The Glacière Cave and the Barre aux Chèvres

A short hike, mainly through the woods, to discover some of the geological curiosities of the Vercors: the Corrençon-en-Vercors glacier and the Barre aux Chèvres (natural cavities carved out of the limestone by water). With some beautiful panoramic views from the eastern balcony of the Vercors

Details

673465
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 6.38 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 20 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 165 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 158 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 1,248 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 1,135 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Start from the Corrençon-en-Vercors golf course car park.

(S/E) Take the path that branches off to the left of the path leading to the hamlet of Trois Fontaines at the far end of the Corrençon golf course car park.
When you reach the first intersection, turn right and continue along this wide path, ignoring the paths and trails leading off to the left.

(1) When you reach the fork, take the path on the right.

(2) When you reach a fork, follow the yellow and green markings and continue to the left

(3) At the "La Glacière" sign, take the small path (not shown on maps) that descends and leads to the entrance of La Glacière.
To continue, follow the path towards "carrefour de la glacière" (sign). When you reach a path, turn left, walk a few metres and you will come to a crossroads in a clearing.

(4) Take the wide path that branches off to the left. At the next crossroads, continue left and you will reach the path you took at the start.

(1) Continue to the right until you reach the next path on the right.

(5) Take this path and walk along the golf course.

(6) A few metres after the fork, take the small path on the right and walk to the "Barre aux Chèvres".

(6) On your return, turn right and continue along the path, which will gradually become a trail.

(7) At the fork, continue to the left and follow the path marked in yellow and green, and do the same at the next fork.
The path leads to a beautiful viewpoint (the orientation table no longer exists).
A few metres further on, turn left (yellow and green markings) and the path will take you back to the Corrençon-en-Vercors golf course. At the crossroads, continue straight ahead and go around the golf course on the right.
At the roller ski track (tarmac), follow it until you return to the golf course car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 1,135 m - Golf course car park
  2. 1 : km 0.57 - alt. 1,184 m - Fork, on the right
  3. 2 : km 1.16 - alt. 1,239 m - Fork in the road, left, yellow and green markings
  4. 3 : km 1.54 - alt. 1,244 m - Small path descending to the left
  5. 4 : km 2.06 - alt. 1,232 m - Wide path, on the left
  6. 5 : km 3.7 - alt. 1,172 m - On the right along the golf course
  7. 6 : km 3.8 - alt. 1,168 m - Carrefour de la Barre aux Chèvres, on the right
  8. 7 : km 4.39 - alt. 1,195 m - Fork, on the left, yellow and green markings
  9. S/E : km 6.38 - alt. 1,135 m - Golf course car park

Notes

Can be done on snowshoes in winter, in which case you can avoid the descent into the glacier by connecting points (3) and (4) directly.

Worth a visit

Glacière: A natural cavity in which ice formed by runoff water and snowfall can be found. Glacières were used to supply hospitals and hotels.
Barre aux chèvres: a break in the limestone that takes its name from the fact that the carcasses of dead livestock were thrown there.

Worth seeing around Corrençon is the karstic cave de Malaterre, a 10-metre wide and 120-metre deep chasm with a footbridge running over it.

Reviews and comments

4.2 / 5
Based on 23 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.2 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.2 / 5
Route interest
4.3 / 5
User 20432577

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 11, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Some of Mother Nature's curiosities will make you appreciate this well-marked trail. Most of the time you'll be walking through the woods, so be careful not to slip.
There is a lovely view of the Grande Moucherolle on the way back, and a nice picnic spot to enjoy a break. Let yourself be guided; time stands still when you are curious. Enjoy the hike, everyone!

Machine-translated

randosenior
randosenior

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 08, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very beautiful, easy route, with a point of interest: the glacier, where a sign explains how ice was extracted in the last century. In the undergrowth. We met lots of people.

Machine-translated

Setie
Setie

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 12, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Nice route: first part on a wide path in the sun, then a magnificent path through the woods to the glacier cave, where we enjoyed the coolness of the glacier during the heatwave.https://www.visorando.com/images/smileys...
Then we returned to the Correncon golf course car park. We didn't find the Barre aux Chères (it seems that there's nothing of interest there, except to see a big hole?), as we didn't want to walk too close to the golf course (we had a dog with us). We met the green keeper, who showed us another wider path with more shade on the left-hand side of the golf course for the return journey. The distance indicated is correct.
Recommended for a short 2-hour walk.

Machine-translated

didou11
didou11

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 11, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

This route is interesting, but given the impressive number of "alternative" routes created either by animals or by bipeds, the second part is rather complicated to follow. Despite three or four mistakes in the second part of the journey, I'm glad I did it. The time mentioned is accurate. It took me a little longer because of the mistakes I made along the way and the time I spent taking beautiful photos on this sunny summer day.

Machine-translated

seminois
seminois

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 06, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

beautiful hike, shame that the goat's beard is hidden by vegetation. The glacier, however, is clearly visible.
I did this hike along with the Corrençon en Vercors hike and the Cabane à Carette hike.
Very beautiful, peaceful landscape.

Machine-translated

User 3548094

Overall rating : 2.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 15, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

We have been using Visorando for several years and have always been satisfied with it, but not on this hike: the description is not at all accurate from the second point 1 onwards (after the loop to the Glacière cave), the names on the signposts are rarely mentioned in the description, we never found "La Barre aux chèvres", we had to turn back twice and in the end we didn't get to see the beautiful views that were promised. It's a real shame. See you soon anyway 😄

Machine-translated

User 25527869

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 17, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely hike with remarkable features of the Vercors such as sharp limestone pavement, glacial faults, and magnificent views

Machine-translated

BOURGOIN38
BOURGOIN38

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 18, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

We continued on to Malaterre's hut and returned to Corencon via the forest road.

Machine-translated

James Bond
James Bond

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 11, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

A pleasant short walk

Machine-translated

les marcheuses de veurey
les marcheuses de veurey

Overall rating : 5 / 5

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

The start was very sunny and therefore too hot, but then it was great in the forest. The Glacière cave lives up to its name; you don't stay in front of it for long because it's very cool. A lovely walk

Machine-translated

bernardo2607
bernardo2607

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 28, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

no difficulty
made with battlefield hike

Machine-translated

Gil38w
Gil38w

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 01, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Great hike,
With my knees still recovering, the route was easy and as described.
Very beautiful forest and very beautiful panoramas.
And the weather was lovely too.
Excellent.

Machine-translated

jeanluc guilhot
jeanluc guilhot
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 07, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

a lovely little walk to do with the family

Machine-translated

rahierchristian
rahierchristian

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 06, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A short hike, mostly in the shade, which allows you to see a "glacière"
used around a hundred years ago
Christian Rahier

Machine-translated

SCHOEPFLIN
SCHOEPFLIN

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 25, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A wonderful discovery of the icebox

Machine-translated

Other walks in the area

For more walks, use our search engine .

The GPS track and description are the property of this route's author. Please do not copy them without permission.