The Charmant Som in a circular pattern from Les Revols

Date of your route : Jul 27, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike from Revols. Greeted by a beautiful view of Chamechaude, the ascent of Charmant Som is well worth the effort through the forest and along the Chemin des Dalles. The walk between the Orgeval oratory and the hamlet of Les Cottaves can be exhausting. The descent is steep and requires stamina and, above all, caution. A very beautiful circuit on the slopes of Charmant Som with its wooded slopes and summer pastures offering spectacular panoramic views of the Chartreuse.

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Date of your route : May 15, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Departure from Les Revolts, with Visorando, as the foresters have been busy, the path is broken and the signpost is missing. Steady climb through the forest, fairly steep. On leaving the forest, passage through slabs, well-marked path, a little exposed, on a balcony with superb views. Passage at the Auberge du Charmant Som, always a pleasant place to stop for a break. Arduous descent below the Oratory to Les Cottaves, where the first 100 metres in a narrow passage require a little caution (slippery in wet weather) and the rest in the forest but quite steep. This remains a hike for good walkers, well equipped (high-top boots and walking sticks), but so beautiful and varied.

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Date of your route : May 10, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A beautiful hike, but not very easy.

Steady climb, not too steep, mostly ((1) – (3)) on a GR (so quite busy). Magnificent views, interesting geology. Summit without difficulty.

Descent (6) – (7): through a beautiful deciduous forest, but very steep and very long. Very tricky in wet weather (but not really dangerous). Follow the yellow markings carefully as the path is not obvious. We didn't meet anyone on this section.

Yellow markings from start to finish. We completed the entire loop in 6 hours, without rushing.

On 9/5/2025, the Charmant Som chalet was not yet open.

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Date of your route : Aug 10, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Beautiful hike,
I would not recommend it with young children as the terrain is sometimes difficult with stones and tree roots, and some parts are a bit steep. Most of the route is through woodland.
Personally, I found it a bit long.

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A very beautiful route. The opportunity to stop at the Charmant Som inn for food or drink is much appreciated.
The descent after the oratory is passable with good shoes and walking sticks if there has been no recent rain, and it is very beautiful. However, it is very long and requires great caution. The most "technical" part is quite short. It is not suitable for children.

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Date of your route : Jul 15, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful (strenuous) hike to the oratory, but the 1.5-hour descent through the forest to Les Cottaves is very difficult (roots and sharp limestone pavement), with no respite, which spoils the whole thing! Admittedly, the reviews mentioned this... We wanted to do the circular (more enjoyable than a return trip) and it's the only option, but it was a mistake and I recommend just doing a return trip unless you're looking for pure technicality! However, the road between the chalets and the oratory is very beautiful (1 km), as is the one that leads from Les Cottaves to Les Révols.

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Date of your route : Jun 26, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Caution: very difficult descent... otherwise a very beautiful walk...

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Date of your route : Aug 20, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : Not used / Not applicable
Very busy route : No

We set off in overcast weather...
Nice route in the forest, but after climbing 500 metres, heavy rain caught up with us... We had to turn back... Too bad we couldn't continue... 2½ hours of walking, completely soaked 🙃
However, it was a pleasant start to the route in the woods in warm weather. Be careful of falls in rainy weather!
Worth doing again. Thank you.

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Date of your route : Jul 30, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A superb walk along a varied and shaded path in its first section. Magnificent view at the pass (monastery), then a path at the foot of the cliff with superb unobstructed views. Quite a few people at the summit and at the mountain chalets (chalets accessible by car on Saturdays and during holidays).
To descend from Charmant Som, I took a path on the right on the first flat section to make a circular loop towards the Charmant Som chalet. For the return trip, climb back up towards Charmant Som for about 500 metres, then take a path on the right to join
the path you took on the way up at the climb in the meadow towards Charmant Som to avoid the long descent after the oratory and the road at the end of the route; 10 km, elevation gain 876 m, duration 4½ hours.

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Date of your route : Jul 09, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Hello,
I went hiking last week. It was quite enjoyable. The view from the summit was beautiful, and there weren't many people.
Just one downside: the descent isn't easy, from the viewpoint to "aux revols", lots of big steps and rocks. In my opinion, it's difficult for "amateur" hikers.
Thanks anyway, I wanted a slightly challenging route, and I found it...

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Date of your route : Jul 03, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A superb walk along a varied and shaded path in its first section. Magnificent view at the pass, then a path at the foot of the cliff with superb unobstructed views. Return via the oratory along a path that is certainly more technical (roots, undergrowth, sharp limestone pavement) and should be avoided in wet weather, but is really very pleasant. Return via the tarmac road in 15 minutes.
Total time approximately 4½ to 5 hours, including breaks.

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Date of your route : Sep 12, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : Not used / Not applicable
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A beautiful route that allows you to discover Charmant Som in all its facets.
When you reach the small pass, it is worth turning right and climbing about 4 metres to enjoy the view of the Carthusian monastery and the surrounding area... before returning to the pass to take the path of the slabs.
Be careful on the descent from the Orgeval oratory to the hamlet of Les Cottaves, which is more "difficult" than "moderate":
there are several places where you have to step over boulders and fallen tree trunks.
High-top shoes and walking sticks are useful, but allow an extra half hour for this section.
In our opinion, do not attempt this descent in wet conditions or if there is a risk of not reaching the bottom before nightfall...
There were quite a few people at the summit and at the mountain chalets (accessible by car), but only one or two people on the trails.

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Date of your route : Jul 26, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The descent is not easy, very steep, with a cable that is about to break and a rough path, but it is well shaded, as is the ascent.

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Date of your route : Jul 07, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike, but one that is best suited to experienced hikers, especially after the oratory, as the start of the descent requires a great deal of attention.
We set off at 8am from Les Revols, had a nice break at the summit, bought some cheese at the chalets and had a snack at the oratory. We completed the circular in 6 hours and 40 minutes.
There were very few people on the trail; only the summit was very busy, but by following the route we avoided the crowds.

A very good day, thanks to the trailblazer.

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