Croix de Justin and Pic de Beauvoisin via Die

Get to Die via the D93. Coming from Pontaix, turn right after the first roundabout and follow the signs for ‘cimetière’. Park in the large car park in front of the cemetery. 

(S/E) Return along the road you came on, following the Drôme downstream, and cross the small bridge over the river.

(1) Just after the bridge, follow the signs for “Croix de Justin”: these signs will be visible for much of the route, so it’s impossible to get lost. Walk past a few greenhouses until you reach a fork in the path. 

(2) Take the track on the left for about 200 m, then turn right to begin a climb of about 5 km: don’t worry, it’s a steady climb all the way with no sudden steep sections. Follow the small, very well-maintained path as it climbs gently: at this point, you’ll be passing through woodland, with not much of a view.

(3) Leave the return path opposite. Navigate the hairpin bend to the right. Continue on virtually level ground, take a hairpin bend to the left, then carry on until you come out onto a good, fairly wide forest track.

(4) Follow it straight ahead for about a hundred metres, then take a shortcut to the right before rejoining it shortly afterwards. Continue to follow the sign for “Croix de Justin” and reach a junction located at a bend to the left. 

(5) Go straight on to reach the Croix de Justin: enjoy the magnificent view over the Vercors, Die and the surrounding area. There’s even a bench where you can have a bite to eat.

(6) Retrace your steps back to the bend.

(5) Carry on straight ahead, then turn left a good hundred metres further on.

(7) Take a forest track on the left, heading towards the Pic de Beauvoisin, which is clearly signposted throughout. Make sure you keep heading south-east. 

(8) Keep left at this junction, and follow a few hairpin bends before reaching the Col de Beauvoisin, where the climb is almost over.

(9) Take the small path leading down to the left towards Pic de Beauvoisin. 

(10) Head back down via the forest track on the right. 

(11) Don’t miss the small path on the right where the forest track ends: don’t worry, a signpost indicates the direction of Die. Continue along this main path until you rejoin the route you took on the way there at the junction you passed earlier.

(3) Head down the opposite way, following the route in the opposite direction to the way there, to return to the cemetery car park (S/E). 

The entire route is very well signposted – thank you for marking it out.

(10) Personally, we didn’t climb to the summit, though it’s likely you can get closer to it. You can also head back down via the ‘40 hairpin bends’ path: we avoided it as it was too dangerous for my liking on wet ground.