La Baume Grenas

Date of your route : Sep 22, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A superb little walk, with a cave, river and viewpoint, all in less than two hours! What more could you ask for? With the marked trail, it's easy to find your way... I was looking forward to the "vertiginous" section, but I was disappointed... frankly, it's barely a ledge, and you don't feel like you're on the side of a cliff.. Yes, of course, you have to be careful with young children running around, but it's really not that bad... I'm used to much steeper and more vertiginous hikes in Haute-Savoie, where this one would have been rated "average" I think, because it's far from difficult! Don't do it in rainy weather, I can confirm that!

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Date of your route : May 10, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

This route is very interesting. The cave sounds very appealing in the description but is difficult to find as there are no signs along the way. Be careful with your equipment as the descent is steep and there are large slippery rocks. The views are exceptional.

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Date of your route : Oct 14, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

2 pieces of information not mentioned in the description.
first important piece of information: the hike is impossible when it has rained! The path along the river is flooded.
second very important piece of information: do not take the path that goes up to the right at point 2. At one point, there is no way through. We had to crawl through a muddy passage 30 cm above the ground, on the edge of the rock face. It was impossible to turn back because we had already made some dangerous passages. This path must be closedto prevent people from taking it by mistake!

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Date of your route : Sep 29, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Superb route. A cave to visit, magnificent views, passages along the water's edge and cliffs.
The hike follows the yellow and white markings, but there are two unmarked variants:
Variation 1 (overlooking the Ardèche): very close to the water, where there is a passage through a hole under a rock, climb up to the right. The trail joins a pretty little unsecured ledge. CAUTION: there is a narrow passage 1 to 2 metres long where you will need to sit down to pass. This variation is for experienced hikers only.
Variation 2 (higher up, along the foot of the cliffs): before the Grotte de Grenas, take the path that turns right and runs along the cliffs. This path arrives after point 2.

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Date of your route : Aug 16, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

WARNING!!! CAUTION! It is essential to wear suitable footwear and walk carefully in certain areas. Two hikers have fallen and required the assistance of the fire brigade on the trail. Please exercise caution!

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Date of your route : Jul 15, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Superb view of the Cirque de Gens BUT 2 very difficult passages on the side of the cliff
Not for those prone to vertigo, and not suitable for babies in carriers or young children.

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WARNING!!! The description fails to mention that this hike is only possible when the Ardèche river is low. The water level must be less than -0.10 m at the Vogüé gauge (not 0.10 m) for you to walk along the Ardèche without getting your feet wet. And when the Ardèche is high, there is a risk of being swept away, or some people think you have to take the narrow cliff path, which is dangerous. Here is the link to the Vogüé water level gauge: https://www.vigicrues.gouv.fr/station/V5...

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Date of your route : Apr 23, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A magnificent hike (partly marked in yellow and white) with two options: dip your feet in the water (most hikers choose this option) or take a slightly more challenging route under the cliffs (a poorly marked path and a very narrow passage along a cliff requiring you to sit down at a height of 1.50 metres to be safe).

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Date of your route : Apr 14, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very misleading and dangerous route. After following the Ardèche river for the first part, we mistakenly turned onto an old path. It was on the side of a cliff. We had to turn back because it ended with a 30 cm passage above the void with the rock just above us. It was crazy without any equipment. Many of us made the same mistake. Fortunately, we got help. We then all continued along the path, which was sometimes a little difficult but perfectly doable. As the Ardèche is very high, some people chose to go through the water rather than tiptoe across a 2-metre passage.
It is absolutely essential that the old path is marked correctly and closed!
A very varied hike. Magnificent landscapes. Wear good shoes and don't take dogs or small children with you.

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Date of your route : Aug 30, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

I already posted about the hike on the other side, where you're guaranteed sunshine!
A peaceful hike with a beautiful view.
I tried to head towards the other side, towards the campsite and the bridge, but it's actually much too long before you reach the cirque. It's better to take your car back, and the hike is a bit long from memory ;-)

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Date of your route : Apr 13, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A magnificent little loop, cliffs and rocks, everything I love!
Follow the signs along the Ardèche carefully and don't get carried away too early, as many of us had to turn back on a pretty little ledge that was too narrow!
You have to use your hands in places, which is part of the charm!
Pebble beaches along the Ardèche, an easy and impressive cave, ledges and lappiaz.
Thanks for sharing.

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Date of your route : Aug 24, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Nice little hike!
A few possible improvements to the description:
- Instead of "Just before the entrance to the farmhouse, turn right onto the path and continue north,"
write "Leave the entrance to the farmhouse on your right and continue along the path northwards"
(note: "north" in lowercase according to typographical conventions, as it is a direction and not a region)
- Instead of "a path on the right which, after passing under a wooden archway, follows a meadow along the edge of the forest (you will see the Mas du Grazel on the left)",
write "a path on the right which, after passing under a wooden archway, turns right to follow a meadow (you can see the Mas du Grazel in the distance on the left)"

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Hello,
It seems that you missed the junction where the path went up to the right, which is clearly marked in yellow and white and would have taken you to a ledge that you could have followed to the end, descending towards the river... However, this path is not very convenient, which is why I mentioned it in the guidebook, but you must have missed it! Nevertheless, you enjoyed this beautiful place regardless of the route you took, and that's what matters most...

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Date of your route : Nov 13, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hello,
firstly, regarding arrival by car, it would be helpful to specify that crossing Ruoms applies to drivers coming from the south. Coming from the north, the roundabout is at the entrance to Ruoms, where you need to make a U-turn
Despite this detour, it was worthwhile as we passed by the large cooperative winery and made an interesting and enjoyable stop at the wine cellar!
Following the route, we took a small detour on a blocked path because it was poorly signposted, so we returned to the riverbank to continue further up. We recorded 7.63 km, not 4.65 km. Elevation gain: 240 metres. Walking time: 1 hour 55 minutes, plus stops to take photos.
Please note that this ledge, which does not lead anywhere, can be dangerous on slippery ground and is not suitable for children or people with mobility issues or a fear of heights. It would be useful to point this out or, better still, to mark it.
That said, this hike is superb and the scenery is magnificent, with the possibility of swimming in summer near a sandy beach.

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Date of your route : May 19, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike with stunning scenery.
However, shortly after leaving point 1, we missed the cave because we couldn't identify a "left turn"!
To reach point 2, follow the river as closely as possible along the entire route. Don't be tempted to follow a path that climbs just a few metres as it leads to the edge of the cliff and you'll have to turn back...
Also pay close attention at point 3 because we didn't see the discreet path to the right either. We ended up taking a long detour, but it was nice too.

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