Pas des Voutes and Pas de l'Allier starting from Chatelus

Date of your route : Oct 06, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

I’ve just completed this magnificent walk on Tuesday 6 October 2026.

According to the Tourist Office, the Pas des Voûtes is open, as is the Pas de l’Allier, though the latter is subject to bad weather.

But honestly, the first half of the descent after the Pas de l’Allier at point 7 is, in my opinion, really very dangerous. (At least in the condition it was in on that day.)
They’ve made a few improvements to the cliff face to make it a bit safer underfoot, but in two places there’s absolutely nowhere to put your foot safely, and sure enough, the ground gave way beneath my feet.
Fortunately, they’ve installed handrails and ropes over a 20-metre stretch.
Despite that, I strongly advise against going between point 7 and point 2.

Apart from that, the views are breathtaking and the scenery is incredible. I thoroughly enjoyed myself.

The description is quite good, the GPS is just as accurate, and it’s fairly easy to find. And yet I’m not exactly a natural with a compass. 🥲.

One small detail, though: halfway down the descent (if you do decide to go down), the path continues to the right, slightly higher up. You’ll see a cairn there.

As for the ‘difficult’ rating, I’ve seen harder hikes that were easier than this one. Personally, I really struggled on the climb up to the Pas de Voutes, but it’s not particularly technical either.

In any case, thanks for the route map. And I’ll say it again: if you know of other ways down, don’t go past point 7.
Or turn back, perhaps allowing an extra hour? (Be warned, though – if you turn back from point 4 to 2, you’ll need strong legs 😱, but if you take it slowly, it’s doable)
I completed the circular route in about 4 h 30 mins.

Machine-translated

Date of your route : Apr 30, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : Not used / Not applicable
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Please note that a local by-law prohibits access to these passes. We were able to make a round trip to the Pas des Voûtes.

Machine-translated

Date of your route : Jul 22, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Warning ⚠️⚠️ We did the hike on 22 July after the storms, and once we reached the Allier pass, the return to Chatelus was impassable. There was no information to indicate that the path was closed. We found ourselves on a path covered in scree with a 30 cm passage and holes leading into the void. Very, very dangerous. The marked path had been destroyed by the scree. We finally turned back to where we came from. Otherwise, great hike and magnificent views. We really enjoyed it.

Machine-translated

Date of your route : May 24, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Pas de l'Allier reopened 5 days ago! Pas des Voûtes too (officially reopened: origin Vercors tourist office). A magnificent hike, with a few brief passages that were a little exposed, but a technically accessible hike. It took us 3hrs 05mins, walking at a brisk pace with few breaks. Beautiful views. Fairly shady and cool.

Machine-translated

good morning.
Please note that
The Pas de l'Allier and the Pas des Voutes have been closed by municipal decree since 2022 due to landslides, and this for an indefinite period.
This hike should be withdrawn as it is not feasible until the paths have been made safe.

Machine-translated

Date of your route : Jul 05, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Superb walk with beautiful panoramic views

Machine-translated

Hello,

I saw that access to the pas de l'allier was closed last year (August 2022). Has anyone done the hike in the last few days? (last weekend for example)

Thanks in advance.

yves.

Machine-translated

Hello Émilie, and sorry for your disappointment.

A warning message, indicating the ban, was posted on 25 August in the introduction to the hike form.

Machine-translated

Date of your route : Aug 25, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Route interest : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Very busy route : Yes

Please note! This route is absolutely inaccessible today and since 9 August. A prefectoral decree at the car park indicates that it is forbidden to enter the site because of the numerous landslides, but the sign is far too discreet and many of us didn't see it. We went there (on 25 August) and took great risks trying to do the loop. We ended up turning back. Despite the incredible views, the risk of fatal falls is too great to venture out on this trail at the moment.

Machine-translated

warning: 24/08/2022 the path to the pas de l'Allier has just been banned by municipal by-law (between the junction to the pas des voûtes and the pas de l'allier) due to rock falls. So I didn't do it, especially as I was on my own, and the return via the pas des voûtes - which I did a few years ago - so on the way down seemed a bit too tricky.... In this terrain, if a path collapses, even partially, it can become impossible to get through.

Machine-translated

Date of your route : Aug 15, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very nice walk that we shortened to 10 km so that we could do it in the morning during the heatwave. The climb in the shade in the morning and then the forest protected us from the heat.
The path shifted in one place because of a scree slope, and some of the sections were tricky.
But otherwise, the views are magnificent.

Machine-translated

Date of your route : Jul 19, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very nice walk with beautiful scenery and views on both sides.
There is a drinking water fountain at the Chatelus car park.

To be done in the direction indicated, starting at the Pas des Voûtes, as it climbs a little steeply.
Some sections after the Pas de l'Allier are a bit crumbling and stones were falling from above for a few dozen metres on the cliffside section; so be careful
Pleasant picnic spot at the viewpoint between 4 and 5, where you can sit in the shade on logs.
Not really difficult, a hike done with a 4-year-old who climbed almost everything.

Machine-translated

Date of your route : Jun 30, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Great walk, magnificent views of the gorges de la Bourne and the little gorges.

Machine-translated

Date of your route : Apr 27, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful walk with breathtaking views all the way.

Machine-translated

Date of your route : Nov 23, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Superb hike, done for me in autumn, with a touch of fog on the way up. Nobody there that day, magical!

Machine-translated