Mont Rachais

Mont-Rachais from Lévetière. Return via Mont-Jalla.
View of the Chartreuse, Belledonne, Vercors and Mont Blanc if the weather is clear enough.

Details

55037
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 8.52 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 00 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 551 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 559 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 1,045 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 534 m

Photos

Description of the walk

(S/E) At Lévetière, take the Serlin road. Climb to the end of the tarmac road and you will come to a "No Entry" sign: a yellow mark indicates that you should turn right onto the steep path.

(1) Take this path, following the yellow markings. You will see a few yellow signposts; follow the direction of Mont Rachais until you reach the ridge.

(2) Turn right and continue to follow the fairly discreet yellow markings. You will arrive at the summit.
A clearing on the left offers a view to the north-east. The rest is visible if the trees have no leaves.

(3) Begin the descent on the other side, which is steep and can be slippery in wet weather.
You will still see yellow markings until you reach a fork in the path.

(4) We turn right and see red and white markings forthe GR®9 trail. We come to an open balcony with a view of Saint Eynard, Belledonne and Mont Blanc in the distance. We follow the sign for Mont-Jalla. We arrive at the memorial.

(5) We head north again along the horizontal path. We turn slightly left along a wall.
You arrive at a bend with an unobstructed view of the Vercors, the confluence of the Isère and Drac rivers, and the synchrotron.
Descend the steep slope to Mas Caché.

(6) At the bottom of the descent, take the path on the right that leads to Lachal.

(7) Take the Route de Clémencières (D57) which leads back to the starting point (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 573 m - Lévetière
  2. 1 : km 0.77 - alt. 647 m - Directional sign
  3. 2 : km 2.54 - alt. 976 m - Ridge
  4. 3 : km 3.2 - alt. 1,045 m - Summit
  5. 4 : km 3.81 - alt. 929 m - Fork in the road
  6. 5 : km 5.87 - alt. 630 m - Mont-Jalla Memorial
  7. 6 : km 7.2 - alt. 535 m - Mas Caché
  8. 7 : km 7.9 - alt. 543 m - Clémencières road
  9. S/E : km 8.52 - alt. 573 m - Lévetière

Notes

Mont Jalla Memorial: Admire the view of Grenoble, the Isère and the Drac.
Breathe in the scents of the Mediterranean vegetation, which thrives in this exceptional location with its limestone soil.
Caution: Do not leave the path, as you may find yourself above rocky outcrops.

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 10 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.2 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.7 / 5
Route interest
4.3 / 5
JuKaWi
JuKaWi

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 09, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant walk. The paths weren't too crowded, but there were a few more people at the viewpoints...

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KrisGcd
KrisGcd

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

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

A beautiful walk that is very well marked and easy to follow, following the route in the direction indicated.
There are a few slightly steep slopes, but the climb is mostly steady and gradual, while the descent is more uneven.
Some sections are very wet and slippery, so walking poles are recommended for safety.
Beautiful views of the four mountain ranges, Chartreuse, Vercors, Belledonne and Oisans, especially on the return journey, which is more open, as the outward journey is mainly through forest.

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RFGF62
RFGF62

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 06, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Please note that it is possible to avoid the D57 to return to the starting point. Between the memorial (4) and Mas Caché (5), there are two possible paths to the right of the main trail. You will pass higher up in the woods above Mas Caché and Lachal before arriving at Clémencières.

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Astrid3842
Astrid3842

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 10, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A very popular route due to its proximity to Grenoble. Accessible by public transport. The view of Grenoble is beautiful and well worth it! No major difficulties, a lovely hike that I recommend.

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Vagau73
Vagau73

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 23, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A pleasant, fairly easy hike, starting off steeply in the forest before levelling out towards Mont Jalla. Views over Grenoble and the surrounding area, perfect for a sunny Sunday stroll.

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Kingfisher
Kingfisher

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 02, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Beautiful hike with good weather conditions: Grenoble and the valley were covered in clouds, but the sky was clear above approximately 600 metres.
The only downside to the route, which is reliable but requires you to take a very steep rocky path on the descent from Mont Rachais to Mont Jalla, which could be dangerous in the event of a fall.
Very beautiful views.

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jorgeluisvq
jorgeluisvq

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 20, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A really enjoyable hike, with lovely views from Mount Rachais and a really nice break during the visit to the memorial at Mount Jalla!

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lauriane.g
lauriane.g

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 26, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A fairly easy hike, even though it climbs quite a bit at the beginning. However, there is no specific place to park. A pleasant hike, the first half of which is entirely in the woods, but we particularly enjoyed the second half, as the route is more open, the views are very nice and the Mount Jalla memorial is worth a look.

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d00738
d00738

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 22, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A fairly easy hike starting from Lévetière, but be careful when parking your car as there aren't many options in the hamlet. We drove a little way up towards Serlin and parked at the first right-hand bend. The hike is a gradual climb, and from Mont Rachais there is a nice view of Grenoble. We also discovered Mont Jalla and its memorial, which we didn't know about before.

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misouli169lesbasbleus
misouli169lesbasbleus
• Edited:

On Wednesday, 1 November 2017, in fine, dry weather, I followed the trail to Mont Rachais; on the way back, I retraced my steps for about 200 to 300 metres from the summit and took a small path on the left: there are the remains of a blue mark and two arrows engraved on the trunk of a small tree at the start of the path. In dry weather, the descent is pleasant (made even more so by the dry leaves that had just fallen) and quick, apart from a short, very steep section at the summit. At the first intersection, you can either keep to the more direct path by staying on the left, or turn right and rejoin the longer uphill path.

A word of advice: during hunting season, remember to wear a fluorescent vest, as these paths are not very popular with walkers but are frequented by hunters.

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Abutin
Abutin

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 04, 2016
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A lovely little hike to get back into shape under the beautiful sunshine.

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