Pierre Chauve at the start of Les Vigouroux

A magnificent view of the Monts du Matin: the Rocher du Roi Gros Nez, the Montagne de l'Epenet, the Rochers des Deux Soeurs and the Barbières valley as far as Valence and Romans-sur-Isère.

Details

3688893
Creation:
Last update:
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 12.70 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 40 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 373 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 368 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 1,307 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 1,009 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Start from the car park of the Les Vigouroux lodge and the Kid-Artist holiday camp. A few markers high up in the trees will guide you when the route is difficult to find.

(S/E) Head north towards a large green building. At the fork, turn left and leave the building on your right. At the top of the path, close the wire securely and continue downhill without leaving the path.

(1) Facing the stone hut, leave the path and continue on the left. At the edge of the forest, there is a new path that starts with an electric wire. Pass underneath it and take this path.

(2) At the next fence at the top of the hill, climb over it, then walk along it on your right along the wire and cross the field on the left along the trees. Return to the Laffrey path towards the road.

(3) At the crossroads, continue straight ahead along a field on the left. For the more adventurous, there is a geocache nearby.

(4) When you reach the red and white markedGR® trail, go around the field on the left, as indicated several times on the signs, "par la gauche" (on the left).

(5) At the "Barraquand" signpost, take the road on the right and pass the place of the same name. At the dip in a hairpin bend to the left, leave the road and continue along the path that branches off to the right.

(6) Follow this path carefully. At the fork, keep left towards the stone hut "Le Detet" and leave it on your left.

(7) Just after the hut, take a path on the right that starts under some trees. Climb slightly and continue along this path, which gradually disappears from view and from the map as you approach the summit and its cross. Head east towards the summit.

(8) Descend by retracing your steps, then turn left. Walk along a field at the edge of the forest. Then enter the forest. Look for two successive electric wires and a cairn: this is where the descent path begins.

(9) At the crossroads, take thesecond path on the left (south-south-east). Descend towards the Serre Sec farm. This path turns left and then right, continuing downhill. Once on the tarmac road, leave the farm on your right and continue left along the road.

(10) Take a sharp left onto the red and white markedGR® trail.

(11) At the junction of theGR® and the Chemin de Laffrey, turn right and walk past a lodge. Continue along the main path and ignore the side paths.

(3) At the road junction, you will probably recognise the places you passed on the way there. Turn left, pass under the wires and cross the clearing to join the small path along the fence.

(2) Turn left and walk down to the wire.

(1) At the T-junction, follow the path to the right. This will take you back to the starting point (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 1,009 m - Gîte et colonie de Vacances "les Vigouroux"
  2. 1 : km 1.02 - alt. 1,026 m - Small stone building
  3. 2 : km 1.26 - alt. 1,066 m - Electric wires at the top of the hill
  4. 3 : km 1.65 - alt. 1,075 m - Road junction
  5. 4 : km 2.55 - alt. 1,050 m - Access to the GR93
  6. 5 : km 3.16 - alt. 1,034 m - Barraquand post
  7. 6 : km 3.78 - alt. 1,049 m - Fourche
  8. 7 : km 4.49 - alt. 1,071 m - Le Detet
  9. 8 : km 5.92 - alt. 1,307 m - Pierre Chauve
  10. 9 : km 6.65 - alt. 1,199 m - The crossroads
  11. 10 : km 8.05 - alt. 1,111 m - GR93
  12. 11 : km 9.04 - alt. 1,058 m - Lodge at the entrance to the Lafrey path
  13. S/E : km 12.7 - alt. 1,009 m - Gîte et colonie de Vacances "les Vigouroux"

Notes

Parking is permitted in the car park of the 'Les Vigouroux' lodge.
The two wooden picnic tables are for everyone to use.
Please note that there is no water on the course, so please plan accordingly.
Please ensure that all electric fences are closed properly after your visit.

Worth a visit

A few minor detours are possible:
Le Pas de Saint-Vincent (1108m)
Le Col du Tourniol (1145m)

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

3.9 / 5
Based on 16 reviews

Reliability of the description
3.6 / 5
Ease of following the route
3.4 / 5
Route interest
4.6 / 5
User 3433112

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 01, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Good description of the route, but not enough signposts. The section between points 1 and 2 is difficult to find.
Very beautiful view from the top of Pierre Chouve.

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User 26095799

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

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

Hello, the tool has its merits, but when a hiking trail is very poorly marked, the latency time via Visiorando can cause you to stray off course and end up walking extra kilometres🙃
Nevertheless, it is useful and helps you avoid getting too lost. The issue is more related to poor signposting, which means you have to keep your eyes glued to your phone, which spoils the fun...
Otherwise, perhaps a quality rating for signposting, based on feedback from hikers, could be added to the route descriptions?
That's all I have to say, I'm just a novice...
Best regards

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pylabrosse
pylabrosse

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 14, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hello,
A beautiful hike with a magnificent view at the Croix de Pierre Chauve. The climb is challenging, but the panorama is splendid!
Many of the trails are private and there are numerous fences to cross, which seems to cause problems for landowners and hunters, who have forbidden us from passing between points 3 and 4 (which we got around by going from 3 to 10 and then 4)!
GPS guidance is necessary, especially at the start in the woods and on the descent from the cross, as there are few or no markings or signposts, and the cairn at point 8 is missing (or has collapsed?).
The walking time indicated is correct.
Thank you for this lovely walk!

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samsonnet26
samsonnet26

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 28, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very nice hike. However, there are many fences to climb over, and you often find yourself off the trail. But we had no problems with the locals. At point 3 after the cross, we didn't turn back, but went down the opposite side to join a path that led us to point 5. We were a little concerned at point 5 when we saw the private property sign, but we didn't encounter anyone. Don't hesitate to approach the Drayette rock to head towards the summit of Pierre Chauve along the ridge. The view is exceptional. Thank you for this lovely walk.

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Plan-de-Baix
Plan-de-Baix

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 01, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

From the cross, the route is missing. We were unable to find the correct route, either with the GPX viewer or with the Garmin GPS. After getting lost in the forest, we found the route again further down. On the way to the cross, there are yellow/green markings, but not after the cross.

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Paragore
Paragore

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 18, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Please note that many of the paths are private (on the way back from Pierre Chauve). After speaking with a landowner, we will need to find another route for the return journey.
No entry sign except for residents for the private car park of the youth centre. Tables may not be used when the centre is open (avoid during school holidays).

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cmoisteph
cmoisteph

Thank you for your encouragement. Indeed, the route is not always easy to find, simply because local farmers do not want us on these paths. As a result, the markings are regularly removed.

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gamagi
gamagi

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 09, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike, but a little difficult to find, with lots of fences to climb over. The trail is hardly marked at all. Upon arrival at Pierre Chauve, a magnificent view awaits us. To descend from this magnificent spot, from point 8 to point 9, it is still a little difficult to find a path, but fortunately we had a GPS and a compass.
Many thanks to the author of this magnificent hike, despite the difficulty in finding the route.

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olivierdemeusy
olivierdemeusy

Overall rating : 2.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 22, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

I have just completed this route and, to be honest, although it offers some interesting views, I feel it is necessary to draw the attention of Visio Rando users to a few points.

First point to note: there are no markings and in some places the path is no longer visible, so there is a risk of making mistakes which, as already mentioned, could be dangerous, particularly when descending from the cross.

Second point: the GPS track is incorrect and causes confusion when compared to the paper description. This is true in the first part, but is particularly dangerous when descending from the cross
.
Finally, many of the points mentioned in the second part of the route are not noteworthy, are not mentioned in the description and ultimately cause more confusion than anything else.

All this to say that I believe it is essential to rework or update the route to prevent it from becoming dangerous.

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cmoisteph
cmoisteph

The start of the descent is marked by a kerb and a marker in the trees.... Unfortunately, these regularly disappear.
We are very sorry for these falls...

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rageadec
rageadec

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 28, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful walk with varied landscapes. The route gives you a real understanding of the Vercors terrain. Really great, with a beautiful summit as a viewpoint halfway through the walk. A lovely spot to eat.
The first part of the route is a little difficult to find as there are no markings, so I preferred to use GPS, which helped us find our way.
Thank you very much.

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remycontant
remycontant

Overall rating : 3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 08, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Hello, I use Visorando once a week. As a leader and club president, this is the first time I've gotten lost two or three times on a route. The descent from Pierre Chauve is parish specific to Brittany and is very poorly described, which resulted in two falls (not serious) and a sprain. It should be marked at least at the start of the descent.

All the best to everyone.

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bruno92160
bruno92160

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 31, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant, easy hike leading to the beautiful Pierre Chauve viewpoint.

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helene.bernaldez
helene.bernaldez

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 30, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

The description of the hike is based on GPS data. When you reach the road at the end of the Laffrey path (woodcutter's track), you must continue straight ahead, descending to the edge of the field. When you reach the ruins, do the same: continue straight ahead across the field, climb over a standard fence and continue until you reach the GR trail.
On the way back, be careful: at the GR junction, turn left, not right, until you reach the path that takes you back to the Laffrey path and the junction with the road.
Otherwise, it's a very beautiful hike, another way to see Pierre Chauve, with flowers everywhere – a real delight!
There were lots of people arriving from all over, including families. I've never seen so many walkers up there.

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michel1941
michel1941

There are four of us at the start, small paths or not very exciting as we cross the meadows, beautiful views at the top of Pierre Chauve after a fairly steep climb in the heat, after point 8, despite GPS it is impossible to find the path back, descent and return by the same route, easier as we had made our tracks, it's a shame we couldn't find the way back (at the summit, we asked several local hikers, but none of them knew it). Still, it was a beautiful hike, one to do again to find the way back. Thank you for this beautiful hike. Michel 1941

Thank you for your reply. Next time we will be very careful.

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