La Côte Saint-André through the ridges

Description

Park at one of the small car parks on "place de l'église" in Ornacieux.

(S/F) Go to the village main road (D41H) and head left due west-north-west. Turn right at the first crossing, then the first left leading to Ornacieux cemetery. A bit further, leave the entrance to the cemetery to the left and continue towards "Croix de Pitié".

(1) Get to the "cross", which is actually a 50 m high statue of the Virgin Mary on top of a wierdly shaped rock. It's difficult to take a photo from the front as it's located on a steep slope and is facing plaine du Liers.
Keep heading uphill to the right on Chemin des Contrebandiers until the water tank. Beautiful views over Plaine du Liers to the north as well as Forêt de Bonnevaux during the climb.
Keep heading straight on Chemin de Sainte-Béatrix making a detour to the right where an old castle used to stand (no vestige) and where you can now find a viewpoint indicator along with the "Croix Sainte-Béatrix".
You are standing opposite plaine de la Bièvre and the Vercors mountain range and the Alps.

(2) Backtrack, head right and keep going on "chemin de Chantemerle" until the telecom tower.

(3) Carry on and head down a steep slope reaching a tarmac road. Follow Chemin de la Fontain all the way to the left until the D518 then take a left over roughly 80 m reaching "carrefour des Crozes" (Crozes crossing).

(4) Cross (be careful) taking the trail to the right of the cross between the two roads and leading to plaine du Liers.At the T junction, turn right, cross the D518 (be careful) and continue opposite on Chemin de la Blache until the crossing with Chemin de Commelle.

(5) Turn right and admire "Constant" old farm, its pond and its animals on the climb up.

(6) At the end of the climb, head left onto chemin de Cuchère et head off to the right at the fork immediately afterwards. At the crossing with Chemin du Pressoir, turn left then right reaching another viewpoint indicator and Chapelle de Notre-Dame de Scie (panoramic view over the town, plaine de la Bièvre and in the distance the Chartreuse and Vercors mountain ranges with Belledonne massif between the two).

(7) Keep heading straight, take two right-hand turns and start a long downhill hike along Chemin des Croix until Chemin de la Barre.

(8) Head right and follow it until the D518.

(9) Cross (be careful) and take the path on the other side. After a dogleg to the left, you'll reach the D518a. Cross (be careful) and make a dog-leg right then left reaching Chemin du Fagot which supports the GR65 or Chemin de Saint-Jacques de Compostelle (White and Red waymarks). At the T junction, head right onto Chemin de la Chapelle until "Chapelle Saint-Michel" located on the right inside Balbins cemetery.

(10) Set off to the right towards Ornacieux following the GR. Once you reach the D518a, head left and keep going straight until the next junction.

(11) One hundred or so metres further, turn right reaching a small road and head left leading to the D41H. Take another left and keep going straight until you reach Ornacieux Church (S/F).