The Crêt tour in Ordonnaz

This is a short, easy hike, suitable for families, starting from a pleasant little village in the lower Bugey region. On a clear day, the heights of Crêt offer beautiful views of Mont Blanc and the Burbanche valley. At the end of the walk, you can enhance your hike by visiting the small village church (12th century) and admiring its Sully lime tree (planted in 1601).

Details

3355830
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 8.80 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 10 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 225 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 233 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 972 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 835 m

Description of the walk

Car park located at the crossroads of the Bénonce and Lompnas roads, near the bus shelter.

(S/E) About 50 metres from the car park, take the small tarmac path on the left (GR®59). After 200 metres, take the stony path on the left. Continue to the high-voltage pylon.

(1) At the pylon, take the small path on the left, following the high-voltage line.

(2) Go down to the right into the field and then join the communal path below.

(3) Turn right at the intersection with the road, follow it for about 150 metres, then take the path on the right. Follow it uphill.

(4) Turn right onto a small path that climbs into the forest until you reach a small sign (Chariot) 200 m before the high-voltage power line pylon.

(5) Turn onto the small path on the left and continue along this stony path a little further down on the left. Pass under the high-voltage power line. Continue until you reach the junction with a road.

(6) At the crossroads, turn right to return to the village. Pass in front of the town hall and continue on the D 32.
If you want to visit the church and see the Sully lime tree, go straight on towards the cemetery.

(7) At the roundabout, turn right to the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 860 m - Car park, crossroads of the Bénonce and Lompnas roads
  2. 1 : km 2.56 - alt. 943 m - High-voltage pylon
  3. 2 : km 2.83 - alt. 892 m - Turn right at the fork
  4. 3 : km 3.61 - alt. 848 m - Turn right at the road.
  5. 4 : km 4.41 - alt. 858 m - Hairpin bend
  6. 5 : km 5.76 - alt. 936 m - Path on the left before the pylon.
  7. 6 : km 8.01 - alt. 842 m - Turn right at the crossroads
  8. 7 : km 8.54 - alt. 854 m - Roundabout
  9. S/E : km 8.8 - alt. 861 m - Car park, crossroads of the Bénonce and Lompnas roads.

Notes

At point (7), you can refill your water bottles (tap near the flower-covered fountain) and buy cheese and various regional products at the dairy.

Worth a visit

At the end of the hike, you can visit the 12th-century Saint-Antoine church and admire the remarkable Sully lime tree. In the centre of the village, the cheese dairy museum will open its doors to you (free admission)

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

4.4 / 5
Based on 15 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.5 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.6 / 5
Route interest
4.2 / 5
Héritier
Héritier

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 05, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very beautiful outing without snow – lovely views of Mont Blanc and Bugey – I would extend the route to Calvaire des Portes, which can also be done as a circular route. Under a radiant sun, I thoroughly enjoyed myself.

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andomir
andomir

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 19, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely, peaceful hike to do in autumn when the trees are ablaze with colour.
Lovely view at the start, then through beautiful forests. From point 5, it is more interesting to return to point 1 and follow the same route back, which avoids having to return along the road, which is not particularly interesting. Visit the beautiful church, next to which there are tables for picnics.

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papinou38
papinou38

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 04, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Hike completed on 3 April in sunny weather. Limited parking space at the bus shelter. A short climb at the start, but we quickly reached the straight path without difficulty.We followed the route from points 1 to 4, which I found less interesting. On the way back, we did not follow the route from point 5 onwards, preferring to take the same route as on the way there in order to enjoy the view of Mont Blanc again

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Pat.47
Pat.47

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 02, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

A short, gentle hike. Two descents that are a little steep and slippery due to the humidity. Beautiful views of the Alps and Mont Blanc, but behind you. Perhaps best done in the opposite direction.

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Guyane38
Guyane38

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 16, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

A lovely hike from the village of Ordonnaz. Easy access to the car park but few spaces available.
A gentle climb for about half an hour, then flat ground to the relay station and a slight descent to the GR. Then there is a beautiful, flat, shaded path that crosses a quiet road and a splendid path strewn with leaves among the trees.
Then there is another steady climb through the undergrowth and finally a descent.
The last section is on the road leading to the village.
No spectacular views on this route, but plenty of shade in summer.
Tilleul Sully with its pretty church at the edge of the village.
2½ hours' walk.
Few difficulties.

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Ulya
Ulya

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 29, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike, but the return journey from point 5 is long and uninteresting.
From point 5, it is more interesting and enjoyable to return to point 1 and then follow the same route back, which avoids having to return by road.

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User 1818966

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 11, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant winter hike (with very little snow). It is quite short (less than 2 hours without breaks) but long enough to get some fresh air.
The first part includes enough ridge paths to provide satisfying views.
There is little walking on the road (about a hundred metres on the road leading to the Col de Portes). The return journey is more forest-based.
There is a slight risk of getting lost when you are on the ridge on the way back. The pylon in the distance beckons you, but you have to turn left to find the main path below.
Follow the GPS track for ease.
Don't forget to admire the Sully lime tree next to the church in Ordonnaz, a beautiful building with a very long and unusual choir.

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spockdodo
spockdodo

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 17, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hike completed today in beautiful weather, neither too hot nor too cold – in short, perfect.
A very pleasant and easy route, with the added bonus of views of Mont Blanc from the entire ridge section.
As I often mention, I only use the GPS point to follow the route with the IGN map background, so it's almost impossible to go wrong: the description is only useful to me for selecting the route or not.
A little joke: we were looking forward to enjoying the picnic area indicated just before point 4 in the comment left by Ferney... but no, point 4 and the entire section from point 3 is in the forest with no particular place to sit, so I suppose it must have been somewhere else. Well, we just ended up eating a little late, but with a view of Mont Blanc just before point 5, there are worse disappointments ;-)
Lovers of beautiful trees, the Sully oak is definitely worth a detour: over 400 years old for a living organism, it's impressive! Even without hiking, it's worth seeing.
And take the opportunity to go and see the one in Innimond, 7 km away: it's just as beautiful and, as a bonus, it's in a magnificent location on a small hilltop next to the chapel (take the small street on the left of the town hall when coming from Ordonnaz).

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ferney
ferney

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 05, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

a very pleasant walk, unfortunately a little late to enjoy the autumn colours of the beech trees. Nice picnic spot just before point 4. The church and the Sully oak tree are worth a detour.

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Nils Goury
Nils Goury

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 15, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : Not used / Not applicable
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hike done in winter with three children (aged three and nine). A beautiful walk in the mist and frost. The children loved it. As a bonus, a thank you to the magnificent pheasant in the woods at the end of the trail.

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tp_38
tp_38

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

great walk, just as described. Unfortunately, the weather was a bit cloudy and we couldn't see Mont Blanc

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TM69
TM69

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 26, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful walk between ridges and woodlands in the Bugey hills.
Magnificent views over the Ain plain on one side and the Alps to the east.
The access roads are also very scenic.
A lovely little walk (2 to 2½ hours depending on the walkers' fitness level) 1 hour 15 minutes from Lyon by motorway.

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Pasu95
Pasu95

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 14, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

Hello,
Be careful at point 4 to take the path on the right, and at point 5 to take the path on the left. If you miss it, you will arrive at the pylon at point 1 and will have to turn back!
The estimated time of 3 hours and 10 minutes is incomprehensible. My friend, who is not used to walking, and I took 2 hours and 20 minutes...
Enjoy the hike, it's a very pleasant short route and the lime tree in Sully is worth seeing.
Pascal

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Saint alban
Saint alban

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 14, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Pleasant hike with a rocky and slippery descent in wet weather (towards the large pylon)

points 6 and 7 on the map are (imaginary!!!) Part of the route not completed because it does not exist in reality....

despite everything, we are very satisfied (8.4 km completed)

See you soon

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chelouche helene
chelouche helene

Overall rating : 3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 13, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

HELLO on 14/06/20
not very humid weather. It is preferable to do it in reverse because the return trip is a bit monotonous
the descent from 1 to 2 is very slippery
at point 4, look for the Ordonnaz sign and green markings
the pruning shears came in handy For those who want a longer route, extend it via Calvaire de Porte, but beware of mud
helenedolo

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