From the fortified house of La Frette to the Château du Touvet, a circular route

An easy route in the hills above Le Touvet, from one castle to another, with the first part in the forest and the return via the hamlets on the road, including 250 m on the D29, but without any danger.

Details

29483211
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 7.49 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 55 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 286 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 283 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 523 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 304 m

Photos

Description of the walk

At La Frette, on the D1090, take the Montée du Baron des Adrets for 300 m and park above the fortified house. Several spaces are available at the crossroads.

(S/E) From the crossroads, climb the tarmac Montée du Baron des Adrets, which becomes a paved path, then a forest track. Join a tarmac road at the hamlet of Montabon du Touvet.

(1) Follow it to the right. Continue more or less horizontally, cross the D29 and continue on a good path in the same direction.

(2) At the fork, take the path on the left which climbs slightly and is marked in yellow.

(3) At the junction with a path, turn left and head towards Fontaine Dravy (signposted). Turn right towards Pierre Aiguille (temporary sign). Head towards Pierre Tournoud, which is signposted further on.

(4) At Pierre Tournoud (sign and remarkable rock), turn right and continue on the horizontal path towards Le Vivier. When you reach the top of the hamlet (not the castle), join a good path at a hairpin bend.

(5) Descend to the right until you reach a small crossroads with four tarmac roads: look for the sign for Chemin des Mules. To go around the pretty hamlet and return to the same crossroads, turn left, then right and right again.

From the crossroads, turn left onto Chemin des Mules (signposted), a good, straight, level path, for 300 m.
At the end of the straight road, leave it and take a path that descends to the left, running alongside a cow pasture, overlooking the Château du Touvet. After a short steep descent, you will reach a fence.

(6) Descend to the left to reach a small horizontal tarmac road. Take this road and continue in this direction until you reach a wider road, the D29. Follow this road for about 500 m, slightly uphill.

(7) Leave the D29 at the hairpin bend and follow a smaller, horizontal tarmac road that leads directly to the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 326 m - Frette fortified house
  2. 1 : km 0.57 - alt. 454 m - Hamlet of Montabon du Touvet
  3. 2 : km 1.06 - alt. 458 m - Fork
  4. 3 : km 1.85 - alt. 459 m - Fork before the Dravy Fountain
  5. 4 : km 2.89 - alt. 508 m - Pierre Tournoud
  6. 5 : km 3.9 - alt. 399 m - Hairpin bend
  7. 6 : km 5.29 - alt. 337 m - On the heights of Le Touvet
  8. 7 : km 6.43 - alt. 333 m - Bend, leaving the D29
  9. S/E : km 7.49 - alt. 326 m - Frette fortified house

Notes

Bring walking sticks, as there are some short steep sections.

Reviews and comments

4.9 / 5
Based on 8 reviews

Reliability of the description
5 / 5
Ease of following the route
5 / 5
Route interest
4.6 / 5
User 5205290

I found this hike beautiful in autumn weather.

Machine-translated

Dgeeb
Dgeeb

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 16, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Great outing. Thank you for the guidebook, which allowed us to discover the countryside just above Le Touvet. Small roads in the sunshine, woods and wide paths. Just note that the climb is a little steep at the start and a bit muddy in February.

Machine-translated

Claude38
Claude38

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 17, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Very beautiful circular! Easy and very pleasant for exploring the area. Thank you for this route 👍

Machine-translated

TaX38
TaX38

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 17, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful walk through the woods, with magnificent views of Belledone, Les Bauges and the Château du Touvet, the jewel of Grésivaudan. After the Dravy fountain, be careful after point 3 not to take the steep path on the left (barely visible yellow cross), but the small path on the right that goes around the hill.

Machine-translated

Claude38
Claude38

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 25, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Short, easy hike... very pleasant route!

Machine-translated

jluca
jluca

I have modified the description to prevent other people from descending too early and thus unintentionally shortening the hike. Thank you for your comment.

Machine-translated

XFandre
XFandre

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 06, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant walk, except for the beginning (mention the steepness of the slope at the start) and the end (return via the road).
Finally, we descended too early towards the Château du Touvet, despite the yellow cross, because the description seemed to match.

Machine-translated

sempervivum
sempervivum

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 05, 2023
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The first part is quiet and pleasant in the forest until point 5. Then there are small roads with Sunday walkers. The D29 is not safe for pedestrians. We plan to do this 2-hour walk again, extending it to Montalieu Castle as suggested by the author.

Machine-translated

gire38
gire38

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 20, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful walk with stunning views of the Belledonne mountains
Best done in winter when the weather is fine and in the morning to make the most of the sunshine

Machine-translated

jluca
jluca

Thank you for your comment.
You might also like the next one, from Touvet Castle to Montalieu Castle. It's similar in style, with a section through the Alloix torrent gorges. :-)
Best regards,
JL

Machine-translated

jacques.talbot
jacques.talbot

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 01, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant walk on the western slope of Grésivaudan.

Machine-translated

Other walks in the area

For more walks, use our search engine .

The GPS track and description are the property of this route's author. Please do not copy them without permission.