The northern Drôme via ridges and valleys

A hike following ridges and valleys, discovering charming villages and hamlets.

Details

480233
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 20.40 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 7h 25 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 557 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 564 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 463 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 260 m

Photos

Description of the walk

The start is at the entrance to the village of Saint-Avit. Arriving via the D207 road, there is a car park on the left, below, towards the village halls.

(S/E) Continue south towards the village centre until the first road on the right heading west.

(1) Follow this street as it continues downhill to rejoin the D207 road. Continue along the road, passing houses on the left. Before the end of the hamlet, take the tarmac path downhill to the left. This turns into a dirt track; follow it almost in a straight line. You will reach a tarmac section near some houses on the right. Continue to the nearby crossroads.

(2) Ignore a hairpin bend to the left and take the path leading uphill to the south-east on the left. This path, which is sometimes very sandy, runs alongside a house on the right and joins a road.

(3) Follow this road to the right and reach the village of Ratières. Cross the village by taking the first street on the right towards the church, the school and the village centre. Take the main road continuing south-west. Walk past the buildings in the hamlet of La Fayarda and note a path descending to the right.

(4) Follow this path down to the right. Yellow markings guide you along this section of the walk. Pass a bend to the right, then one to the left, another to the right and, 70m further on, a hairpin bend to the left. At the junction of sandy paths, ignore the one leading down to the left and follow the one on the right.

(5) When you reach the D53 road, cross it carefully and take the orange-marked bridle path opposite. Follow it to the right, keeping close to the road. You will come to a junction with a track.

(6) Continue to the left and follow the path uphill until you reach a road. Take this road to the left for about 250m until you reach a bend to the right.

(7) Take the well-marked path opposite, to the left of the road. Ignore a path crossing from right to left, then cross a sandy section. Pass a path almost opposite on the left and continue uphill to the right. 200m further on, ignore another path to the left (to be taken on the return journey)

(8) Climb up through a ravine towards the hamlet of Saint-Andéol. Cross the picnic area and follow the path to the right of the church.

(9) From the church, take a detour through the centre of the hamlet and return to the path below the picnic area. Head back down, ignoring a path on the right, and cross the canyon again.

(8) At the end of the canyon, take the hairpin bend to the right heading south-east. 200m further on, the path curves to the left. Then, following the well-marked, almost straight path (ignore two paths leading uphill to the left), you’ll reach a road (D53)

(10) Take the road to the left and follow it for about 700m until you meet a descending road on the right. Follow this; it makes a sharp right-hand bend, then runs almost in a straight line until it joins another straight road. Cross this road carefully, take a few steps to the right, then look out for a very sandy path leading uphill to the left.

(11) Take this path, climb up and pass close to a farm on the left. Continue along the path running alongside the fruit tree plantations. This climbs towards a house, which you should go round to the left. When you reach a road, follow it straight on until the next junction towards the 316 contour line.

(12) Continue to the right. On the climb, ignore a road leading down to the left and carry on straight ahead. At a very sharp bend, go round the houses on the right and keep following the road. At a bend to the left, ignore the road leading down to the right.

(13) At the top of the hill, at the junction, continue straight ahead on level ground to reach the village of Bathernay, where you will find tables and benches.

(14) Return to the Town Hall and take the steeply ascending road to the right opposite. The route then continues up some steps to reach the old church and its adjoining cemetery. Take the road leading uphill to the left to reach the ridge and the houses in the hamlet.

(15) At the junction, follow the road to the right along the ridge and enjoy the beautiful views. Walk past the houses on the right; further on, ignore a road leading down to the right and, almost immediately after, ignore another road to the left. Pass a road on the right and then walk past the house on the right.
The road turns into a forest track.

(16) At the edge of the forest and near a pylon, take the path descending at a right angle to the left. Follow it to a road and continue straight ahead along it. Ignore a path on the left and follow the road as it bends sharply to the right, then take the next sharp bend to the left.

(17) Take the path on the right to pass beneath the houses on the right. Follow this path, which is almost entirely flat. At the junction with a path crossing from left to right on a slope, continue on the flat section, following a gentle bend to the right. After a few bends, the path reaches a road.

(18) Continue to the left (there is a yellow marker here). Walk past the house on the right, ignore a road to the right, then walk past the houses on the right. Pass close to the buildings and depot on the left and continue down the road alongside the gas facilities on the right.

(19) At the bend in the road to the right, go behind the safety barrier and take the steeply descending path to the left until you reach a tarmac section. At the junction, ignore the road to the right and head left towards the gas site. Walk past the facilities on the left and follow the road as it curves to the left. Note a sign on the left describing the gas facilities.

(20) Walk along a flat road, past buildings on the left and a water reservoir on the right. The road turns into a dirt track; walk past a house on the right, then the track becomes tarmac until it joins a road. Take the road going uphill to the left; this curves to the right, runs straight along the edge of the forest, curves to the left and forms a slight ascending ‘S’ bend. Before the ridge, look out for a path on the right.

(21) Take this path to the right, heading south towards the fields. The path is flat then descends to a low point eroded by floodwaters. Ignore a path to the left and follow the steep climb to the right along the path, which starts as a dirt track and then becomes grassy, joining the road near the starting point on the left (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 349 m - Park in Saint-Avit
  2. 1 : km 0.14 - alt. 353 m - The village of Saint-Avit
  3. 2 : km 1.44 - alt. 266 m - Les Condamines
  4. 3 : km 2.65 - alt. 376 m - Road, on the right
  5. 4 : km 3.5 - alt. 378 m - La Fayarda
  6. 5 : km 4.58 - alt. 275 m - Crossing the D53
  7. 6 : km 4.88 - alt. 265 m - Path on the left
  8. 7 : km 5.49 - alt. 299 m - Turn left onto the path
  9. 8 : km 6.55 - alt. 354 m - Canyon below Saint-Andéol
  10. 9 : km 6.83 - alt. 394 m - Church of Saint-Andéol
  11. 10 : km 8.07 - alt. 298 m - D53, on the left
  12. 11 : km 9.73 - alt. 271 m - Very sandy path
  13. 12 : km 10.98 - alt. 344 m - Crossroads, on the right
  14. 13 : km 11.96 - alt. 402 m - Crossroads, opposite
  15. 14 : km 12.63 - alt. 376 m - The village of Bathernay
  16. 15 : km 13.17 - alt. 439 m - Crossroads, on the right
  17. 16 : km 14.3 - alt. 463 m - Angle de la forêt, on the left
  18. 17 : km 14.7 - alt. 427 m - Mont Froid, on the right
  19. 18 : km 15.68 - alt. 376 m - Road, on the left
  20. 19 : km 16.96 - alt. 290 m - Path on the left
  21. 20 : km 17.73 - alt. 271 m - Gas facilities
  22. 21 : km 19.66 - alt. 322 m - Path on the right
  23. S/E : km 20.4 - alt. 348 m - Park in Saint-Avit

Notes

No special equipment recommended.
Shelter and water points when passing through villages.

Worth a visit

The following places are all worth a look, whether for their architecture or places of worship:
Saint-Avit, Ratières, Saint-Andéol and Bathernay.
At Combe Lézard, the gas storage facilities of the Storengy company.
The views of the Alps and the Massif Central from the ridges and the summit of Mont Froid.

Reviews and comments

4.4 / 5
Based on 5 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.3 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.6 / 5
Route interest
4.2 / 5
cathyferrer
cathyferrer

Thank you for your comment. But I don’t think these observations add much to the Smilblick.
I’m not sure if there are any signposts: in Drôme there are sometimes very old markings.
I described a route without paying attention to the signposting. To get continuous signposting, it’s best to buy a map from the Tourist Office.
But to make useful observations and be able to correct the route, you’d need to specify the waypoints:
- 70 metres, I think, between 4 and 5: This isn’t a junction but the distance to a hairpin bend.
- At Ratières, I think between 3 and 4: To get to the church, you have to pass a signpost with a Yellow Cross and a hat to get lost, as it specifies to follow the main road (but at least that will have made one more potential voter for the mayor!!!).
- Junction with the D53, I think at point 10: Well, it’s definitely to the left for 700 metres
Review the description: It seems clear to me... (But I wear glasses!!!)
Markings to be done: This route isn’t part of an official description, and I’m going to think about putting on some overalls one of these Sundays with two tins of yellow and white paint!!!

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globetrotteur05
globetrotteur05

Overall rating : 2.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 09, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average

The route is very poorly signposted, or not signposted at all. It says it’s 70 metres to a junction, when it’s actually about 400 metres. In Ratières, I was told to head towards the church, even though there’s a Yellow Cross on a lamppost. So I took a path – the only possible route – which goes round the village, and ended up at the village mayor’s house (private property), who told me it wasn’t the first time hikers had turned up at his place. At a junction with the D53, it says to turn left, when in fact you have to turn right.
So I think the route description needs to be revised, as does the signposting along the route.

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milambert
milambert

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 18, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A lovely, reasonably long route, without being too strenuous. Beautiful natural surroundings.

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grossif
grossif

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 27, 2018
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A lovely walk, despite the tarmac being a bit hard

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c'est moi
c'est moi

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 26, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average

I'm from the area and I wanted to try out someone else's route. Too many sections on tarmac roads, including one that's dangerous

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ran26do61
ran26do61

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 19, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

We did part of this walk. From Saint-Andéol to Bathernay, then we took the small road to Ratières and continued the walk from Ratières back to Saint-Andéol.
A lovely walk from village to village, apart from the 700m stretch (between 10 and 11) on the D53 road, which is dangerous! Perhaps another route should be found to avoid this section of road.

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