La Rochette and the Trou de la Chapelle, as seen from Alex

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A walk through the forest and then across the mountain pastures of La Rochette, followed by a slightly more challenging climb to the Trou de la Chapelle, a cave running through the Arête des Lanches.

A beautiful viewpoint and lovely spot at La Rochette below.

Details

n°3550513
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 6.41 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 5h 45 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Difficult
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 3,199 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 3,186 ft
  • ▲
    Highest point: 5,023 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 1,926 ft
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Photos

Return from Trou de la Chapelle
Lanche Noire Ridge
Lanche Noire Ridge
Trou de la Chapelle

Description of the walk

Car park near Alex Church

(S/E) From the signpost opposite the church, take the Route du Château past the restaurant and, a little further on, turn right onto the Chemin du Crêt Vert, then follow the forest track as far as Chez Longet.

(1) Next, a pleasant path winds upwards in regular hairpin bends (the path is somewhat overgrown) and eventually joins the Chemin du Ragy. Continue due south along the hairpin bends.
Please note: just before Les Devins (860m), a track branches off to the left; ignore this as the path descends slightly before reaching the hamlet of Les Devins (signpost).

(2) From here, turn left onto the wide path – which has a few steep sections – and you’ll reach La Rochette en dessous without any difficulty.

(3) The track continues uphill, heading south-east, through the mountain pasture and on into the forest.
When you emerge onto the Rochette Dessus mountain pasture, do not head towards the ruins of La Rochette on the right; instead, at around 1,430 m, look out for a rock with a faded marker.

(4) The path heads eastwards, rising very slightly; look out for a post about 100 m away. Please note: the path is now 10 m before this post.

(5) Follow the edge of the forest for about 150 m, until you see the path entering the forest on your left.

(6) The path is now clearly marked; it descends at first, then crosses two ravines and climbs steeply towards the Trou de la Chapelle.

(7) There is a tunnel about 50 m long; use a head torch to get through it.
Return via the same route in the opposite direction to ‘Les Devins’.

(2) Take the track on the left, passing through Le Grépon.

(8) Continue along the road back to Alex (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 1,939 ft - Alex – car park next to the church
  2. 1 : mi 0.34 - alt. 2,067 ft - Start of the path
  3. 2 : mi 1.29 - alt. 3,022 ft - Les Devins
  4. 3 : mi 2.19 - alt. 4,124 ft - La Rochette below
  5. 4 : mi 2.59 - alt. 4,669 ft - Faded arrow rock
  6. 5 : mi 2.64 - alt. 4,724 ft - Signpost
  7. 6 : mi 2.7 - alt. 4,744 ft - Forest entrance
  8. 7 : mi 3.15 - alt. 4,980 ft - The Trou de la Chapelle
  9. 8 : mi 5.36 - alt. 2,454 ft - Le Grépon
  10. S/E : mi 6.41 - alt. 1,946 ft - Alex – car park next to the church

Notes

Sturdy footwear is essential.
Water source at the lower Rochette, depending on the season.
A head torch is required to cross the Trou de la Chapelle (7).

Markings are adequate from Alex to the signpost for “Les Devins” (2).

And, above all, a good sense of direction is essential given the multitude of trails at La Rochette (upper), as the signposting is extremely sparse! The GPX track may prove very useful.

There are a few slightly tricky sections on the way to the Trou de la Chapelle (7).

Note: personally, I found the return route via the track at Les Devins rather unpleasant, as it’s steep and uninteresting; it’s better to stick to the original route.

Reviews and comments

3.7 / 5
Based on 4 reviews
Reliability of the description
4 / 5
Ease of following the route
3.7 / 5
Route interest
3.5 / 5
gilles.decosne
gilles.decosne

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 10, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The first third is poorly marked, and we got lost.
After the Chapelle hole, we descended via a equipped passage to reach the Talamarche peak. This passage, consisting of chains, ropes and ladders, is at least 500 metres long and is quite impressive and tiring for those who are not mountaineers.

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JCParavy
JCParavy

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 30, 2025
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : Not used / Not applicable
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Climb to the Trou de la Chapelle with variations on this topo seen afterwards. The route starts from the car park after Villard-Dessus, with a view to doing a loop via Talamarche and returning this way. As a result, you have to change sides at the start: climb across the Nant d'Alex to point 809 then descend to Grépon for the real climb to La Rochette. On the way back, I preferred to descend further down the route des Greppons, to return via footpaths to the starting car park. Having done the outward journey and return via Le Grépon, I found that the (incomplete) signposting and the heifers on the mountain pasture made the route easier to follow than advertised, despite the disruption to the forest tracks. After the traverse, we had to continue along the ridge path to the top of the exposed rope and chain descent, as the views from the ridge were well worth the effort, despite the presence of trees, which were fortunately far apart. All in all, a tough but worthwhile hike. I'll add a few photos.

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DidierVruce59
DidierVruce59

Overall rating : 3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 06, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Very busy route : No

A somewhat erratic route after the small rock formation below, heading towards the ‘Trou de la Chapelle’; the terrain is barely passable when damp, after rain, etc.
On arrival at the ‘Trou de la Chapelle’, there are no signposts or other markings; it would appear that there is no longer any real intention to share or maintain this section – a shame.

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lou ravi
lou ravi

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 28, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Very busy route : No

A rather uninteresting walk. A very long climb through a dark and gloomy forest, with no birdsong. Once you reach the ‘Les Devins’ sign, you come out onto a very bumpy forest track; turn right for 50 metres, then you’ll find the path on the left leading down to La Rochette. Once again, there are sections of forest track where trees have recently been felled, which has partly altered the route, but the signposting has been maintained with the word ‘sentier’ and red arrows. The final section leading to the Trou is steep and slippery. The Trou de la Chapelle is a rocky outcrop within a huge tunnel. The return journey after Les Devins follows a forest track, which is very steep in places, as far as Le Grépon. The final stretch back to the village runs pleasantly alongside the Nant d’Alex. After this challenging hike, you might hope to take a break at the Auberge d’Alex, but unfortunately it is no longer in business.

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