Mont Saint-Eynard via Rocher du Bret

A fairly short but steep circular route up the little-known Rocher du Bret ridge. At the summit, you will be rewarded with a 360° panorama of the southern Chartreuse, Belledonne, the Grenoble conurbation and the Vercors. The return journey is more conventional, passing by the Batteries du Saint-Eynard, which offer some more beautiful views.

Details

2726676
Creation:
Last update:
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 4.58 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 25 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Difficult

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 387 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 389 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 1,349 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 979 m

Photos

Description of the walk

At the Croix de Saint-Bruno (956 m), leave the Sappey-en-Chartreuse road (D512) and take the road leading to Saint-Eynard. After passing through the hamlet of Gouillat, you will find a small car park at Pillonnières, at the start of the Bordelière path.

(S/E) Continue along the Saint-Eynard road southwards for about 600 m. Then take a path on the right at the edge of a clearing, which splits into two further on. Take the left-hand branch and you will soon rejoin the D57a, not far from a hairpin bend.

(1) A path starts from this bend. You may need to go around a few fallen trees before reaching the wooded ridge of Rocher du Bret. The trail then invites you to either follow its line or go slightly eastwards to avoid certain obstacles. Over the last few metres, it becomes slightly exposed as it opens up.

(2) After taking in the stunning views from the summit of Rocher du Bret, a good path quickly joins theGR®9to the south at a terrace. Follow it eastwards along a ditch that separates us from Fort du Saint-Eynard. Then, not far from its entrance, a narrow passage followed by a tunnel leads us to the panoramic terrace of Les Batteries.

(3) At the other end, continue to follow theGR® along the wooded ridge, which offers more breathtaking views. Leave the trail at Pas Guiguet, where there is a signpost (however, the name of the place is not indicated).

(4) Head down the wooded slope towards the north-west along an unmarked path, which is fairly inconspicuous at first but quickly becomes much clearer. It ends at a hairpin bend on the Route du Saint-Eynard, not far from a pylon.

(5) You will then find a yellow-marked path on the right, descending diagonally. It crosses a logging track before running alongside meadows and ending near the small car park at the starting point (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 987 m - Small car park at Pillonnières.
  2. 1 : km 1.2 - alt. 1,104 m - Start of the path leading to the Bret ridge
  3. 2 : km 1.86 - alt. 1,347 m - Summit of Rocher du Bret
  4. 3 : km 2.48 - alt. 1,281 m - Saint-Eynard batteries
  5. 4 : km 3.04 - alt. 1,296 m - Start of the descent from Pas Guiguet
  6. 5 : km 3.45 - alt. 1,176 m - Start of the final path to Pillonnières.
  7. S/E : km 4.58 - alt. 986 m - Small car park at Pillonnières.

Notes

There are no water sources along the route.
Walking sticks are very useful for the steep climb up the Rocher du Bret ridge. And the last few metres before reaching the summit can be daunting for those who are afraid of heights.
TAG bus stop at Gouillat, on the Flexo line no. 62.

Worth a visit

It is possible to visit Fort Saint-Eynard, although it is closed from November to April.

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

4.5 / 5
Based on 7 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.3 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.4 / 5
Route interest
4.9 / 5
Obiou38
Obiou38

Hello,
First of all, thank you for your review. Since you are not the first to consider that the difficulty is slightly underestimated, I have increased it by one level. And I have specified in the practical information the dizzying nature of the ridge when reaching the summit.
Kind regards.

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pseudoe
pseudoe
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 31, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The arrival at the summit is magical: breathtaking views!
However, contrary to what is indicated on the information sheet, we found the difficulty level to be higher than "average" (steep climb on a steep path - and difficult to see among the leaves on the ground). We had to use our hands to help us at times.
People who are sensitive to heights should be warned that there are some passages that can be quite daunting, especially just before the summit.
It's worth the effort, it's beautiful!!!

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romain1208
romain1208

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 17, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike with magnificent views.
Short but steep at the start, without posing any major difficulties.
Not suitable for young children, as there are some tricky sections along the ridge.

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marignal
marignal

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 28, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Everything is excellent, except that the difficulty level should be marked as higher: it is almost like alpine hiking (T3/T4). Under no circumstances should children be taken on this route: there are technical sections that can be dangerous without a certain amount of knowledge. Good equipment is required (good footwear).

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Frances
Frances

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

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

A superb walk with magnificent views!!!
We couldn't find the car park at the start of the hike, but we parked a little further up, as the road only allows one car to pass at a time.

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CFPP
CFPP

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 30, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A really lovely hike with a bit of everything: elevation changes, vegetation, some wildlife and, of course, beautiful views!

A slight downside for beginner hikers and/or those unfamiliar with the area:

  1. The path taken at point 2 was not easy to follow, which made the route more "challenging" as it turned into off-trail hiking. But it was very nice (in May).
  2. the sign for point 4 "Pas de Guignet" was not easy to follow, which also led to a bit of enjoyable off-trail hiking :-)

On the other hand: a great time with the family - many thanks to the person who posted this hike on Visorando.

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georges roeencweig
georges roeencweig

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

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

A very beautiful hike.
But we did it in the snow and the path was slippery.
So we came back down by road.

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