Grotte des Fées, Crête des Vachères, Grotte des Ussets and Crête de Mussan

Access from the A49 motorway, exit 7 from Valence or exit 8 from Grenoble.

The hike starts in Beauregard. Park in the car park near the tennis court.

(S/E) Go to the end of the car park and head south towards the quarry. Go past the chain behind the "Chute de Blocs" sign and turn left, heading east. After the rockfall sign, take a path opposite which becomes very steep. Ropes, which are particularly useful for the descent, are installed in the steepest and most slippery sections. You will then reach a promontory overlooking the Portal.

(1) Admire the view, then head north. A short descent leads to a rock that you need to climb down. Turn right and you will reach the entrance to the cave.

(2) Explore the chambers (torches required) and return to the promontory.

(1) Climb up opposite, facing south, going around the needles of the ridge on the right. Before the last promontory at 701 metres, the path turns right to join the Crête des Vachères.

(3) Pass above the quarry and quickly reach the Croix de Saint Gervais.

(4) Continue along the ridge, join the path that climbs up from Beauregard, follow it to the left, and follow the short ascents and descents to the Col and Abri de Sonnaize.

(5) Opposite, head towards Pas du Loup, which you will reach after a short climb. At the start of the descent, heading towards Col des Tourniers, look out for a path on the left that climbs straight up the slope. Take this path to visit the Grotte des Ussets, which is less deep than the previous cave.

(6) After your visit, retrace your steps and continue left, northeast, to the Col des Tourniers, ignoring the paths on the right.

(7) Ignore the fences and take the path on the right, heading northeast towards Font Pourcel and its spring. Join the track near the spring.

(8) Take it to the left. At Font Pourcel, the track makes a hairpin bend to the right. Pass to the right of the mirador and, a little higher up, a path branches off to the left.

(9) This is the Pas de la Pierre trail. It follows a ridge, then climbs slightly to the left, crossing upwards. Wooden steps help you progress. When you reach the cliffs, continue slightly to the left until you reach the Pas de la Pierre.

(10) Take the ridge path on the left and climb up to the first promontory, then follow the ridge to the Pas de l'Aulagnier.

(11) Then turn left to begin a slippery descent on dirt. Reach a crossroads at Les Véreires.

(12) Continue straight ahead towards Montagne du Sey. The trail turns south to join the Ravin de l'Ecalon after a crossing, then reaches Champ Riant, continuing straight ahead.

(13) Keep going until you reach Passage du Tour, where the path joins the road.

(14) Take it on the left to continue downhill to the Combe and the Portal. Pass the school and join the car park on the left, passing near the tennis court and taking the footpath, then the footbridge (S/E).

There is no water on the route, and the Fontaine de Pourcel should be reserved for animals given its condition.

If, like me, you miss the right turn at (3) and find yourself on the 701 promontory, do not try to cut across to reach the Crête des Vachères: you'll get stuck in the boxwood and brambles (I tried it, but after turning back, the app put me back on track).

I encountered more trail runners than hikers on the route.

Note that there is a longer and equally interesting hike on Visorando, created by JCParavy, which follows some of the same trails.

The Grotte des Fées is interesting for its four chambers.

You can enter the Ussets chamber a few metres in, but then a well prevents access without equipment.

The view from the first promontory after the Pas de la Pierre is magnificent, with a clear view of all the peaks of the Vercors, notably the Grande Moucherolle and the Grand Veymont. Vultures are out in force.

As you pass through the Portal, look carefully to the left, then to the right to see holes in the rock and arches forming.