Roche Colombe

de fr

From the top of this cliff, you have a beautiful view of the Vercors, the foothills of the Ardèche, the Rhône valley and the entire Saoû forest with the Trois Becs at the other end.

Details

n°69380
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Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 6.10 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 00 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 1,332 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 1,332 ft
  • ▲
    Highest point: 2,864 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 1,647 ft
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Photos

On the ridge
Rock slab after the Pas de l'Echelette
The trail
Saoû Forest

Description of the walk

Access: Take the forest track immediately to the left after the Col du Pas de Lauzens towards Aouste sur Sye, where you can park before the barrier.

(S/E) Follow this track, which climbs gradually up the north-facing slope of the mountain until it ends.

(1) Continue along a path that starts where the track ends, cross the small Tourare ravine to reach the south-facing slope and continue gently uphill to the Pas de l'Echelette.

(2) Turn left towards "Sommet de Roche Colombe" and climb about 100 metres to reach point 817 (the most difficult part). Then continue along the relatively flat path that follows the ridge.

(3) The highest point is marked by a boundary stone, a cairn and a bench. The end of the hike is a little further on, at point 884.

(4) Leave the trail that curves down to the left; turn around and retrace your steps to return to the Col du Pas de Lauzens via the same route (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 1,650 ft - Pas de Lauzens Pass
  2. 1 : mi 1.48 - alt. 2,126 ft - End of the trail
  3. 2 : mi 2.08 - alt. 2,310 ft - Pas de l'Echelette
  4. 3 : mi 2.79 - alt. 2,854 ft - Summit
  5. 4 : mi 2.99 - alt. 2,844 ft - Point 884
  6. S/E : mi 6.1 - alt. 1,650 ft - Pas de Lauzens Pass

Notes

Elevation gain: 382 metres.
No water source.

Reviews and comments

4.6 / 5
Based on 29 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.5 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.6 / 5
Route interest
4.6 / 5
User 24845219

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 15, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike, but be aware that the stated elevation gain of 406 metres is incorrect; it is closer to 600 metres.
Very beautiful scenery.

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joannarbn
joannarbn

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 04, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pretty hike, but it deserves at least a medium difficulty rating because after the ladder step there are some fairly technical sections that are not for everyone.
An interesting route for its technical aspects, in the woods, sheltered from the wind on this particular day and from the sun in summer.
I would not recommend this hike with a dog, as they must be kept on a leash and the technical sections do not allow you to let them off the leash. Fortunately for me, I had brought a lead rope rather than a dog hiking belt and leash. Other routes are more suitable for dogs.
Thanks to the author of this hike, which was superb nonetheless.

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pierre.daude
pierre.daude

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 23, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

The "easy" rating is a bit underestimated because the ladder is a bit steep. Magnificent views.

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Bigouden
Bigouden

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 16, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Visited today, not "very" busy.
I agree with the reviews about the difficulty. It's not easy, but it's challenging, especially from the ladder step onwards.
Thanks, Visorando

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SophieV
SophieV

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 20, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Superb, very varied hike.
Beautiful panoramic views, magnificent views of Saou, the forest and the cliffs.
Much of the route is shaded, which is welcome in August.
However, I would classify it as a "difficult" hike, as it climbs steeply from the start and for an hour, and there are some tricky descents. Not suitable for children under 10.

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Annabelle1503
Annabelle1503

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 06, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Nothing to complain about.
Beautiful route.
Big climb in the middle!

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griotan
griotan

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 25, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike with stunning views and plenty of shade.
One slightly tricky slope where you need to be wearing suitable footwear
Perfect

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A.Hominal
A.Hominal

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 24, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Hello,
Route taken on Sunday 24 March. The views across the whole region are remarkable, which is the main reason for recommending this hike.
However, it would be useful to warn hikers about the steepness of the stony slope from the Pas de l'Echelette (about 500 metres, physically demanding on the way up and tricky on the way down)
But a very beautiful hike, highly recommended

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dodolachamboite
dodolachamboite

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 13, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Due to a mistake, we did not complete the entire route. Quite steep. The paved section is a bit long in the first part. Pleasant atmosphere in the oak grove. Beautiful view at the summit in the sunshine.

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bernardrome
bernardrome

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 10, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

a very pleasant walk with a slightly steeper section to climb, but the view at the end is well worth the effort!

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Alice cm
Alice cm

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 29, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike, completed in 3.5 hours including a picnic break (I'm not particularly athletic).

A pleasant, fairly easy walk, apart from the steep climb in stage 2, but it doesn't last too long.

Remarkable views, especially of the interior of the syncline and the Saou forest (the view of the plain from the summit is less spectacular in my opinion).

Very pleasant alternation of shade and sun under the spring sunshine.

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Denis26
Denis26 ★

Hello and thank you for your comments.
Lavandine 26, I think you did the right thing by not following the path to the left at Pas de l'Échelette, as it comes back down to Roche Colombe and ends up in Saou (see the other hike called Roche Colombe, also suggested by Bernardino)

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Lavandine 26
Lavandine 26

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 06, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike that took 3.5 hours, including a 1-hour picnic break to admire the view. As mentioned in other reviews, the section after the Pas de l'Echellette is very steep! We took the same path on the way back, even though it was marked with a cross on a tree. The yellow sign no. 3 pointed to a path on the left just after the Pas de l'Echellette (in the direction of the return). As we didn't have an app and were afraid of not finding our way back to the starting point, we didn't take it. If anyone could confirm that it does indeed lead back to the Pas de Lauzun school, that would be great for future hikers.

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BARNAVON
BARNAVON

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 28, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Hello,

The second part of the route is interesting after point 2.
I have a question about the description of this route as "easy"! Between points 2 and 3, the slope is very steep, both uphill and downhill. Normally, an easy route is a family route, i.e. for people who are not necessarily experienced hikers or even occasional hikers. It seems to me that this hike should be classified as "moderate" to avoid any surprises.

Is the elevation gain 382m or 454m? With our GPS, we recorded 460m.

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indiendaogibbslorka
indiendaogibbslorka

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 25, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

too beautiful, but too crowded. Not recommended during the holidays

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