Gouffre de la Monette

Discover the Gouffre de la Monette and its waterfall via the marsh route. This is a mysterious place to be enjoyed in peace and quiet, so choose a time when it is not too busy.

Details

41354154
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 11.63 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 40 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 123 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 125 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 1,138 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 1,036 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Parking is available near the church in front of the cross of Christ and the book hut.

(S/E) Go down the D7 towards Fay-sur-Lignon for about 300 metres, then take the small tarmac road on the right towards Les Vastrets. Cross the hamlet to the wash house.

(1) Take the path furthest to the right and follow it to the small road. Turn right and then immediately left. Continue along this tarmac road, leaving the access road to La Faye (cross).

(2) Continue and pass a cemetery on your left for a good hundred metres.

(3) Leave the tarmac road and take the path on the right. Cross a wood and continue in the same direction until you reach the hamlet of Villelonge. Cross the D7 with caution and continue straight ahead for about 60 metres.

(4) Leave the tarmac road and take the path on the right. Further on, ignore a path on the right and continue straight ahead until you reach a crossroads, which is the starting point for the round trip to the chasm.

(5) Take the path opposite, which descends towards the Lioussel stream. This path turns right and then descends along the edge of the stream. Take the path that runs along the stream to the left until you reach the chasm. The path takes you down to the chasm opposite the waterfall.

(6) After enjoying this little corner of paradise, climb back up to the crossroads.

(5) Take the path on the left that crosses the fields with a view of the Mézenc. Come out onto a wider path and follow it, turning right.

(7) Cross the hamlet of Les Fours, take the road to the corner of a house and then turn right onto an unpaved path that eventually leads to the Voie Romaine.

(8) Turn right and continue to Le Monteil. At the last building on the right, leave this path and turn left onto the trail that climbs up to Les Vastres. Pass in front of the inn and the town hall to reach the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 1,122 m - Car park near the church in Les Vastres
  2. 1 : km 1.25 - alt. 1,130 m - Les Vastrets (wash house)
  3. 2 : km 2.53 - alt. 1,121 m - Cross the road (cross).
  4. 3 : km 3.51 - alt. 1,104 m - Fork to the right
  5. 4 : km 5.74 - alt. 1,076 m - Villelonge
  6. 5 : km 6.63 - alt. 1,080 m - Starting point for access to the chasm
  7. 6 : km 7.13 - alt. 1,036 m - Gouffre
  8. 7 : km 9.54 - alt. 1,094 m - Les Fours
  9. 8 : km 10.12 - alt. 1,090 m - Crossroads with Voie Romaine
  10. S/E : km 11.63 - alt. 1,122 m - Car park near the church in Les Vastres

Reviews and comments

4.7 / 5
Based on 9 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.6 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.8 / 5
Route interest
4.8 / 5
Michel43150
Michel43150
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 22, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

On 21 March 2026, spring is still in its infancy on the Vellave high plateau at 1,100 metres. A refreshing breeze is blowing and the view is superb, with the Mézenc still covered in snow! A lovely hike, even at the end of winter. Thanks to the author for putting this together so well. It hadn’t rained for about a week, yet some sections were quite muddy, rutted by tractors, but always easy to get around.

For my part, I allowed myself a little detour and parked in the very large market square in Fay-sur-Lignon (with plenty of open shops and public toilets), then followed the GR 430 to reach the start point at Les Vastres, 3.3 km away. This brought my total distance to around 18 km.

It should be noted that on site, in front of the Monette waterfall, the town hall has posted a sign prohibiting swimming in the small lake.

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promenades
promenades
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 18, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

We did this hike for the second time and found it very pleasant with beautiful scenery. At the blue point on the route, the path is dry, but further on it becomes very muddy and flooded.

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pierreantoine
pierreantoine

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 09, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely, easy hike with beautiful views and, as the icing on the cake, the arrival at the chasm.

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foxy26
foxy26

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 30, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Please note that in June, we encountered a lot of flooding on the paths at the start of the route. Otherwise, it's a nice route.

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Babs Sirène
Babs Sirène

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 20, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We did the hike in the morning, which was a good thing. With the afternoon heatwave, it would have been more difficult because large sections are exposed.
A magnificent hike. A wonderful discovery of the Gouffre de la Monette.
Be careful, even in summer, on the plateau, many parts of the path are marshy.

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promenades
promenades
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 18, 2024
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant hike. We made a round trip to see the dolmen, but we don't think it's worth walking 3 km to see just one tiny dolmen. That said, that's just our opinion. However, the Monette chasm is well worth the detour, a wonderful reward, especially as there is a lot of water at the moment, including on the paths. We'll definitely be back.

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Trudy
Trudy

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 21, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A superb hike with no difficulties, offering varied and magnificent landscapes. A few roads at the beginning, but with little traffic.
Paths very wet at this time of year.
Alone at the chasm – pure bliss!

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michem
michem

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 04, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very nice walk

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cathyferrer
cathyferrer

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 22, 2023
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Real autumn weather on the plateau, with a temperature of 1°C at the start of the morning, rising to 15°C later on.
To keep ourselves busy all day, we went to the small dolmen at Les Pennes in the north and then to the Croix de la Vieille Eglise in the south.
We didn't encounter a single hiker, jogger or cyclist... And to think that people say La Nonette is overcrowded! We only had the company of numerous horses and cows!
The chasm is worth a visit and there was a very good flow.
Thanks to the author.

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