The southern Pilat from Graix to La Perdrix

The Pilat massif on its southern slope with a passage at its highest point, the Crêt de la Perdrix.

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 13.77 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 5h 20 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 501 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 501 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 1,431 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 944 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Parking near the cemetery in the village of Graix, located at the western exit of the village.

(S/E) Follow the D8 road downhill towards the east and towards the village. Go through the village, follow the road downhill and cross two successive bridges.

(1) After the second bridge and before the crossroads, take a path uphill on the left. Follow this well-marked path, ignoring other paths coming from the right. At the edge of the forest, the path curves to the left towards some houses, which you will not reach.

(2) At a flat section, follow the path entering the forest in a hairpin bend to the right. Continue uphill, ignoring a path leading off to the right. When you reach a crossroads, take the left-hand road until you reach another road at an elevation of 1091 metres, Croix de la Loge.

(3) Cross this road and take the path opposite, which climbs steeply in a straight line. Pass a house on your right and continue into the forest.

(4) At elevation 1203, continue to the left, ignoring a path coming from the right. At elevation 1282, you will reach a trail junction with a log storage platform.

(5) Continue straight ahead, ignoring the paths on the left and right. Still climbing, follow the path curving to the right and leave the forest to enter a meadow. Reach a flat area with several paths.

(6) Follow the one on the left facing the summit of Crêt de la Perdrix. Climb to the summit among the scree and take a break to get your bearings. Continue downhill towards the west then south-west among the heather, following the red and white markings ofthe GR®7and ignoring the paths on the right to reach a crossroads of four paths at the edge of the forest.

(7) Follow the path that descends almost in a straight line, ignoring those on the left and right. The stony path leads unambiguously to a road at an altitude of 1,303 metres, passing a stele on the right.

(8) Follow the road for 200 m, then take the path running alongside the road above, marked in red and white, for another 800 m. At an elevation of 1,272 m, the path branches off to the left, leaving the road that continues to the right. Return to the road and follow it to the left for 100 m.

(9) Take a path on the left through the forest. Pass close to the chalets on the left (Les Sagnes). The path becomes a road and leads to a farm on the right. Continue straight ahead to reach the D63 road at an elevation of 1203 metres. Follow the road opposite for 300 metres and, in a left-hand bend, take the grassy path that descends almost opposite, slightly to the right. Reach a road and turn right for a few metres to arrive at an elevation of 1167 metres.

(10) Take the hairpin path on the right that leads through the meadows.

(11) Before reaching the houses, at elevation 1135, turn onto the path that descends in a hairpin bend to the left. Arrive at the houses of "La Batterie" and stay on the left to bypass most of the houses on the right. Continue along the slightly ascending road, ignore a road on the left and come to a junction with multiple possibilities.

(12) Take the second road on the right. Continue for 100 metres and when the road bends to the left, follow the grassy path opposite which leads to the D8 road you started on. Follow this road to the left to reach the cemetery 200 metres further on (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 992 m - Parking near the village cemetery in Graix
  2. 1 : km 0.96 - alt. 946 m - Second bridge
  3. 2 : km 1.91 - alt. 1,043 m - Le Clozet crossroads
  4. 3 : km 2.59 - alt. 1,090 m - Croix de la Loge
  5. 4 : km 3.48 - alt. 1,198 m - On the left, at an altitude of 1,203 metres
  6. 5 : km 4.57 - alt. 1,283 m - Altitude 1282 Beau Girard
  7. 6 : km 5.6 - alt. 1,400 m - Trail junction - Towards - Crêt de la Perdrix (1432m)
  8. 7 : km 6.38 - alt. 1,376 m - Crossroads of four trails
  9. 8 : km 7.2 - alt. 1,305 m - Junction D8-6 Cote 1303
  10. 9 : km 8.97 - alt. 1,216 m - Leave the GR7
  11. 10 : km 10.74 - alt. 1,166 m - Plateau des Jarlées
  12. 11 : km 11.42 - alt. 1,134 m - Cote1135, path downhill to the left
  13. 12 : km 12.87 - alt. 1,074 m - Crossroads with multiple possibilities
  14. S/E : km 13.77 - alt. 992 m - Parking near the village cemetery in Graix

Notes

Standard hiking equipment.
Bring something warm for the summit.

Worth a visit

The beautiful panoramic views of Pilat with views of the Rhône and Gier valleys and the mountains on the Mont Mézenc side.
An orientation table at the summit of Crêt de la Perdrix.
A detour to Le Prince Du Vernay for lovers of farmhouse charcuterie.

Always be cautious and plan ahead when you're outdoors. Visorando and the author of this route cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurring on this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

Reviews and comments

4.9 / 5
Based on 27 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.9 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.9 / 5
Route interest
4.7 / 5
Manureva
Manureva

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 15, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant hike on varied trails!
Few roads, beautiful panoramic views, completed in 4 hours and 15 minutes at a normal pace. Easy to follow with GPS and the description.

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Manureva
Manureva

Very nice hike on varied trails!
Few roads, beautiful panoramic views, completed in 4 hours and 15 minutes at a normal pace. Easy to follow with GPS.

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Christian42
Christian42

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 26, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Everyone enjoyed it (group of 15); almost no tar! Maybe 10%.
Be careful between 5 and 6, rain or storms have eroded the path over 30 metres, but you can walk with patience and caution (27/05/2025). It is better to start in the direction indicated (stony climb over 2 x 2 km).
At 11, you can go down to the road without going to La Batterie and cross it 50 m further on to reach the pleasant, easy and wide La Brétonnière valley.
There is a beautiful river crossing on a secure bridge.
Return via Sagnelonge and the Croix de L'Heaume and the village (+ 3.5 km) --> total 5 hours without rushing

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Fabderegas
Fabderegas

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 01, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Very beautiful route, between dirt tracks and paved roads towards the end.
completed in 3.5 hours in beautiful weather

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pallandre chantal
pallandre chantal

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 20, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very pleasant hike, partly through woodland, so very relaxing, with lots of wild flowers at this time of year. And the view from the top of the Crêt de la Perdrix is magnificent. The signposting is a little unclear after the 9th sign, around 10/11. But you get there in the end!
Thanks to the author

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alamarre
alamarre

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 28, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

With the app and a paper map, it's impossible to get lost.
This is a beautiful circular walk that should be done in the recommended direction, as the return offers more open landscapes.
Highly recommended.

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Bardouxx
Bardouxx

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 17, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike, with lots of snow from the first climbs and after the descent from Crêt de la Perdrix. Not very difficult, with stunning views on the descent. Easy route to follow.

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Traviata
Traviata
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 01, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

I met people mainly at Cret de la Perdrix. The weather was nice: windy on the Crêt.
Nevertheless, around 2 p.m., as I was descending between 1,400 and 1,100 metres, I would have appreciated a woolly hat and gloves. It was 1 November. We're still in the mountains, after all.

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Philardo
Philardo

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 23, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hike completed on Sunday 23 August in gloomy, windy weather; a fleece was useful at the Crêt de le Perdrix. The map route was easy to follow; refer to the directions if in any doubt. Pay attention at point 2 so as not to miss the hairpin bend to the right. A pleasant route, busy at the Crêt but otherwise quiet. Beautiful view from point 9 to the end. I did this circuit starting from La Batterie.

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guy pagat
guy pagat

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 05, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The climb in the morning is challenging, and the estimated time is quite generous. There are few people except around the Crêt de la Perdrix, which offers magnificent views. The descent offers superb views of the Monts du Vivarais and there is always a breeze to cool you down. Thank you for this beautiful walk.

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franzy67
franzy67

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 22, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely, easy circular walk with a superb view from the Crêt de la Perdrix. Varied landscape between the forest in the valleys and the flora and vegetation of the hills. Beautiful rural descent through flower-filled meadows, especially at this time of year.

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jrf
jrf

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 17, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very beautiful hike sheltered from the wind in the woods but very exposed on the ridge (lots of people in this area)
Return through the woods and then out in the open at the end (very hot)
Bring a good windbreaker and something to drink.
A wonderful discovery of both sides of Pilat 😎

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JacquesC3
JacquesC3

Circuit in preparation

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Tatacaroleg
Tatacaroleg

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 25, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average

Nice hike, but the return trip is a bit disappointing.

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JacquesC3
JacquesC3

Planned for sunny days

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