Le Châtelard - The Hermit’s Cave

de fr

A short hike along a path that once led to the Grotte de l’Ermite and a castle destroyed during the Wars of Religion.
Perched on a narrow ridge, this viewpoint offers a lovely 360° view of the village of Eyzahut and the cliffs, with the forest of Saoû, the Trois Becs to Roche Colombe, the Grand Delmas and the Couspeau mountain as a backdrop.

Details

n°106955
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 1.23 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 0h 40 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 101 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 101 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 679 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 578 m
Downloads
Open in the mobile app
Download GPX GPX
Download PDF PDF

Photos

Eyzahut Cliffs
Les Trois Becs, the Col de la Chaudière and the Grand Delmas
Village of Eyzaut
Quarry with car park

Description of the walk

The start is located approximately 2.3 km past the village of Eysahut. Head towards Souspierre on the D263. After passing the hairpin bend at the bottom of the valley, take the left-hand road at the first junction. Continue along this road, which turns into a track, to the quarry (Le Grand Pas) where you can park.

(S/E) The walk starts opposite the quarry. At the end of the car park, at the junction of the two tracks, take the well-marked path uphill. After a few metres, it veers left and continues along the mountainside to the Grotte de l’Ermite.

(1) Continue to the right of the cave, along a more challenging path that winds its way up, passing a few small rocky outcrops 1 to 1.5 metres high, to the summit.

(2) From the Pointe du Châtelard, descend via the same route (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 578 m - Quarry
  2. 1 : km 0.46 - alt. 648 m - Grotte de l'Ermite (Eyzahut)
  3. 2 : km 0.62 - alt. 678 m - Pointe du Châtelard
  4. S/E : km 1.23 - alt. 578 m - Quarry

Notes

The hike is classified as moderate because, after the cave, the path becomes steeper and you need to use your hands a little to get over the small rocky outcrops.

Reviews and comments

4.6 / 5
Based on 5 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.4 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.8 / 5
Route interest
4.6 / 5
Denis26
Denis26 ★

Thank you for your feedback, and dan2verdo for your comment. The quarry has expanded and the entrance has changed slightly; I’ve just updated the description.

Machine-translated

Xav26D
Xav26D

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 15, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A short walk that’s definitely worth doing, as the view from the top is magnificent.

Machine-translated

dan2verdo
dan2verdo

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 18, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Excellent, stunning views, a real treat!
With a 7-year-old complete beginner, we were looking for an easy and very short walk. The second section – after the pretty Hermitte cave – is very steep and exposed, but manageable in dry weather. We just hadn’t understood the “20 metres along the GRP” at the start; in fact, you set off directly from the car park at the bottom of the quarry, up a clear north-westerly slope that’s clearly visible but not signposted. The 20 or 30 metres is simply from the wooden cross at the quarry entrance.

Machine-translated

bubulle2
bubulle2

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 15, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Trou du Furet starting from Gros Trus, descent through the quarry, climb up to the Grotte de l'Ermite and then on to Pointe du Chatelard.
Fine weather, lovely scenery. Followed all the guidebook routes. Nothing to report.

Machine-translated

Nat dePlage
Nat dePlage

Overall rating : 4.5 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 19, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : Not used / Not applicable
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A lovely climb right up to the summit of Le Chatelard. That day, we just caught a glimpse of the peaks emerging from the fog as the mist swirled around them – it was magnificent. The view must be truly spectacular on a clear day; we’ll be back. There was a tiny section of scrambling that was a bit tricky for me, as I’m not the most daring.

Machine-translated

Azimut71
Azimut71

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 08, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

The route above the cave isn’t particularly difficult, apart from the slippery rocks after it has rained.
However, given the stops at the cave and the summit, and the caution required on the descent, the journey time is significantly underestimated: allow at least an hour.

Machine-translated

Other walks in the area

Walking Trou du Furet

Visorando Member
Trou du Furet
↔3.87 km ↗+272 m ↘-272 m ◔1h 55 ▲Difficult
⚑Departure from Eyzahut (Drôme)
On the border between the Baronnies and the Diois, this route takes you to the cliffs of Eyzahut with the large arch carved into the cliff, the famous "Trou du Furet". Caution: tricky sections. Route reserved for experienced hikers.

Walking Above Le Poët-Laval

Visorando Member
Au-dessus du Poët-Laval
↔7.98 km ↗+506 m ↘-508 m ◔3h 45 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Le Poët-Laval (Drôme)
Hike starting from Poët-Laval, offering sweeping views of the Vercors, the Rhône Valley and northern Vaucluse.

Walking From Poët-Laval to Les Vitrouillères in the Pays de Dieulefit

Visorando Member
De Poët-Laval aux Vitrouillères dans le Pays de Dieulefit
↔9.89 km ↗+227 m ↘-230 m ◔3h 30 ▲Easy
⚑Departure from Le Poët-Laval (Drôme)
A very pleasant, varied loop with no particular difficulties. From woodland to meadows, it will take you to the remarkable site of Les Vitrouillères, where the potters of Dieulefit extracted clay until 1964. At the end of the route, the old village of Le Poët-Laval, listed as one of the most beautiful villages in France, is of course a must-see.

Walking Around Souspierre

Visorando Member
Autour de Souspierre
↔15.77 km ↗+804 m ↘-804 m ◔6h 50 ▲Difficult
⚑Departure from Souspierre (Drôme)
For experienced hikers, this is a beautiful hike, partly through the woods on unmarked trails. After a very beautiful passage along the ridge, they lead to cliffs followed by a dizzying descent into a rocky ridge to the Grotte de l'Ermite, a natural excavation in the rocks. Above, stand the summit of Châtelard and the ruins of an ancient watchtower dating from the Middle Ages, destroyed during the Wars of Religion. The panoramic view over the valley is superb.

Walking Bisquerle trail starting from Rochebaudin

Visorando Member
Sentier de Bisquerle au départ de Rochebaudin
↔6.20 km ↗+366 m ↘-366 m ◔2h 50 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Rochebaudin (Drôme)
Starting from Rochebaudin, this hike crosses Les Blanchons to reach the foot of Rocher de la Tournelle. It then follows the Bisquerle trail, passes Pied Berthon (possible route to Eyzahut), and joins the DieulefitGRP® (long-distance footpath), allowing you to return to the village via a forest path along the Viarrand ravine.

Walking Serre Gros from Rochebaudin

Visorando Member
Serre Gros au départ de Rochebaudin
↔9.84 km ↗+713 m ↘-712 m ◔4h 50 ▲Difficult
⚑Departure from Rochebaudin (Drôme)
The Poët mountain is the last foothill of the Pre-Alps above the Rhône plain, and Serre Gros is its highest point at 971 metres. Caution: very steep climb in the rock chimney (do not attempt in wet weather).

Walking Montagne de Sainte-Euphémie

Local authority
Montagne de Sainte-Euphémie
↔6.74 km ↗+402 m ↘-395 m ◔3h 05 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Manas (Drôme)
Starting from Manas, this short but intense hike takes you to the charming village of Pont-de-Barret before climbing to the summit of Sainte-Euphémie mountain. A 380° panorama is guaranteed from the summit and throughout the descent.

Walking Saint-Maurice via the Combe

Visorando Member
Saint-Maurice par la Combe
↔12.53 km ↗+552 m ↘-550 m ◔5h 10 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Dieulefit (Drôme)
On the border between the Baronnies and the Diois, Saint-Maurice is famous for its chapel and ridges. There is a beautiful view to the north with the forest of Saoû, the Trois Becs at Roche Colombe, the Grand Delmas and the Montagne de Couspeau in the background, and to the south, the Montagne de la Lance and, on a clear day, Mont Ventoux.

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.