Ridges of the Northern Vercors

Date of your route : May 17, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A superb hike with incredible views on a clear day; there are no particular difficulties, but you mustn’t be afraid of heights, as some sections can be quite tricky for ‘beginners’. Apart from that, I recommend it 100% and I plan to do it again myself.

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Date of your route : May 07, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

The Pas de la Clé is closed from 1 November to 15 May (by local by-law). This should be mentioned in the description.

This ban is well justified, as the path is steep, slippery and dangerous in wet weather.

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Date of your route : May 07, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

I did this route in a clockwise direction (i.e. the opposite of the one suggested in the description), covering only the southern circular loop (skipping the section (2)–(5)).

The weather was wet and overcast on 7 May 2025; as a result, I can’t say anything at all about the views. The paths were very slippery, and there were dangerous sections, both on the ascent and the descent. Having done this, I think that in slippery conditions it’s better to go clockwise, as I did. Indeed, halfway between the points (D:A) and (10), the path is steep, narrow and slippery, running along the edge of a sheer drop; when it’s wet, the fall looks really nasty!

The descent from the Pas de la Clé is also steep and slippery, but the drop is far less dangerous.

Please note that it is forbidden to use the Pas de la Clé from 1 November to 15 May. Unfortunately, I only found this out at the end of the hike.

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Hello,
The altitudes have been recalculated today.

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Date of your route : Nov 04, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A superb hike – so much so that I did it twice in the same week, once on my own and the second time with my wife and son, with whom I wanted to share it.
It’s a shame that the summary lists the elevation gain as 1,772 metres when it’s actually only 1,300 metres; this might put other hikers off, which is a real pity.

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Date of your route : Sep 25, 2018
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

I arrived too late in the morning to consider doing the full ridge walk. After crossing the Pas de la Clé, I decided to do the southern circular loop as I wasn’t familiar with the Pas de la Pierre Taillée or Fessole.
At the start, bad luck: the foresters had taken over the whole area and blocked the climb up to the pass so they could work at the edge of the woods, confining us to a place called Le Coing (900 metres).
A bit of extra elevation gain to rejoin the original route via “Le Devay” and, on the return leg, thoroughly exhausted, a pleasant surprise in the form of a lovely descent through the woods from the Col de Montaud towards Le Coing.

Difficulty due to the elevation gain and slopes that are sometimes very “steep”.
The forestry contractors show little respect and have churned up the paths, turning them into steep sections that are difficult to navigate both uphill and downhill.
On the ridges, everything is fine; this area is known to be a bit tricky in places, so make sure you’re well-equipped for the terrain.
All things considered, I don’t think this hike is suitable for everyone due to the elevation gain and its length, even if done in sections as I did (Circular Route from Le Coing: 14.5 km, 1,250 m elevation gain, 5 hours)
For those looking for a challenge in terms of elevation gain and distance,
for those who want to understand how timber was once transported down from the forests of Autrans,
for those who have never experienced the magic of Les Ecouges, home to the Fessole farm,
highly recommended!!

Thanks to the visorandonneur for creating this route, I really enjoyed it!

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