The Dentillon hut from Pelussin

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This walk starts from Pelussin (in the heart of Pilat) and involves a slight climb (just under 600 m) to keep you in shape, which rises continuously. You will arrive at the Dentillon hut, with its arboretum and orientation table. You can then continue on to the 3 dents, which will add another 45 minutes and 250m of elevation gain.

Details

n°40664
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 11.79 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 5h 05 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 615 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 617 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 986 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 404 m
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Photos

Cabane du Dentillon
the 3 teeth
landscape under the snow
The Alps.

Description of the walk

Departure from Pelussin. Ask if you have never been to the village before. The viaducts are well known (former railway line). Park in the pharmacy car park.

(S/E) Take Rue de Verdun and leave it by turning left towards the viaducts.

(1) Just after the second viaduct, turn right onto the tarmac road that joins the Maclas departmental road (D19). Follow it to the left (due south) for about 300m (watch out for cars).

(2) You will then come to a very wide path coming from the left (at a cross): take the tarmac road that climbs up to the right, directly opposite (due west). Climb for about 300m and pass a stone house on the left.

Just after the house, take the beautiful wide path that branches off to the left, follow it for about 300m, then turn right onto a stony path that climbs, wide at first but becoming narrower (and steeper). Climb for about 10 minutes through this wood. Nice trail in the undergrowth.

At the exit of the Valette woods (the path becomes flat), you will come to a path that you follow to the left to reach a crossroads.

(3) At the Regional Park signposts (directions and altitudes), turn right onto the path that climbs towards Chavardet. After 500 metres, the path crosses a fairly open field and joins a tarmac road. Follow it to the left for 150 metres to reach a crossroads.

(4) Continue straight ahead on Route des Plâtres towards the Chavardet farm. The road then passes 20 metres below the farm.

(5) 200 metres after passing the farm, find the path on the right that enters the woods (signposted "propriété interdite" [no trespassing], actually intended for motorised vehicles). The slope is quite steep and there are a few hairpin bends. Continue through the undergrowth until you pass under a small fir tree plantation and exit the woods at the junction of a path.
Take this path on the left and tackle a fairly steep climb straight ahead (landmark: after 300m, under the fir trees, you will come to a clearing). Continue straight ahead. The space opens up and you will reach the forest road used by mountain bikers.

(6) At the junction, follow the track for about 500m.

(7) Take the path on the left (towards the Rocher de Dentillon hut). Cross the arboretum (tree species indicated by small signs) and climb towards the hut. Once you reach the Dentillon hut (altitude 995m), there is an orientation table and views of the Alps (Mont Blanc, Belledonne, Meije, etc.) and the Pre-Alps (Vercors, Diois, Trois Becs).

(8) Return via the same route to the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 437 m - Car park at the pharmacy in Pelussin. Towards the - Régrillon (cours d'eau) - Affluent de la Valencize
  2. 1 : km 0.51 - alt. 432 m - 23rd viaduct, tarmac climb on the right
  3. 2 : km 0.92 - alt. 451 m - Turn right at the cross.
  4. 3 : km 2.55 - alt. 599 m - Path junction: climb to the right.
  5. 4 : km 3.05 - alt. 656 m - Crossroads: go to Chavardet.
  6. 5 : km 3.47 - alt. 667 m - Junction - directional posts, path on the right
  7. 6 : km 5.05 - alt. 891 m - Track junction
  8. 7 : km 5.37 - alt. 908 m - Leave the track and turn left.
  9. 8 : km 5.89 - alt. 986 m - CABANE DU DENTILLON
  10. S/E : km 11.79 - alt. 437 m - Pharmacy car park in Pelussin

Notes

This hike is not particularly interesting but has two advantages:
1. It is the direct route from Pelussin to the Trois Dents sector (once you reach Dentillon, there are many options for continuing).
2. Much of the route is through woodland, offering welcome shelter in hot weather (or when the cold wind blows in winter!).

Please note that the route and description (at least take a map) end at the Rocher de Dentillon hut.
This route is absolutely not suitable for mountain bikes (too many steep slopes at times and too many rocks).

The time it takes to climb depends, of course, on your age, fitness level, etc. I estimate about 3 hours for the round trip (the site's calculator gives a longer estimate).

(8) Possible alternative (Ascent to the Trois Dents): after the hut, you can continue towards the Trois Dents (several paths), but you can also descend to the right of the orientation table and join the forest track. At elevation 978, follow the wide path on the left that leads to the Col du Grateau. Climb this wide track for about 10 minutes.
At IGN elevation 1045m, you will find a path and a park signpost indicating the climb to the Trois Dents.

Worth a visit

Pelussin is in the centre of the Pilat Regional Park (Park House at the château).
Starting point for numerous hikes (on foot, horseback or mountain bike).

Reviews and comments

4.5 / 5
Based on 51 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.6 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.6 / 5
Route interest
4.4 / 5
Jeanclano
Jeanclano

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 23, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

we climbed up to the Col du Gratté (altitude 1,205 m), adding another 3 km and 230 m of elevation gain to the hike.

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patm69
patm69

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 07, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

I had already done this hike earlier in the year, so I took advantage of the snow on Pilat to do it again today. We left Pélussin without any snow, which was a shame. At an altitude of 800 metres, we found beautiful snow-covered landscapes and didn't see anyone else, which was to be expected given the temperature. Thank you again for this hike

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ALLRANDOF
ALLRANDOF

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 29, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant hike with sections through woodland and beautiful views of the Rhône valley. It was a shame that the clouds hid the Alps. We enjoyed a picnic on a table at Dentillon.
Thank you for this hike.

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aimeh
aimeh

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 15, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful, easy hike with views of the Vercors and the Alps

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patm69
patm69

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 23, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Thank you for this beautiful hike with a bit of elevation gain, pleasant with lots of undergrowth. It's a shame the weather was foggy. Definitely worth doing again on a nice day and pushing on to the 3 dents next time. The route was well marked, with few people on the trail, but then it was a weekday and the only other hikers I saw were at the Dentillon hut

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Cat4266
Cat4266

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 03, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Thank you for this very pleasant hike!
Lovely views and a picnic sheltered from the wind at the Dentillon hut...
We'll have to do it again in a different season... 😍

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Nicocomb
Nicocomb

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 21, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Good route,
with the option of climbing up to the Trois Dents, which is what we did: superb views and a good climb with an elevation gain of nearly 850 metres!

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SHERMAN69
SHERMAN69

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 08, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Two remarks:

- The private winding road goes up after the farm and before the two houses.

- At the exit of the first pine forest, a red mark on the rock indicates left, but you need to go right. However, it is easy to find the clearing if you turn right at the end of the path.

Once at the hut, continue on to the three peaks. Very pleasant.

Pelussin - The 3 teeth, round trip in 4 hours, not including lunch break (for experienced hikers).

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florence.cramesnil
florence.cramesnil
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 17, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Between 2 and 3, we missed the fork to the right before La Valette, and at point 7, we missed the path to the left and continued on the track. Perhaps we weren't paying enough attention, too happy to enjoy our friends after two months of lockdown! Otherwise, the walk is on a pleasant path, fairly shaded and sheltered from the wind, with a gradual climb and a beautiful view from the hut. It's not too busy, much less so than the Three Peaks (as far as we went)!

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Martin-11
Martin-11

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : May 24, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Thanks for the hike.
It wasn't too crowded, and it took us five hours there and back, including getting a little lost in the arboretum and on the way back (we took a detour when we took the wrong path, which may have added a little to the distance, but we still got to see the two viaducts, which offer beautiful views :-) ).
At the end of the arboretum path, when you reach a wide path leading to the 3 teeth, take the path on the right with the small red pylon at the end to reach the Rocher de Dentillon hut. We didn't find it straight away. Next time we'll go all the way to the 3 teeth!

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guy pagat
guy pagat

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 17, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hike completed on the first Sunday after lockdown. A real sense of freedom. Beautiful weather and a good climb that allowed us to rediscover that welcome feeling of exertion. At the summit, we enjoyed a snack in front of a magnificent landscape: the Rhône winding its way through the villages and orchards below. We also continued towards the Three Teeth and returned via Pataud, La Rivory, La Chaize Haute, etc. It took us just under five hours, including a break for lunch, and we took our time. There are few markings on the ground, so follow the description and map carefully. Thank you for this beautiful walk.

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mathart
mathart

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 22, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Very good description, we had no trouble finding our way, thank you JL.
The view is very nice up there, there is an orientation table, and we can see quite a few neighbouring mountains.

.

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maricath73
maricath73

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 30, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A beautiful hike, with sunshine and clear blue skies, it's a great way to enjoy the Alps in all their beauty. The starting point at the viaducts is easy to find and the route is clearly marked. We arrived at the end of the day in December, so it was too late to continue the hike.
We took our time and climbed for two and a half hours. Thank you!

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Christophe7169
Christophe7169

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 08, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Very good description. Very clear route throughout. Everything went well. The 4 hours 45 minutes given on the website is a very generous estimate. You can easily knock an hour off that.

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marcorando38
marcorando38

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 08, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

as we don't like going back the same way, we descended from the Dentillon hut via an alternative route: first, we climbed towards the three peaks to the south, then descended due east towards Pataud, La Rivory and La Chaize Haute. It's a bit longer, but it's nice.

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