Serre Gros from Rochebaudin

The Poët mountain is the last foothill of the Pre-Alps above the Rhône plain, and Serre Gros is its highest point at 971 metres.
Caution: very steep climb in the rock chimney (do not attempt in wet weather).

Details

6414
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 9.84 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 50 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Difficult

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 713 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 712 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 962 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 324 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Park next to the town hall, Place de l'Église.

(S/E) Take the road opposite the church (PR®48well signposted all the way up), at the Treilles crossroads, take the path on the right and continue along the trail to cross the stream. After the fence, turn left, then take the road on the left that climbs towards the cliffs. Reach the hamlet of Mouilleron.

(1) Continue along the path that passes above the farm building, climbing in numerous bends through meadows and woods. After a ruin, turn right. The path climbs westwards through a remarkable beech forest. At the exit of the woods, pass in front of a stone house (superb) and come out onto the road.

(2) Turn right and continue to the Ouvrières crossroads, then climb the road on the left. At the second bend, take the path on the right into the woods. At the edge of the woods, follow the edge of the meadow (fence). Climb up the valley on the hillside and cross the marl. You will come out onto a carriageway.

(3) Turn left for a few metres, then right, and climb the slope under the pine trees (very steep).
At the Tournelle crossroads, continue straight ahead. The path climbs up a hillock and then zigzags.
At the edge of the woods, climb the scree of large stones at the foot of the Tournelle, then climb the rock chimney (the passage is equipped with metal handles but there are not enough of them, so be very careful not to slip!)
Caution here: At the top of the chimney, it is possible to climb to the summit of La Tournelle, but it is not very safe.
Once at the top of the chimney, climb up to the right onto the grass!

(4) Follow the path and walk along the ridges (not very well marked but follow it roughly) until you reach the first summit, then continue to Serre Gros (still steep) where you will encounter horses on the plateau!

(5) The path descends towards the south-east along the ridge, plunges into a beech forest, goes around a hillock and descends straight down to the Pertuis pass.

(6) Turn left and descend the slope through the undergrowth (very tall beech trees), a dark wood but with a soft carpet of leaves.
Descend to the junction with the Bisquerle trail. Continue to follow the red and yellow markings of the Tour du Pays de Die to the village. Cross the village and turn left at the bridge to return to the car park (S/E), but not before visiting the village.

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 330 m - Parking at the church
  2. 1 : km 1.1 - alt. 401 m - Le Mouilleron
  3. 2 : km 3.03 - alt. 578 m - Carrefour des Ouvrières
  4. 3 : km 4.1 - alt. 668 m - Road suitable for vehicles
  5. 4 : km 4.74 - alt. 871 m - La Tournelle
  6. 5 : km 5.6 - alt. 921 m - Serre Gros
  7. 6 : km 6.29 - alt. 879 m - Col du Pertuis (884m)
  8. 7 : km 7.19 - alt. 660 m - Crossing the Bisquerle trail
  9. S/E : km 9.84 - alt. 330 m - Parking at the church

Notes

Tricky passage through scree and quite dangerous but magnificent in the rock chimney, no large rucksacks, or pass them through first, see photos;
Fairly steep slope in the undergrowth.

Worth a visit

(5) 360° panoramic view of the entire Saou mountain range, from Rochecolombe to the 3 Becs and the Grand Delmas, and even Mont Ventoux on the right.
In Rochebaudin, stone houses and a small chapel with a bell door, under a natural arch in the rock, with the road passing underneath.

Things to see in the surrounding area: Pont de Barret, Bourdeaux, Soyans Castle (a beautiful ruin on a rocky outcrop), the Roubion for swimming in summer, Poet Celard: castle.

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

4.4 / 5
Based on 25 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.2 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.3 / 5
Route interest
4.7 / 5
BéaAllan
BéaAllan

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 09, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

I don't remember very well, but between points 2 and 3, I think, we made our way through the brambles to get back on the path. Then we found the trail again and had no trouble continuing on.

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yoguini
yoguini
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 19, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

be careful, the passage through the chimney is very difficult and reserved for experienced walkers.
At one point, you will hesitate at the top of the chimney; you need to go to the right, into the badly damaged rock....

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Thaddée-A
Thaddée-A

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 14, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike. Not recommended with children due to the scree at the foot of the Tournelle and the climb through the chimney (those who boast about having done it with young children are not to be trusted). I had a little trouble finding my bearings once I came out of the chimney. The path is often interrupted, so you have to follow the ridge as best you can, which goes up, down and up again before descending into the forest that leads to the Col du Perthuis.

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lesignal
lesignal

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 12, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

hello,
we did this itinerary on Sunday, 13 March
the weather was nice and warm despite a bit of mistral wind on the ridges
the trail was well marked in yellow and red from the start to Les Ouvrières, then there were a few yellow markings
after leaving the chimney, there were no more markings until the Col du Pertuis, but the trail was still visible
the chimney is obviously tricky but not impossible. You need to be flexible and agile and not have short legs...
the climb to the Rocher des Tournelles adds nothing except extra difficulty

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Monveymont
Monveymont

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 09, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A really nice day's hiking, with beautiful views.
At the famous tricky spot at La Tournelle, caution is advised!
No falling allowed!
If you're leading a group of hikers, it's a good idea to pack a piece of rope to make a handrail! Bright sunshine and very pleasant temperatures.
Thanks to the person who suggested this hike!

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Xav26D
Xav26D

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

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

A very beautiful hike. At the tricky section of La Tournelle, there are few rungs but there are still some handholds on the rock.
It is easy to reach the summit of La Tournelle: after the section with rungs, just follow the path on the right, then a little higher up, there is a path on the left behind the bushes.
Towards the end, at the bridge, instead of walking on the tarmac, you can climb up opposite towards the ruins to reach a path. Turn left. When you reach the hairpin bend, go up the road a little to the left and, in the bend, take the path on the right that descends into the village.

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minou 07
minou 07

Overall rating : 2.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 16, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Beautiful hike but parish specific to Brittany, to be marked parish specific to Brittany
hike not suitable for everyone

lack of arches on the climb up the chimney

signposting needs to be redone

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catche26
catche26

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 05, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Beautiful hike.
Bring a GPS device as the paths are not always marked;
not suitable for children.
A few arches are missing on the climb up the chimney.

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margot26110
margot26110

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 17, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Superb hike!
One of the most beautiful in the Drôme, especially if you're lucky enough to see wild horses.
Accessible even when the ground is slippery. Be careful when passing the chimney, but the view from the summit is superb.
Recommended for all hikers, the beech forests are magnificent despite the lack of altitude for this type of tree.

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VJP2607
VJP2607

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 07, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Hello everyone! What a magnificent hike! I can confirm that the Tournelle chimney is tricky and definitely not to be attempted in wet weather, but it's definitely worth the effort! Very nice slideshow at the top; the descent is tricky at first but then it's smooth sailing! No problems with the route (with a GPS, everything went really well). Definitely worth doing again. Thanks to the author.

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henri57
henri57 ★
• Edited:

Hello,

you should indicate that it is 6KM6, BUT YOU SHOULD SPECIFY THAT IF YOU EXTEND IT, IT IS 8KM, SO IT TAKES LONGER THAN EXPECTED

The technical data sheet provides the following information:

Average duration: 4.5 hours
Distance: 9.84 km
Elevation gain: 700m
Elevation loss: 695m
Highest point: 961m
Lowest point: 319m

A+

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Randoneuse54
Randoneuse54

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 25, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

very poorly signposted at the start, signposted for 6KM6 BUT IT SHOULD BE SPECIFIED THAT IF YOU EXTEND IT, IT IS 8KM, SO LONGER THAN EXPECTED
OTHERWISE A NICE WALK

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fannette
fannette

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 09, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Recommended hike.
We can confirm that the Tournelle section is quite challenging without being vertiginous: you find yourself in a fairly steep rocky corridor, which we do not recommend in wet weather or with young children.
We had a slight doubt about whether to continue along the path at Les Ouvrières.
After the Tournelle chimney, the path is no longer very clear, but by following the ridge, you can get through relatively easily.
The start of the descent is quite steep, but it quickly levels out.

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irenesaussac@gmail.com
irenesaussac@gmail.com

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 29, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

nice hike, but with a very tricky section at La Tournelle
don't do this if the ground is wet, and don't take beginners
beautiful views of the surrounding mountains

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JacquesWaller
JacquesWaller

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 10, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

On the Ouvrières side, we came across a couple of friendly patou dogs. The passage through the chimney is more impressive than difficult (not to be attempted when wet): you have to be careful of stones rolling onto the head of the person behind you (but there are fewer now that the trail is more popular). At the top of the tower, the path is difficult to see. Go up to the right but turn left at the flat section to find the path, otherwise you will get lost. Some horses can be aggressive when there are foals around.
Otherwise, it's an exceptional hike when the flowers are in bloom.

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