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Head to the village of Les Arbods, the main town of the commune of Omblèze, about 25 km north of Mirabel-et-Blacon, in the Drôme valley. Park next to the town hall.
(S/E) Head back towards the road that climbs up the Gervanne valley. Turn right and follow the road up to the village of Les Boutons. At the bottom of the valley, the cliffs of the Col de la Bataille dominate the horizon.
(1) Walk past the church and, just after the village, cross the Gervanne river, then follow the road to its end. Take the path on the right after a shed, then the track that branches off to the right after the first bend in the path.
This path climbs up a ridge through scrubby vegetation. These are the first steps of a climb of nearly 600m that takes you up to the plateau. The vegetation becomes increasingly dense, turning into forest, before opening out into a clearing of lush grass through which the path runs. A little further on, a final bend leads onto a forest track which also serves the sheepfolds on this side of the plateau.
(2) Take the track to the right until you reach the first sheepfold at Pas du Gouillat.
(3) Just before you reach it, leave the track and take a forest path that heads left into the woods. This lovely path winds gently up the slope, amongst magnificent trees. As soon as the view opens out, you’ll reach the Ferme d’Ambel (a small building set in the middle of the meadow) and the numerous springs that gush forth here. It’s the perfect spot for a refreshing break.
(4) The path that runs past the building leads to the Col de la Bataille road (another possible starting point, but one that will deprive you of the pleasure of the climb). Leave this path behind and head south-east towards the line of trees marking the path to the bottom of the valley. Ignore the forest track that crosses the bottom of the valley, and continue towards the woodland on the opposite slope. Follow the path as it winds through the woods, then skirt the edge of the woodland and the fence until you reach the Refuge de Tubanet.
(5) From the path leading to the refuge, cut across the pastures. There are numerous tracks, all leading to the cliff edge bordering the Montagne d’Ambel. The main track runs slightly below the ridge; you must reach the Pas d’Ambel for the magnificent view of the Quint cirque to open up.
(6) Continue along the edge of the ridge to reach, further on, the path junction at the Bergerie de Saint-Julien-en-Quint.
(7) Stay on the path on the left and head towards the junction at the Pas de Rouisse.
(8) Stay on the ridge and begin a short climb to reach the summit of the Tête de la Dame.
(9) You will then begin an easy descent to the junction with the path leading up to Les Sarnats.
(10) Turn left and continue the descent. The slope is gentle at first, through pastures, until you reach the Sarnats sheepfold, then drops steeply through the woods. Continue to the Pierre Plate viewpoint.
(11) Take care here: for a few hundred metres, the path becomes almost like rock-climbing over the boulders, but this difficult section is over quickly.
Continue along the path through woodland.
After a sharp bend to the left, the path joins the ridge, which it follows to the outskirts of the village of Les Tonils.
At the bottom of the slope, follow roughly the route of an old path between stone embankments.
Just before the village, don’t miss the steep path branching off to the right just after the first building. Don’t follow the most obvious path, as it leads to a dead end. Follow a path that runs along the hillside to reach the bottom of the valley and the road leading back to Les Arbods.
(12) At the junction, turn right to return to the car park where you started (S/E).
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