Les Cadières de Brandis via the Pré Chauvin summit

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

Without GPS, the route to the summit can be tricky. The climb is steep and long. It's a three-hour walk at an incline of almost 30%, and I was as out of breath as if I'd been jogging. Once you reach the top, where you need to use your hands in a few places, you're rewarded with a magnificent view of the summit and Lake Castillon. Crossing the ridge isn't complicated, but without the cairns it would have been difficult, or you would have had to follow the GPS on the Visiorando app. The end is a gentle descent.
It's a beautiful hike that's demanding but well worth the effort. It took us 8 hours without getting lost

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Date of your route : Jun 02, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Start of a challenging route. The section along the ridge is difficult on the ankles. Follow the cairns carefully or you could easily get lost. End of the route with no shade. We almost ran out of water. Please note that we had our Australian sheepdog with us, who wore out his paw pads and was in pain for a few days. A very enjoyable hike. Beginners should take their time.

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Date of your route : Apr 28, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike. Suitable for experienced hikers, as part of the climb to Pré Chauvin is very steep and there are few tracks at the start of the route to Les Cadières. Thank you to the people who put up cairns 🤩. Stay on the ridge as much as possible despite the dense vegetation. The access point to descend into Les Cadières is difficult to find. It took us 7 hours and we covered 19 km.

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Date of your route : Nov 04, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hike completed on 2 November 2024
Hike with stunning scenery, no complaints there, quite a bit of elevation gain so only suitable for experienced hikers.
The hike takes 7.5 to 8 hours.
However, a major negative point is the route, with almost no signage for more than half of the route and almost no markings until kilometre 8.
Fortunately, with the GPS route, we managed to get through it without too much trouble, but despite using the GPS route, the hike was almost inaccessible, as it is probably rarely used and nature has reclaimed the path, so we had to make detours, particularly along the ridges and in the forest. This is really the big downside of this hike.
Avoid wearing shorts and T-shirts, even if the weather is nice, as there are quite a few bushes and brambles along the way.
In terms of accessibility, there is a car park at the start of the hike which is not very busy, so it is easy to find a space. However, the road up to the village is very narrow, so take care.

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Date of your route : Sep 24, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

I did this hike with my dog in the direction indicated in 7 hours. For me, the difficulty lies not in the climb or the elevation gain, but in the section between points 5 and 6, where you have to be agile and find your own way...
The section between points 8 and 9 is superb! You mustn't be too prone to vertigo.
The entire second half after that was much less interesting and in full sun.
Be careful, there are sheep pens along and bordering the trail up to point 5 and on the descent. At 8 a.m., the sheepdogs were in the pens, but their proximity and barking can be intimidating.

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Thank you for your very kind feedback.
I think that in terms of distance and elevation, you're ahead of us, but who cares? The essence of this hike, beyond its athletic nature, lies elsewhere.

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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

Superb hike! From start to finish, everything is magnificent.
I was thrilled to see dozens of chamois at the summit.
There is also geocaching.
The hike is challenging and demanding. There are a few rocky climbs where you need to use your hands.
The ridge line is superb, alternating between rocky passages and forests.
The trail is not always easy to find, and cairns are not always present, but with the GPS track, you can find your way.
The cadières (rock formations) inside are breathtaking.
Even if the temperatures are inviting, avoid wearing shorts as there are lots of bushes on the very narrow paths.
The passage by the chapel is also very beautiful.
Nothing to complain about, it's perfect.
20km on the clock for a cumulative elevation gain of 1375m, completed in 8 hours including all breaks (meals, chamois, geocaching, photos, contemplation...)
A hike for athletic and trained walkers.

Thank you for this route!

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Date of your route : Mar 29, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Fabulous scenery, both the ridge and the Cadieres de Brandis.
The first climb is quite difficult, but the scenery is well worth the effort.
The estimated duration of 8 hours and 20 minutes seems overestimated to me.
Thank you.

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LoL, Chauvin's rise is nothing extraordinary,
having already done it the other way round.
I prefer the other way because before reaching the cadieres, I leave the path to go through the scree and you have to use your hands a little, which is a bit more fun!
There you go.
Best regards.

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Hi Magphil,
It's a shame to miss the view in that direction, I think it's more beautiful, and you're also missing out on the sporting aspect of the climb up Pré Chauvin...

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

I did this magnificent route in the opposite direction, starting from Villard Brandis.

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Date of your route : Sep 04, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful, challenging hike. It takes a good 8 hours of walking to complete the circular route. The climb up to Pré Chauvin is difficult and there are few cairns. The view from the summit is superb. The descent to Les Cadières is through boxwood and rocks, and the trail is not very well marked until you cross the woods. Les Cadières is spectacular and magnificent. The return trip is along a steep path with slippery rocky sections. It was hot in early September, and the 2 litres of water per person were just enough.

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Hello, following the ridge, I don't remember encountering any brambles. But I stayed on the rocks the whole time.

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Date of your route : May 25, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Superb hike, very well marked except for the ridge from Pas du Loup to Belvedere... brambles, branches... a few cairns but not very visible.
The rest was sublime.

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Date of your route : Mar 09, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

One of the most beautiful walks in the area. 18 km and 1,230 m elevation gain. Bring plenty of water as it gets very hot quickly, even in March.

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