From Châtillon-en-Diois to Ravel-et-Ferriers via the six passes

The route starts from Châtillon-en-Diois in front of the Tourist Office.

(S/E) Take the main street (Rue de la Gare) towards Die, then take the first street on the left (Viol du Bez), leading down to the bridge over the Bez. Cross the bridge and go straight on to reach the start of the paths towards the Moulin. Then turn left towards Col Régnier on the shared section of the GR® 91 and 95. The gradient is gentle. You’ll reach a junction where the two GR® trails split (at Piémard).

(1) Take the path on the left towards Col Régnier (GR®95). At the junction with a forest track, turn right uphill.

(2) When the track bends sharply to the left at Le Chargeoir, go straight on, following the GR® markings (towards Col Régnier). The gradient becomes quite steep at times.

(3) At Col Régnier, continue on the GR®; the path continues to climb, then levels out into a series of terraces (offering fine views) before climbing more steeply again.

(4) At Col Favier, the path descends quite steeply at times, before climbing again to reach Col de Mensac.

(5) Then head down towards Ravel. A little further down, at the fork, continue straight on along the GR®.

(6) At the hamlet of Ravel (where there is a fountain for water), take the small road on the right for about 500m. Along the way, you will notice a rather imposing building, a hotel that was almost finished but never opened.

(7) At the entrance to the hamlet of Les Ferriers, turn right towards it, following the signs for Serre Chanuit, as indicated by the signpost. After passing through the hamlet, continue along a path whose start is only faintly visible.

(8) At the forest track a little further on, head almost straight ahead to find the start of a path marked by a small cairn. With little gradient, the path winds through vegetation rich in boxwood (with the canopy occasionally quite low). The path becomes much easier to follow after this, and the slope steepens significantly as it leads to a large cleared area. Join a logging track and follow it to the right.

(9) Just before the end of the track, turn left onto a barely visible track for a few metres and join a grassy path. From there, continue to the right to reach the clearly visible ridge, which is not far away.
Once on the ridge at a small cairn, head left. After a few steep climbs in places, you’ll reach a cleared area and arrive at Serre Chanuit.

(10) This is the highest point of the hike; from here, enjoy the beautiful views. Retrace your steps back to the small cairn you passed on the way up. Head straight along the ridge line (leaving the main path) to reach the Col de la Selle.

(11) Be careful at the Col de la Selle regarding the direction; the visibility of the route to follow is not very good: you should continue straight ahead, keeping to the left of the broad ridge line and without attempting to descend immediately (watch out for other trailheads). The aim is to find the start of a small path: this path begins with a gentle gradient and is fairly visible, then joins a forest track with a fairly steep descent leading to the Col du Pinet (take care if the ground is wet).

(12) At the Col du Pinet, head almost straight on, following the direction of Les Gallands and Châtillon-en-Diois via the GR®. The path climbs gently to reach a fork. Take the right-hand fork following the GR® route. The path descends quite steeply for a short while. Keep a close watch to find the start of a path on the left.

(13) Turn onto this path, following the GR® route. The path then continues with little incline for a while.

(14) Suddenly, you come to a small tunnel carved into the rock, which the path passes through. The passage is secured by a cable. Continue along the GR® route to reach the small village of Les Gallands further down and take the street on its right.

(15) Cross the Pont des Gallands, head left (ignore the path on the right leading to the Col du Pinet via the track), then quite quickly turn right (passing to the left of the houses) whilst following the GR® route. The path climbs gently at first, passing vineyards, then becomes steeper further on.

(16) At the Col de Mard, continue towards Châtillon-en-Diois via the GR® and rejoin the fork you passed at the start.

(1) Keep left and return to the starting point via the same route as on the way out (S/E).

Good walking boots are recommended.

View the starting point.

Nature hates your rubbish. Take it away with you!

Between (7) and (12), the route is at times of average quality or even poor (navigation issues).
The start of the path leading from the Col de la Selle (11) towards the Col du Pinet (12) is not very visible (you should not descend immediately but rather stay to the left of the broad ridge): if in doubt, do not hesitate to use a GPS (such as the Visorando app on a smartphone). Once you’ve joined the path, visibility improves.
Take care on the descent to the Col du Pinet, which is a little steep

Water is available at Ravel.

• Between (S/E) and (7): the red and white markings of the GR® 95 are clearly visible; there are numerous signposts,
• Between (7) and (9): the route is in fair to good condition; traces of the old Randonnées de la Drôme No. 36 markings are present (indicated by a small Yellow Triangle made of plastic). If you cannot find the trail, it is relatively easy to reach the pass and then head left along the ridge (keeping to the left) to find the path leading to the summit of Serre Chanuit.
• Between (9) and (10): the route is not very good at the start in a deforested area (but over a short distance); after joining the other path leading to the ridge line and then to the summit, the condition is then fair to good. Some traces of the old Randonnées de la Drôme markings are visible.
• Between (10) and (11): the route is good to average up to the Col de la Selle.
• Between (11) and (12): the route is barely visible at the start but then becomes clear. No markings.
• Between (12) and (S/E): red and white GR® 91 markings; a few signposts present. On the climb to Col de Mard, the GR® markings are patchy at times.

Alternative route:
(12) At the crossroads after the Col du Pinet, it is possible to make a round trip to the summit of La Grésière (1,493m) and enjoy a stunning view.

• Châtillon en Diois: a magnificent medieval village at the foot of the Vercors.
• Ravel-et-Ferriers: these are actually two neighbouring hamlets situated on the heights of a small plateau.