La Roche Percée des Arlettes, starting from Cornas

This walk is a variation on the Cornas la Borne route. The first section offers a lovely walk above the Cornas vineyards, returning via familiar paths between (6) and (12) on the other route. The second variation involves the descent to the village of Cornas.

Details

14858449
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 14.29 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 5h 25 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 475 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 477 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 538 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 130 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Park in the car park at Cornas cemetery.

(S/E) Head due west for 100 m, then turn right, heading north. Walk to the last houses.

(1) Walk past the last house, then follow the Ruisseau de Chaillot upstream for about a hundred metres, then take the stone steps leading uphill on the right. You’ll reach a vineyard; follow it to the left, then to the right until you find the Chemin du Coulet. Take this on the left, climbing gently through the vineyard; after a hairpin bend, it becomes increasingly steep. Continue to the Coulet ruins.

(2) Take the path on the right, heading towards two caravans, and walk past them. The path climbs gently; continue to the first hairpin bend. In the middle of the hairpin bend, take the first small path leading down into the woods on the right and follow it for about 150 to 200 m. Once you reach a more open section, take the path on the left to arrive beneath the rock arch. Splendid view of Crussol Mountain and a small section of the Cornas vineyards. Pass through the arch, then take the narrow passage on the left. Continue along the ascending path to reach the plateau above the arch. Wind your way through the woods, heading north, following a fence to reach a small tarmac road.

(3) Turn left onto it; the road descends initially, then climbs again to the left, around a fairly sharp bend. There is a wider area here that can serve as a car park for two or three vehicles. Continue along the road, passing the old Eygas house, then walk for about a hundred metres.

(4) Take the dirt track on the right, which is initially flat then climbs, passing under a hunters’ hut on the left before reaching the first hairpin bend.

(5) Take the second path on the right, which descends to the Largentière stream.

(6) Cross it and continue straight ahead up a fairly steep slope; after a gap in the fence, continue along a much wider path.

(7) Follow it to the right until you reach the crossroads in the hamlet of Michelas.

(8) Take the steep road on the left and follow it for about 800 m. Pass a large green chicken coop and, at the end of the tarmac, take the path opposite leading to the hamlet of Bressieux. Keep to the left and cross the hamlet.

(9) Just before a steep climb, take a small road on the left, heading due south, between the houses; this quickly becomes a track and winds through woods and meadows. Stay on the main track.

(10) Follow the path to a large gate, take the path on the right, follow the fence, and turn left. At the first crossroads, just above the hamlet of Chante-Perdrix, join the GR® 42, marked in white and red. Follow it to the right and pass through the hamlet of Les Plaines. 200 to 250 m after this, take the path on the left (GR® 42). Join a small road that climbs and passes in front of the Barreau house.

(11) Take great care on the climb: leave the GR® 42 and take the small path on the left, heading down. Cross the hamlet of Précharnier and, just before the last house, take the path descending to the left, heading north-east, and join a road.

(12) Follow it to the left for about 200 m, then leave it and take the path going uphill opposite. Ignore the first path on the left and continue straight on. At the next crossroads, take the path on the right, pass in front of the remains of a wooden gate and reach the Chapelle Saint-Pierre.

(13) Cross the road and take the path opposite. Soon, turn left – be careful here, do not go through the gate – and head down through the vineyard to the access road to the hamlet of Les Aires. Turn left and, after about a hundred metres, at the bend, take the path on the right to reach the junction with the access path to Chanas.

(14) Take this path on the right, head towards Chanas and, before the house, look for a small wooden hiking sign with a directional arrow. Turn left onto the winding downhill path, which first runs along the top of a vineyard before entering the woods. Go round several hairpin bends, then arrive in the vineyards on the Tezier hillside. Continue the descent alongside the stream to reach Rue du Ruisseau, at the entrance to Cornas. Follow it towards the village centre, fifty metres before the town hall junction.

(15) Take the steps on the left, cross the stream, continue along the Chemin des Églantiers, then turn right to return to the car park at Cornas cemetery (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 132 m - Cemetery car park
  2. 1 : km 0.35 - alt. 138 m - End of Chemin des Églantiers
  3. 2 : km 1.56 - alt. 248 m - Le Coulet
  4. 3 : km 2.27 - alt. 275 m - Road junction
  5. 4 : km 3.18 - alt. 320 m - Dirt track
  6. 5 : km 3.45 - alt. 337 m - Hairpin bend
  7. 6 : km 4.1 - alt. 304 m - Chemin des Royes at La Borne - Largentière (ruisseau) - Affluent du ruisseau de la Goule
  8. 7 : km 4.56 - alt. 402 m - Junction
  9. 8 : km 4.88 - alt. 404 m - Michelas crossroads. Follow the tarmac road to the left - Marsanne (ruisseau) - Affluent du ruisseau de la Goule
  10. 9 : km 6.67 - alt. 538 m - The hamlet of Bressieux
  11. 10 : km 7.48 - alt. 519 m - Turn left
  12. 11 : km 9.23 - alt. 495 m - Start of the trail – Leave the GR
  13. 12 : km 10.39 - alt. 413 m - Junction with road
  14. 13 : km 11.23 - alt. 390 m - Chapelle Saint-Pierre (Cornas)
  15. 14 : km 12.32 - alt. 261 m - Chanas crossroads
  16. 15 : km 14.01 - alt. 132 m - Stairs
  17. S/E : km 14.29 - alt. 132 m - Cemetery car park

Notes

Please note: do not walk this route in wet weather as there are many very slippery sections.

Worth a visit

Always be cautious and plan ahead when you're outdoors. Visorando and the author of this route cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurring on this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

Reviews and comments

4.2 / 5
Based on 17 reviews

Reliability of the description
4 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.2 / 5
Route interest
4.5 / 5
arderchois
arderchois

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 16, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

A lovely walk with beautiful views of Valence and the surrounding area

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mariemmanuel
mariemmanuel
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 22, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Hike completed on 18/12/2025, beautiful route.
After point 4, coming out of the woods and arriving near the vineyard, there was a sign saying "Private property, no trespassing", but we went through anyway. The same thing happened at point 5, La Grange, where there was a barrier with a sign saying "Private property, no trespassing", but we went through anyway. Otherwise, no problems for the rest of the route.

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de BAST Alain
de BAST Alain
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 07, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

An extraordinary hike for all levels.
The pierced rock is definitely worth seeing.
The waterfalls offer moments of delight for the eyes.
No barriers or barbed wire encountered along the route.
We didn't meet anyone else on a Friday.
This is simply a hike not to be missed... Enjoyment guaranteed.

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karkad
karkad
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 25, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

We didn't look too hard for Percée rock at the beginning because the ground was a bit muddy. The hike is very pretty and varied, with vineyards obviously very present. During the first part, there was a lot of noise from cars, like a Formula 1 route, but fortunately the flowering broom helped us forget about the noise pollution. Then it was quieter, with a pleasant taste of summer. Thank you for this lovely circular!

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Jalu
Jalu
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 21, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very beautiful hike done on 18/02/24. No markings. A little difficult just before reaching the arch despite the Visorando route, but having already done it, I found it again, and it was super beautiful.

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Emmanuel26
Emmanuel26
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 27, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hike done in beautiful autumn weather during the week, with a lovely variety of landscapes and paths, and a beautiful view of Valence, Crussol and the Vercors. We struggled to find the pierced rock, but finally ended up above it. The route on the app isn't accurate; as soon as you reach the rocks, you have to walk as close to them as possible. But there's no risk of getting lost. We ignored a "private property" sign located near a large farm. I'd happily do this hike again in spring and summer. Thanks to the designer!
PS: we encountered several unleashed dogs along the way. Personally, this doesn't scare me, but it's something to consider if you have a phobia of dogs or if you're hiking with your pet.

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BALADEAUBERT
BALADEAUBERT
• Edited:

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 17, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Very pretty circular, with numerous viewpoints offering beautiful vistas.
Avoid this circular in strong winds.
At point "11", the description invites us to walk through the vineyards... In our case, the winegrowers working in the vineyards kindly advised us to avoid crossing the vineyards and instead go back up the road and down to hill 327 (marked to the right of the "poplars") to rejoin the author's route at this point and reach point "12".
At point "12", we turned left, as a private sign advised us not to follow the route indicated by the author of the day's hike.
The hike therefore ends by following a country route, marked in yellow.

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leodu007
leodu007
• Edited:

Overall rating : 3 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 13, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike with stunning views and lovely trails!
However, there is a lot of walking once you reach the summit, but above all, the route mapped out by the author is more than approximate...

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mandoline
mandoline
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 31, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very beautiful hike, but not to be attempted after rain
as there are some steep slopes in certain sections.

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bruno92160
bruno92160
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 03, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful tour, very varied, through the valleys and ravines of Cornas, the vineyards and hills below St Romain de Lerps. Lots of spectacular views over the whole of the Valentinois region, from the Rhône and Isère rivers to the ruins of Crussol, via the peaks of the Vercors and, of course, the 3 Becs. The weather was mostly overcast on 3 January, but this did not detract from the views along this route.

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jcmichel
jcmichel
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 05, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We did this route in good weather. It is a magnificent route with a wide variety of landscapes. Most of the time, it is not marked, so using the "visorando" app on my phone proved very useful. We found the distance and total elevation gain to be slightly higher than what is stated on the information sheet. In short, a superb hike. Thank you to the "visorandonneur" who posted it online!

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paulo07
paulo07
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 20, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Please note! This hike should no longer be offered in this form.
At the Largentière stream, the trail ends at a fence and barbed wire with a "private property" sign.
We had to turn back.

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philibert Bruno
philibert Bruno
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 08, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

I don't think you should include this hike in your catalogue. We just did it and found ourselves facing a fence topped with barbed wire between points 6 and 7 when crossing the Largentière River. We had to scramble through woods overgrown with brambles and dead branches. Fortunately, there were only two of us and we are experienced hikers. This added nearly 2 km to our hike. My husband, who is less experienced than us, would not have been able to get through and we would have had to turn back.
It's a real shame because this hike is very well described, magnificent, with a splendid view of the Vercors. The weather was very clear.
Thank you to the person who suggested it, but it can no longer be done unless a path is cleared in the woods.

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Ouenza
Ouenza
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4 / 5

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

PLEASE NOTE: the Argentière stream crossing (between points 6 and 7) is no longer accessible as it is private property and has been fenced off. We met the owners along the route of this hike. They explained that the crossing is blocked (fence and wire mesh since January 2022) because it is private property, they have had damage to their land and want to be left in peace. The route needs to be changed, which is complicated.

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Coco 62
Coco 62
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 31, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Thanks to the author of the description
Please note that the Argentière stream crossing (between points 6 and 7) is no longer accessible as it is now private property and fenced off.

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