The Belvédères de la Roche and Côte Rouge

Starting from Col de Fraisse above Monestier-de-Clermont, visit two viewpoints: La Roche, which overlooks Lake Monteynard, and Côte Rouge, facing the famous Mont Aiguille. On the way, pass by the beautiful beech tree called Arbre à Mimi.

Details

8991164
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 10.46 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 00 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 347 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 354 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 1,032 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 804 m
  • ⚐ Country: France
  • ⚐
    Areas: Alps, Dauphiné
  • ⚐ District: Treffort (38650)
  • ⚑
    Start/End: N 44.897648° / E 5.638714°
  • ❏
    IGN map(s): Ref. 3236OT, 3236OTR, 3336OT, 3336OTR
  • Hour-by-hour weather

Description of the walk

Park in the Col de Fraisse car park.

(S/E) Continue down the road leading to the hamlet of Tiraillère. A few metres after the hairpin bend, turn left onto the wide track to enter the woods. Initially parallel to the road, then veer away from it onto an almost flat path. After a wide circular loop to the left, you will reach a crossroads.

(1) Leave this track on your left and continue on flat ground until you reach a new, wider track.

(2) Take this track to the left, then begin a steeper climb to reach the Arbre à Mimi crossroads at the top, marked by a sign. Turn right to quickly reach this curiosity.

(3) Return to the previous crossroads and continue downhill to reach the crossroads of the tracks.

(2) Keep left on the track and you will come to a hairpin bend on the Tiraillère road. Cross it, pass the Combe Mie stream and you will immediately come to a crossroads.

(4) Take the right-hand track and start climbing, coming out at another crossroads near a hunters' hut.

(5) Continue straight ahead and descend to the hamlet of La Roche. Continue along a good path, following the yellow markings and signs to reach the Belvédère de la Roche viewpoint.

(6) Return by the same route to the previous crossroads.

(5) Turn left onto the track, keep left at the Y-junction and continue on flat ground until you reach a large circular bend on the right and a new track junction marked by the "Combe Mille" signpost.

(7) Take the track on the left, which is blocked by a red and white barrier. Begin a new climb, reach the Col de Maissenas (sign on a tree) and a few metres further on you will come to a crossroads of paths.

(8) Leave this track and take the path on the right, signposted "Combe Rouge". Continue on a gentle climb through pleasant woodland to reach the Côte Rouge viewpoint and its orientation table.

(9) Return by the same route to the Combe Mille crossroads.

(7) Turn left onto the wide track and follow the level path to the Col de Fraisse car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 948 m - Col de Fraisse car park
  2. 1 : km 0.96 - alt. 911 m - Track junction
  3. 2 : km 1.42 - alt. 878 m - Track crossroads
  4. 3 : km 2.18 - alt. 910 m - Mimi Tree
  5. 4 : km 4.2 - alt. 805 m - Tiraillère
  6. 5 : km 4.8 - alt. 890 m - Hunters' hut crossroads
  7. 6 : km 5.45 - alt. 833 m - Belvédère de la Roche
  8. 7 : km 7.37 - alt. 920 m - "Combe Mille" sign
  9. 8 : km 7.93 - alt. 973 m - Col de Maissenas crossroads
  10. 9 : km 8.38 - alt. 1,032 m - Belvédère de Côte Rouge
  11. S/E : km 10.46 - alt. 944 m - Col de Fraisse car park

Notes

Please note that there are many trail junctions on this route, so stay on the described route. However, detours are possible to extend the hike.

Worth a visit

See tourist information for this locationhere.

Reviews and comments

4 / 5
Based on 10 reviews

Reliability of the description
3.8 / 5
Ease of following the route
3.7 / 5
Route interest
4.7 / 5
User 25946195
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 30, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant route that climbs up to an orientation table (on the red coast) with a 360-degree view of Mont Aiguille, Trièves, Dévoluy, Écrins, Vercors and Lake Monteynard.

_ At (1), it could be specified to follow the sign indicating the orientation table.

_ When you start going from 3 to 5 and beyond, it's a good thing I had the Viso Rando trail map because there are lots of paths that branch off to the right or left and it's not always easy to find the right one (it's true, it's complicated because in some cases there are no signs

The route is at least 10 km, if not 11, rather than 6.58 km as indicated in the Viso Rando file.

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Colette Talvard
Colette Talvard

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 19, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Belke hike

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Hustache
Hustache

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 25, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

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El Renato
El Renato

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : May 11, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Warning! Mimi's tree is now in a sorry state and falling apart.

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ANMATROM
ANMATROM

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 25, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike with two viewpoints, one overlooking the lake and the other overlooking the surrounding mountains.
S
A very pleasant route through the forest, which is enjoyable when the weather is warm.
We came across a few families in the early afternoon, but otherwise saw no one.
AS

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Meupat
Meupat
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 08, 2023
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : Not used / Not applicable
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Good route with a viewpoint, done with a GPS watch so no mistakes, running, good training, enjoyable.

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casillas
casillas
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 22, 2023
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike. We decided to take one of the many variations of this route for a change and to test our sense of direction, which went without a hitch. However, be careful at km 4 to reach point 3, as the path branches off to the right but is hidden by vegetation and trees, so you have to look for it a little. We had a snack under the tree at Mimi, and the rest was perfect. No one else on this route. 11.5 km with 373 m elevation gain.

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gerelise
gerelise

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 18, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

In the morning, I went up to see Mimi's tree, then the viewpoints in the afternoon.
a bit warm but there was shade on the way back down
very beautiful view of Mont Aiguille, lovely walk

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marite49
marite49

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 30, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Numerous paths without signposts!
But beautiful views

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Yofrommouch
Yofrommouch

Overall rating : 3 / 5

Date of your route : May 30, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

The three of us would have liked more reliable information about the starting point. Col de Fraisse was fine, but after that, where should we go, the road or the path below (we had to choose the latter, which was not mentioned)?
The names of streets or paths within the hamlet of Tiraillère could have been used as reference points for guidance.
The distances were not very precise on the split routes.
What about the instruction "Cross a bend" when you are just going down it on a road?
To climb back up from La Roche to the Col de Fraisse, the relative flatness of the path to Combe Mille is hardly mentioned.

Otherwise, it's a lovely walk.

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