The Isère between Bièvre and Terres Froides

Departure from the car park next to the cemetery and church in Gillonnay.
(S/E) Head east towards the church, then turn left onto the uphill road, leaving the church on your right.

^GR®65markings (white and red)

Follow the road uphill and at the first crossroads, follow the road to the right. Opposite a house and a water tank, follow the road to the right for 200 metres.

(1) At the crossroads with a cross, continue straight ahead, ignoring the road on the left, which you will take on the way back. Continue along the road serving the houses on the right. At the next crossroads, ignore the road going downhill on the right and turn left for just a few metres.

(2) Immediately turn right to walk alongside the Château de Pointières on your right. Continue along the road until you reach a valley and a bend in the road to the right. In the bend, take the path going up to the left.

(3) Walk past the Château Montgontier buildings on your right. Follow the road and, near an old sports field on your left, ignore a path going up to the left and follow the path opposite. Note the decorative artwork on your right, reminiscent of the Camino de Santiago.

(4) The path joins a road; follow it straight ahead. When you reach a new road, follow it to the left. Cross the village of Saint-Hilaire and continue 200 metres past the church.

Yellow markings

(5) Ignore the path opposite and take the road ascending to the left. Follow the ascending road, which then turns into a path through the forest. Join a road and follow it to the right, slightly uphill.

(6) Walk past a house on your right, then follow the road to the left. After leaving the houses on either side, ignore a road coming from the left and continue to the right, walking past the farm buildings on your right. 200 metres after the farm, join the D1085 ( take care).

(7) Cross the road and continue uphill opposite. Walk past a house on your right. 300 metres further on, ignore a yellow-marked path on your left.

(8) Follow another path marked in yellow uphill to the right. Cross the Forêt des Brosses forest via a good path to come out onto a grassy area. Ignore the path to the left and take the tarmac path that descends steeply to the right.

(9) Halfway down the slope, take the first path at a right angle to the left. Follow this well-marked path, ignoring the trails on either side. Yellow markings are still present. The path heads east and then curves south-east to run alongside a house on the left.

(10) Immediately after the house, take the hairpin bend to the left and continue through the forest until you reach a crossroads and a wood storage area at an elevation of 581 metres.

(11) Take the wide, well-marked path descending slightly to the left. Follow the valley, passing ponds on your left. Walk past the houses on your right. You will reach the village of Longechenal.

No markings

(12) Follow the road to the left, crossing the long village in a straight line along the road. Pass close to the church on the left. Opposite, there is a bus shelter and toilets. Continue past the village, passing under power lines until you reach a roundabout (take care).

(13) Cross it and continue straight ahead towards the village of Le Mottier via the D71d. After 800 metres, ignore the road on the left leading to the cemetery and continue straight ahead towards the centre of the village. Pass the church on your right.

Yellow markings

(14) At the next crossroads, opposite the town hall, take the street on the left at a right angle. The tarmac road then turns into a path leading up to the Bocsozel Ruins. A visit to the ruins is recommended. Return below the ruins and follow the tarmac road on the right downhill towards the south-west. Ignore the road continuing to the right and follow the path straight ahead up towards the forest. At the end of the meadow below on the right, cross a wetland area. Ignore what looks like a path to the left.

(15) Ignore the path straight ahead and take the hairpin bend to the right. The well-marked path crosses the forest and leads to a ridge over a cultivated area. Follow the dirt track to the right until you reach a tarmac road.

(16) Turn left. Cross a road and follow the path opposite down towards some houses. The path joins a road, then at the next junction, turn right between the houses. Then turn left towards the south. After 100 metres, you will reach the junction leading to Notre-Dame-Du-Mont.

(17) Turn right towards the Notre-Dame-Du-Mont Chapel (we will return to this crossroads after the visit). Pass the inn on the left and reach the chapel site.

(18) After your visit, return to the previous crossroads.

(17) Head downhill to the right. After 100 metres, ignore the road leading off to the left and take the path downhill opposite. When you reach a road, turn left and after 30 metres, turn right.

^GR®65markings (white and red)

(1) Here, rejoin the starting route and turn right. After the water tank and the house, continue along the road to the left. Walk past the church on your left and, at the corner of the cemetery, take the road to the right and head for the Gillonnay cemetery car park (S/E).

No special equipment required.
Water points and bus shelters in the villages of Saint-Hilaire, Longechenal, Le Mottier and Notre-Dame-Du-Mont.

Traditional Dauphiné architecture can be seen as you pass through the villages and near the farms.
Saint-Maurice Church in Gillonnay.
16th-century Pointières Castle.
Decorative artwork reminiscent of the Way of St James after Montgontier Castle.
Ruins of the 12th-century Château de Bocsozel near Le Mottier. The Bocsozel family, one of the oldest in the Dauphiné region and vassals of the Counts of Savoy, appeared in the 11th century.
Chapel of Notre-Dame-du-Mont: a very ancient place of pilgrimage founded by one of the lords of Bressieux. The views from this site are remarkable.
Way of the Cross between the Chapel of Notre-Dame-du-Mont and the Church of Gillonnay
From the ridge walk, there are numerous views of the Alps, Vercors, Chartreuse and the plains of Bièvre to the south and Liers to the north.