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The start of the walk is just at the entrance to the hamlet of La Merlière. A small car park allows you to park easily near the rubbish bins. To reach it, a narrow road leads off from Le Sert de Vif; this other hamlet is accessible via the road linking Vif to Monestier-de-Clermont.
(S/E) Walk back down the road for a few metres to find, on the left, the start of a wide path. Follow it south-eastwards along the valley floor, skirting fields used for horses. The valley narrows and the track eventually leads to a small plateau featuring a magnificent meadow.
Ignore the first path running horizontally to the left and take the next one instead. Follow the path as it bends to the left, running alongside a meadow offering a fine view of the Vercors. It soon reaches a fork at around 770 m.
(1) You now have two options:
- For the less adventurous, continue along the main path until you find another one 100 m further up, branching off to the right. It climbs steeply but is always well marked, leading to the ridge of the Grand Brion.
- For the more adventurous, following the description below and the route, take the path on the right, which is rather inconspicuous at first. Abandoned, it is gradually being overgrown by holly but is still visible. Reaching the ridge after a few short switchbacks, a good path continues, skirting a steep hillock to the right and emerging near a curious, inconspicuous cavity, which appears to be an old mine. From there, climb a track that eventually disappears, then try to rejoin the nearby ridge. A good path then allows you to quickly reach the classic route.
(2) The rest of the route is straightforward, following a good path all along the wooded ridge, offering a fine view of the Notre-Dame-de-Commiers dam near the summit.
After the altitude of 926 on the IGN map, a direct descent leads to a small pass.
(3) There are then two options:
- It is possible to shorten this hike by reaching point 5 via a good path heading left, due west.
- However, it is more interesting to follow the description below and the route, continuing along the ridge which tapers off without being difficult. The path then turns sharply left at around 860 m and heads down towards the north-west. It soon joins a good path not far from a ruined barn.
(4) Follow it to the left, level out, and after a few metres you’ll come to a cattle gate. A small gate allows you to cross the obstacle on the right to enter a large meadow. Looking back, the view stretches out over the Grenoble conurbation and the Chartreuse.
Upon reaching a small pass dominated by the hill at an altitude of 875 metres, continue through a beautiful grassy valley where a new path leads to another small pass. The view now stretches southwards, towards the Trièves. The path then quickly leads to a fork at an altitude of 823 metres.
(5) Take the path that winds down the valley floor towards La Merlière. As it is rather hard on the legs due to the loose stones, you can avoid the most difficult upper section by taking a meadow to the right.
Once you reach the hamlet, simply follow the tarmac for 200 m to return to the car park (S/E).
A lovely little walk; at the start, the climb is muddy with plenty of water running across the path. Once you reach point 1, it’s difficult to find the path as it’s blocked by fallen trees lying across it. For about fifty metres, the path is blocked again, but you can make out where it goes and eventually find it. There are practically no signposts along the route. The descent to La Merlière is steep and difficult, with lots of loose stones.
Visorando member
Easy 
