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This hike starts next to Allières Castle in the commune of Varces. To get there from Grenoble via the A51 motorway (free to Vif), take exit 10 and head for Allières Castle.
(S/E) Take the street to the right of the château and after 150 metres take a path on the left (signposted 'no vehicles'). The route is marked with yellow signs and the path is wide and almost flat at the start. At the entrance to the woods (400 metres from the start), take the path on the left.
(1). This path climbs gently towards the south-west.
(2) After 15-20 minutes at the "bois de Chabloz" point, turn right onto the path that heads north-west and climbs a little more steeply into the forest.
(3) Take advantage of an open section (high-voltage pylon) to enjoy the view of the valley and the surrounding mountains, all the way to Mont Blanc. After the pylon, the path becomes a trail. It winds between boxwood hedges and becomes a little steeper.
When the slope levels out, you will reach the hamlet of Chardeyre and the road that climbs up to the Saint-Ange plateau.
(4). Cross the road and continue on the path opposite.
A little further up, you will reach the hamlet of La Dionne.
(5) Here, you cross the road twice. The climb continues along the path, which remains fairly steep, until you reach the hamlet of Saint Imbert.
(6) You will come to a road, which you follow to the right. This becomes a track suitable for vehicles and the slope becomes gentler. You are now at the lower edge of the Saint-Ange plateau.
(7) At the next fork, ignore the path on the left that goes up to Prés du Four and continue straight ahead (yellow cross on a tree). Immediately after, take the path on the right towards Savoyères.
(8) When you reach the hamlet of Savoyères, the path continues to the right of the road and descends towards La Pissarde. Continue to follow the signs for Allières.
(9) The trail more or less follows the Ruisseau de la Pissarde stream, which can be a torrent when the snow melts. The descent is quite steep in places and can be slippery in spring and autumn.
(10) At the bottom of the descent, at the edge of the forest, just before reaching the road, you can take a short detour to admire the waterfall (especially in spring). To do so, take a small path on the right (no sign).
To return to the starting point, do not stay on the road, but continue straight ahead on a good path and rejoin the tarmac road to reach Allières Castle (S/E).
Visorando member
Very difficult 
