From the Crossey Gorges to the Pierre Chave Bridge, a circular route

Park at the side of the RD520, ideally on the left-hand side when coming from Saint-Étienne de Crossey, at the junction with the small road leading from the hamlets of La Couchonnière or L’Étang Dauphin (do not park in the trial club’s car park, as it is private).

(S/E) Take the path leading uphill to the left. The start of the route is marked with yellow markings.

(1) After 400 m, at the “Les cloches de Rome” junction, carry on straight ahead through a pretty gorge and, at the end of it, stay on the path that climbs to the right. At the “Bois de la Garde” sign, carry on straight ahead then, after 100 m, join a forest track and follow it to the left.

(2) At the “Bassin de Rousset” junction, just above the hamlet of La Bourderie, take the path leading uphill to the left; then, 50 m further on, at the sign for “Le Chargeoir de la Bourderie”, take the path on the right towards Au-dessus des Jolys. 500 metres further on, just after a short steep slope, leave the main path which branches off to the left and continue straight on along a track crossing a clearing (no signposting). At the far end of the clearing, turn right onto a descent of about 100 metres, then turn left uphill. After an 80-metre climb, take the path on the right, which remains level.

(3) At the junction, continue along the path opposite, which climbs for another hundred metres, then turn right onto the path which continues on level ground.

(4) Do not cross the barbed wire; instead, find the gap between two trees, just 5 metres to the left. At the junction 100 metres further on, carry straight on. As you pass through the clearing beneath the power line, you’ll have an unobstructed view of the village of Saint-Laurent du Pont at the mouth of the Guiers Mort valley, as well as some of the peaks of the Chartreuse (the Grand Som and the Grande Sure on the far right).

(5) At the junction near the hamlet of Les Jolys, head up the path on the left and continue to a crossroads.

(6) At the sign for “Au-dessus des Jolys”, continue to the right towards Le Perron. Further on, the path emerges from the forest and leads onto a gently sloping meadow with views of the Chartreuse.

(7) Immediately turn left onto the path that heads back into the forest (this section of the path does not appear on the IGN map, only on OSM, but don’t worry – the path really does exist).
You’ll arrive above the Saint-Aupre valley.

(8) Follow the path to the right. At the junction 500 m further on, head up the path on the right. In this section, it may be more pleasant to take the small path 5 m further to the left rather than the stony or muddy track, depending on the season. When the path emerges from the forest and runs alongside fields, continue straight on until you reach a road.

(9) Follow the road to the right, then, after about a hundred metres, take the path to the left past the house. At the next junction (100 m), keep to the left. (Just before you reach the road, you may see a few sheep and a ram with long, twisted horns in a pen.) Take the road on the left for 200 m, then a path on the right.

(10) After 150 m, head down to the left towards the road and Le Tourniquet or Pont de Pierre Chave.

(11) Cross the bridge and walk just under a hundred metres along the road, keeping to the right-hand side. Take the first path on the right which climbs into the forest. You’ll soon reach another small road; follow this to the right as far as the hamlet of Les Verneys. Go round the last few houses on the left; follow the yellow sign for Rocher de la Garde.

(12) After 100 m, turn right onto the path which starts by running alongside fields before entering the forest. After 600 m, at the junction, turn left.

(13) 100 m further on, take care not to miss the path branching off to the right. 300 m further on, at the junction, carry on straight ahead. Again, after about 600 m, at a junction, carry on straight ahead. Do the same after 400 m to reach Les Balmettes.

(14) Leave the gravel track on your right which leads down to Saint-Aupre and continue straight ahead along the path which climbs uphill. After 50 m, stay on the path on the left, then, 50 m further on, take the one on the right. After 400 m, keep to the left and you’ll soon reach the junction you passed on the way out.

(6) Turn right towards Plantimey. After 100 metres, stay on the path on the left.

(15) At the sign for ‘Le bois de Plantimey’, head up to the left towards the Rocher de la Garde. After 250 m, continue to the right. At the first sign for Plantimey, keep to the right.

(16) At the second ‘Plantimey’ sign, turn left onto a short, steep climb with a slight staircase-like section. When the slope levels out, follow the path on the right which leads directly to the Rocher de la Garde (Yellow Cross, but a clear path). As you approach the summit, take care in the short section of sharp limestone pavement.

(17) At the summit of the Rocher de la Garde, the view to the south takes in the entrance to the gorges, with the Grande Sûre in the background and the Vercors in the distance; to the west, the village of Saint-Étienne de Crossey and the whole of the Voironnais region. Retrace your steps for about a hundred metres, then head down to the right (following the yellow markings until you reach the finish).
At the sign for “Sous le Rocher”, head down the path on the right. 100 metres further on, at the junction, keep to the right.

(18) Signpost ‘Au dessus des Gorges’. Continue to the left towards Les Cloches de Rome and the Gorges de Crossey, and return to the junction you passed on the way out.

(1) At “Les Cloches de Rome”, turn right towards the Gorges de Crossey, following the reverse route of the outward journey to return to the car park (S/E).

There are no water points on this route.

The Tourniquet or Pont de Pierre Chave is built over a narrow passage; it supports and overhangs the same road. This constitutes an extremely rare road configuration. Pierre Chave is thought to mean ‘bald rock’, i.e. without vegetation (see Wikipedia).