The route can also be followed on Google Maps, which is good for comparisons (crossroads, directions, altitude, etc.).
In short, a pleasant hike despite the wind, with beautiful views. Easy to access. Watch out for hunting signs (no dogs off the leash). The only downside is the road on the way back.
I think that if you walk slowly or with children, it takes a good 2½ to 3 hours, as indicated.
There were no spaces in the car park at the start or at the church, so I had to park a little further away (angle parking).

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monique et louis
monique et louis
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 15, 2021
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : Not used / Not applicable
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

The start of the hike was great. From point 5, we never found point 6. After an endless trek through the forest, we ended up on the opposite side of where we wanted to go.
We had to call someone to come and pick us up.
The description and map are probably fine, but there is a serious lack of signposting.

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opale
opale

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 13, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant short walk close by (for us).
No difficulty, accessible to all.
Magnificent, unobstructed views of Belledonnes and the Combe de Savoie.
At the end of the route, you pass through several charming hamlets with their ponds and chapels,
which we really enjoyed.
Thank you for this lovely route.

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christianplanchon@yahoo.fr
christianplanchon@yahoo.fr

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 01, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Thank you for this route, which offers beautiful views along the ridge. As we hadn't calibrated the altimeter, we missed hill 721 and had to cross under numerous electric fences... The return journey is less pleasant on the road, but overall it's a nice walk. Thank you for all the walks you enable us to do.

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LAFORGE B
LAFORGE B

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 28, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike offering panoramic views of the Chartreuse, Bauges and Belledonne mountain ranges.
The description is comprehensive, and the hike takes half a day, but only in sunny weather.

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