Rock paintings of Mont Peney

Date of walk : Oct 27, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

It's a nice hike just a stone's throw from Chambéry. It's great because it's not very busy, and it's moving to think about those who were there so long ago. Beautiful view of the entrance to Les Bauges.
The route climbs steeply and is only a ledge, so I wouldn't go with young children.

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Date of walk : Mar 19, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Until 30 March 2024: logging operations are disrupting access at the start of the trail (municipal by-law).

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Date of walk : Jun 27, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

We did the route quite early on Saturday morning and didn't meet anyone. It's a beautiful site and easy to access, even with a 600-metre elevation gain. Although most of the route is in the woods, it's more pleasant to do it in the cool of the morning in summer. I hope other people will want to discover this site. A beautiful view awaits you at the top!

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Date of walk : Mar 28, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

We completed this uphill/downhill walk in 2 hours and 15 minutes...it may surprise those who "dread" the climb because it's uphill from the start to the summit. Under the trees, almost to the paintings, which are surprising in terms of their longevity! It's true that the nearby cave is attractive, but you need to be careful and brave, but not reckless if you don't feel up to it!

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Date of walk : Mar 17, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

It's a lovely half-day hike; the trail is much nicer and better marked than I remember (from long ago); there are no navigation issues and the view from the paintings is magnificent. It's easy to understand why, for reasons still unknown, our ancestors found this site worthy of their mark! We'd love to know what these paintings represent and what they mean. We'll have to wait for information from the researchers who came in 2019 to take photos and make surveys.

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Date of walk : Feb 24, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Plenty of possible paths at the start, then just one with a moment's hesitation in front of a scree slope, while the path discreetly turns behind you.

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I had trouble finding the car park, even though I had seen it as I drove past. There was nothing to indicate that it was the right one. I drove to the end of the road for nothing. It should be specified that you have to park in the car park on the right just after the junction with Chemin du Chanay. At the end of this car park, there is a picnic table. The trailhead is behind the table.

I didn't meet anyone on Whit Monday, either on the way up or on the way down, but some hikers were getting ready when I returned to the car park at around 9.40 a.m. Don't arrive too early at the top, otherwise it will still be in the shade. Leaving the car park at 6:50 a.m., I had to wait an hour at the top to see the site in the sun, around 9 a.m.

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Date of walk : May 27, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

shaded path throughout, gentle slope, splendid view upon arrival at the cliff of Mont Peney, Belledonne and Le Granier, La Chartreuse to Mont Chamechaude clearly visible on this day. Cave paintings: difficult to interpret. Highly recommended. We only saw two couples during the day. Absolute tranquillity

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Date of walk : May 30, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : Yes

I do this hike every year to stretch my legs (I live less than a kilometre from the start, which helps!) and I just did it again today.
A few comments about the description:
- the total elevation gain is overestimated, starting at 600 metres and finishing at 1,120 metres, with no descent, so the elevation gain is 520 metres
- the time given (3½ hours) is very generous. It took me just under two hours there and back, and I'm 74 years old and slightly overweight
- a clearly visible path to the left of the car park allows you to reach the hairpin bend on the right without having to take the road
- i prefer to take the shortcut between points 1 and 2 on the way up rather than on the way down, but that's a matter of preference
- i witnessed large rocks falling in the corridor leading to Les Déserts via the historic route, perhaps caused by hikers, even though this route is not recommended and has been cleared of cables, so do not linger when crossing this corridor
Apart from that, it's a pleasant route in hot weather as it's well shaded. The downside is that you have to reach the top to enjoy the view of Granier and Belledones.
After the engravings, a narrow path leads to a cave. Be careful, as it is steep and exposed (gas), and should only be attempted by those with sure footing. Avoid taking children there.

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Date of walk : Oct 16, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

The trail is very pleasant. The sky was blue, the sun was warm, and the climb was a good 1.5-hour sweat in the autumn woods.
The rock shelter is surprisingly well preserved. The paintings by our graffiti-artist ancestors are clearly visible. On the left, there are still traces of soot from the wood fires they made. A little above, the cave is very clean, clearly never having been used. This raises the question of life on this ledge. They had a dry, well-exposed and protected place to store food in the woods, but where did they find water? Perhaps a spring flowed from the cave at the time, as there is sand at the entrance. This would explain why it was not used. So was it a base camp or simply a nomadic stopover?
As you can see, this place raises questions, and the most surprising thing was to see the Challes gliders flying past right at the entrance to the cave, just as they did 5,000 years earlier

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Date of walk : Oct 16, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

The trail is very pleasant. The sky was blue, the sun was warm, and the climb was a good 1.5-hour sweat in the autumn woods.
The rock shelter is surprisingly well preserved. The paintings by our graffiti-artist ancestors are clearly visible. On the left, there are still traces of soot from the wood fires they made. A little higher up, the cave is very clean, clearly never having been used. This raises the question of life on this ledge. They had a dry, well-exposed and protected place, food in the woods, but where did they find water? Perhaps a spring flowed from the cave at the time, as there is sand at the entrance. And that would explain why it was not used. So was it a base camp or simply a stopping place for nomads and hunters?
As you can see, this place raises questions, and the most surprising thing was to see the Challes gliders flying right past the entrance to the cave where our ancestors lived 5,000 years ago.

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Date of walk : Oct 16, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

The trail is very pleasant. The sky was blue, the sun was warm, and the climb was a good 1.5-hour sweat in the autumn woods.
The rock shelter is surprisingly well preserved. The paintings by our graffiti-artist ancestors are clearly visible. On the left, there are still traces of soot from the wood fires they made. A little higher up, the cave is very clean, clearly never having been used. This raises the question of life on this ledge. They had a dry, well-exposed and protected place, food in the woods, but where did they find water? Perhaps a spring flowed from the cave at the time, as there is sand at the entrance. And that would explain why it was not used. So was it a base camp or simply a stopping place for nomads and hunters?
As you can see, this place raises questions, and the most surprising thing was to see the Challes gliders flying right past the entrance to the cave where our ancestors lived 5,000 years ago.

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Date of walk : Aug 06, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

The trail is very pleasant and the view from the top over the valley is magnificent.

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Date of walk : Jul 30, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

No difficulty accessing the paintings. A bit frustrating not to be able to access the cave a few metres away because the passage is too dangerous.

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Date of walk : Apr 29, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A pleasant hike, mostly through woodland. Well signposted. Magnificent views at the end. The return journey is along the same path (which is quite steep!), and the children struggled at the end of the climb. Take care on the platform where the paintings are located, as it is narrow and we saw a few rocks falling from the summit.
The rock paintings are remarkably well preserved, despite being almost completely exposed to the elements.

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