La Beaume walks

A varied hike to discover the village of La Beaume from the heights, Haute-Beaume and the surrounding area. There are many attractions: an old hermitage (in ruins), the Beaume waterfall, and flora and fauna. Please note: this hike is not suitable for everyone, as the slopes are steep and the path is narrow and rugged in several places. It is reserved for fairly fit hikers. There is a steep climb early on.

Starting from the hamlet of La Bâtie-des-Fonds and the sources of the Drôme via cross-country paths, you reach an enchanting ridge. The route winds between Drôme and Hautes-Alpes, offering a 360° panorama with views of Le Duffre, Le Dévoluy and, in the distance, Le Vercors, Les Écrins and the Lure mountain.

From the resort, you will discover a vast 360° panorama of the Southern Alps and the whole of the Diois region, with a view of Mont Ventoux too. Best done in June for the exceptional flora.

Discover more than five kilometres of ridge offering breathtaking 360° views of the surrounding mountains. The route follows almost exclusively single-track trails winding through woods and meadows. From late May to late June, the trail is adorned with abundant, particularly pleasant and colourful flora.

A beautiful, challenging loop! The trail passes through alpine pastures and beautifully flowered forests. The view from the summit is stunning, despite the modest altitude (1,686 m). Vaunières is a small village undergoing restoration thanks to young volunteers from all over the world.

A short hike in Beauchêne through boxwood and beech woods under the Ranc de Mianoux towards the old Chartreuse de Durbon.

This is a beautiful hike to discover the southernmost ridges of the Diois region, culminating in the highest point of this landscape, the summit of Duffre. The panorama offers superb views of the Southern Alps and Dévoluy.

If you enjoy a good climb with cables to help you and then discovering an exceptional 360° panorama over the whole of southern Diois, then you will love this hike. Best done in June for the flowers; by mid-July, it's already too late.

I suggest a short walk in the Marais des Bouligons and its surroundings: this is a protected area covering 65 hectares, home to remarkable flora and fauna.This walk is fairly easy and is particularly suitable for families.

This loop takes you through the magnificent meadows and forests above Les Tatins. At this altitude, the land often quickly becomes overgrown, as it has been abandoned by farmers and livestock breeders. This is not the case here, however, and life goes on: hay is harvested, the woods are managed, houses are preserved and more modern ones are being built. The walk is easy. It reaches and then follows the line of the passes, which offer views of the opposite slopes, then descends through woods to the hamlet of Bois Noir. A charming paved road, between wetlands, meadows and abandoned lavender fields, leads back to the starting point of this mountain walk.

This route around the Combe Charonnière, which was once well documented in local hiking guides, has fallen into disuse, except for the climb up to Soubreroche. Nevertheless, this walk still has many attractions: it is an opportunity to enjoy landscapes in all directions, discover ancient remains of sheepfolds and terraced crops, and explore a beautiful forest valley that sometimes plunges deep into the ground. Although there are no major difficulties, apart from a short section in a marly area, we strongly advise hikers to take a GPS device with them, as this little-used area is sometimes covered with abundant vegetation: grass, various types of scrub and sometimes fallen trees, which can temporarily obscure the path. A beautiful walk for those who like to venture a little beyond the beaten track.

Family hike in the Toussière valley, now uninhabited but still bearing traces of the past with the ruins of a Templar commandery. During May and June, this is a pleasant hike to enjoy the mountain flora. View of the foothills of Oisans and Dévoluy.

This hike takes in four passes, Col des Tours, Col du Vallon de l'Aup, Col du Lauteret and Col de Plate Contier, and is characterised by the diversity of its landscapes and the beauty of its panoramic views. This is a ride with no major technical difficulties and a steady climb throughout, and is one of the most beautiful in the Bochaîne area. "A real favourite".

Discover the historical heritage of Serres, with views of the Buëch valley. The trail winds its way up to the Fontarache ridge and descends in stages to the village.

From the old Serres under the Rocher de la Pignolette, via the Crêtes de Fontarache, the Rocher de Jardane and the Crêtes de la Bouisse: a beautiful hike through sharp limestone pavement and boxwood.

A pleasant and easy circular hike from the Col de Grimone (1,138 m). Views of the Drôme peaks. In early summer, the circuit offers the chance to see many beautiful flowers. This hike is accessible to people who are prone to vertigo, allowing them to enjoy hiking in the mountains.

This beautiful circuit, located on the border of the Drôme, Isère and Hautes-Alpes departments, covers the eastern part of the Lus-la-Croix-Haute area. After a sub-horizontal crossing at the foot of the mountain, the trail climbs through the forest before ascending the mountain pastures to Pointe Feuillette. From passes to ridges, walkers are treated to exceptional panoramic views of the Alps. The return route follows a wide ravine that leads to the Tranchemule stream and then to the Amayères Gorges.

This hike, which is not particularly difficult, offers breathtaking views of the Dévoluy mountain range: the Grande Tête de l'Obiou, the Tête de l'Aupet, the Grand Ferrand, the Rocher Rond, the Roc and the Tête de Garnesier, with Bure in the background. To the west, Toussière and Jocou, with the Trois Becs in the distance. Further north, Le Rognon and the summit of L'Aup. In the background, the Vercors mountain range. And many other peaks that I'll leave you to guess.

A hike starting from one of the hamlets of Lus-la-Crois-Haute (Les Amayères) that alternates between meadows, forests, balcony crossings and mountain pastures. A fairly short route with an elevation gain of only 480 m, but offering magnificent panoramic views of the surrounding mountains (Jocou, Rognon, Jagène, Pointe Feuillette, etc.).

Author's noteSorry: the circular described below is no longer possible due to the closure of the trail between points (13) and (15) (see message from May 2023).A superb circular in the isolated islet of south-eastern Vercors, on the border between Drôme and Isère. The route combines the geological curiosity of the Sucettes de Borne, the flowers and wide open spaces of the Jiboui mountain pastures, and a long route along grassy ridges crowned by the Jocou, with extraordinary panoramic views.

Between Isère and Drôme, Jocou dominates the Diois Massif. Although only 2,051 metres high, it offers an exceptional view of all the relatively low mountain ranges in the south-west of the Alps. It is not uncommon to see vultures flying over these sheep pastures.

A medium-altitude hike, first on a cool, wooded north-facing slope, then on a south-facing slope through pastures.Please note that the Buëch ford may be impassable if the water is too high.

This hike in the Glandasse massif takes you up to almost 1,500 metres with unobstructed views and a 360° panorama. The originality of this hike lies in the fact that the trail takes you through a pedestrian tunnel carved into the mountainside, which is a little vertiginous.

The climb to Pic de l'Aigle is steep, but the view over the plains of La Batie Monsaléon and Savournon, as well as the surrounding peaks, Rocher de Beaumont, Arambre and Grand Ferrand, etc., is well worth the effort.

Starting from the legendary Jarjatte valley, this hike takes you to the rocky landscape of the Tête du Vallon Pierra via the Tête and Lac du Lauzon, nestled in its green setting, which is undergoing eutrophication. The landscapes criss-crossed by chamois and griffon vultures and the views are breathtaking. A small part of the route is off-trail, but on obvious terrain, and the only real difficulty is the elevation gain of over 1,000 metres.

A magnificent walk, although the slopes are sometimes quite steep on both the ascent and descent. The landscapes and flora are remarkable.

Beautiful wild hike in the Jarjatte valley to Lac de Lauzon and the Col de Charnier for views to the south. Return via the Col des Aurias.

Discover the Combe de Baïn below the cliffs of Glandasse.

This hike provides access to a beautiful panoramic ridge between Drôme and Hautes-Alpes. The fairly high altitude offers magnificent views and an exceptional 360° panorama of the Rosanais region, from Ventoux in the south to Dévoluy and Vercors in the north.

The aim of the route is to reach the summit of Glandasse mountain (known as the Dôme or Pié Ferré - 2,041 metres above sea level) via an alternative routeto the GR®91: Pié de Boeuf, near the Col de Caux (overlooking the Baïn valley), Fontaine des Tuiles (dominated by the Roc d'Ambane). The return journey is via theGR®91.

I suggest taking a short walk to the heights of the village of Châtillon-en-Diois to reach the Cascade de l'Adoux waterfall. The route is mainly through the woods, punctuated by some pretty views. Please note: some sections require careful footing.