The starting point is at the Croix de Saint-Sabin, on a small road that can be reached:
- from the Giers valley, going up from St Paul-en-Jarez via the CD 62 towards Pélussin, then the CD 63 to the Col de l'Œillon. Descend the southern slope for a few hundred metres and turn left onto the small road to St-Sabin at the hamlet of Chaumienne
- from the Rhône valley (Vienne or Roussillon) via St-Pierre-de-Bœuf, Maclas and Véranne.
Park in the car park at the entrance to the forest.
(S/E) From the car park, leave the Route de St-Sabin and take the forest road that heads south, following a contour line. It climbs slightly to a crossroads (altitude 1075) where you must turn sharply left to climb northwards up the ridge bearing the Chapelle St-Sabin, which you reach after a flat section.
(1) Descend via a north-west facing path until you leave the forest. Leave the return route to the car park on your left and head towards the hamlet of St Sabin opposite. Turn left and follow the tarmac road for 150 m until you reach the Croix de St-Sabin.
(2) Climb up the path on the right, heading north towards the Col du Gratteau. Halfway up the slope (at around 1140 m), turn right onto a track that descends quite steeply to a wide, flat forest track. Follow this track northwards. It curves to the right to join a forest road that also climbs up to the Col du Gratteau.
(3) Take this gravel road to the left for 100m, then immediately turn right onto another forest track climbing eastwards. Several paths climb up from the right. At the junction of one of them, a clear path continues to the left up the slope (this path is actually 200 m after the sign inviting you to climb to the left towards the Trois Dents).
Climb this path straight up the slope. It emerges from the forest into the broom below the Pic du Midi and joins the path running along the south face of the Trois Dents. Go around the base of the rock on the right to climb to the summit via a steep path on the east side.
(4) From the summit, follow the rocky but easy ridge of the Trois Dents, or descend a few metres to join the path on the south face. Keep heading west to climb a ridge and follow the crest that leads to the road near the Col de l'Œillon.
(5) Cross the CD 43 to take the straight path opposite, which climbs straight up to the Crêt de l'Œillon along the municipal boundary. On leaving the forest ("scree"), turn right to go around the foot of the platform and climb up to it after joining the path coming from the north-east.
(6) From the orientation table, go around the TV relay and descend westwards towards the car park, cutting across it to take the "route des crêtes" opposite. When it flattens out after a 250 m climb, turn left to join the last bend in the road leading to Crêt de Botte (military installations).
(7) Continue west to the Col de Botte and turn left towards the Crêt du Rachat (antenna).
(8) Descend to the next pass and turn left again towards Crêt d'Étançon.
(9) Continue to Col d'Étançon.
(10) Take the path opposite heading south-west into the forest. Follow the markings for 100 m along a path that descends southwards: leave it on the right, heading east, to reach Chalet Bourgisan.
(11) From the clearing by the chalet, head south and take a ridge path that passes Crêt de l'Arnica (the highest point on the ridge) and continues to Crêt de la Chèvre (cross).
(12) Retrace your steps to descend left onto a path that enters the forest, then veers right and leads to a grassy pass and a crossroads at the foot of Crêt de la Perdrix. Turn left to climb straight up to this clearly visible peak with its orientation table.
(13) Descend facing west, keeping to the right until you reach the edge of the Route de la Shepherd's Hut. Turn right just before the road to reach the start of the "route des crêtes" (ridge road).
(14) Take the "route des crêtes" path, heading north-northeast at first, then east. Ignore the paths coming from the left from the Shepherd's Hut and the right from Chalet Bourgisan to reach the Col d'Étançon.
(10) Turn right to take (towards Chaumienne) the descent southwards along a well-paved, sometimes quite steep path through the Bois d'Étançon, until you reach the Col de l'Œillon road (CD63).
(15) Cross the CD and take the small road opposite to St-Sabin, crossing Chaumienne.
(16) The road then turns right and enters the forest again.
(17) At the edge, take the path to the left which climbs gently into the Bois de l'Arrivée. It levels out and then begins to descend slightly, heading south-east to a crossroads of forest tracks. There, it descends straight south to join the road to St-Sabin at L'Éclot.
Follow the road to the left, which leads back to the Croix de St-Sabin and the car park 100 m to the right (S/E).