Rochebrune

This low peak and its twin opposite on the Vercors side, the Dent de Moirans, watch over the exit of the Isère as it flows quietly towards the Rhône and the entrance of rain and snow clouds pushed by the north winds. A remarkable viewpoint over the valleys, it is an ideal half-day walk.

Details

118262
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 9.76 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 55 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 398 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 397 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 933 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 554 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Park at the Gorges du Bret car park on the D128 between Saint-Julien-de-Raz and Coublevie.

(S/E) Head south opposite the car park on the wide track marked in yellow. Stay on this track, ignoring all the paths that appear on the right or left. After a few hairpin bends, you will reach a cross with a base dated 1903. You will come to a major crossroads with two tracks.

(1) Take the right-hand track. Continue along this particularly flat track until you reach the hamlet of Grand Ratz.

(2) After about 100 metres, rejoin the tarmac road that crosses this hamlet. Ignore the road on the left at the crossroads and take the wide stony path that leads to Les Grands Bois (signposted). Follow this path, which is always marked in yellow.
When you reach the first crossroads, leave the path on your left and you will soon come to a large crossroads.

(3) Continue straight ahead on the path, which begins a steep climb before levelling out and emerging at the top of Rochebrune.

(4) Return to the large crossroads via the same route.

(3) Take the wide path on the left that leads to the old hang-gliding and paragliding launch site.

(5) Continue down the gentle slope, which winds down a few wide bends before ending at the Grand Ratz crossroads.

(2) Then follow the same route you took on the way there to return to the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 554 m - Parking at the Gorges du Bret
  2. 1 : km 1.42 - alt. 723 m - Crossroads after the cross
  3. 2 : km 2.85 - alt. 780 m - The Grand Ratz
  4. 3 : km 3.96 - alt. 868 m - Crossroads on the way back
  5. 4 : km 4.6 - alt. 933 m - Rochebrune
  6. 5 : km 6.07 - alt. 833 m - Former take-off area
  7. S/E : km 9.76 - alt. 554 m - Parking at the Gorges du Bret

Notes

No water source: the only one encountered bears the warning: "Eau Non Potable" (water not drinkable).
The trail we took on the way there was marked with yellow signs all the way. These signs correspond to a trail known asa PR®, a protected designation of the FFRandonnée.PR® is a widely used abbreviation that stands for Promenade et Randonnée (walking and hiking), not Petite Randonnée (short hike), which is often mistakenly mentioned.

Worth a visit

Voiron, not far away, is well worth a visit to see the caves.
In Voiron, in the Chartreuse cellars, the water, which is safe to drink, comes out coloured. From the tap on the right, it flows green, and from the tap on the left, it is yellow. Go figure!

 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

4.5 / 5
Based on 45 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.6 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.5 / 5
Route interest
4.5 / 5
sarrarobert
sarrarobert

Thank you

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Glasman Dominique
Glasman Dominique

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 19, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful walk, a pleasant path, with a superb view at the top. A comment that may be useful to others:
it is not easy to find the path to take to get to the old airfield (you may hesitate several times).
Fortunately, at point 3, "Carrefour retour", which is not really visible on the way up, you can see a pink mark on a tree trunk on the way down, indicating that you should turn left to reach the old paragliding launch area. The path is then magnificent.

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claude ARCHINARD
claude ARCHINARD

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 01, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

A very pleasant route, entirely shaded and not difficult. The view from the cross over the Grenoble valley is magnificent.

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Lilyane
Lilyane
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 18, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Beautiful hike, thank you to those who shared it. We had no trouble following the route. This hike is very pleasant when it's very hot. We missed the way back because we didn't understand that we had to go back up the left-hand path (our fault). We were lucky enough to meet a local resident of the hamlet of Grand Ratz who offered to accompany us to the car park via paths known to the locals... we discovered the old man's fountain, the Austrian meadow... and followed a sunken path between the rocks. When the unexpected happens, it's a real treat. Thank you again.

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User 2553368

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 11, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

GOOD OVERALL

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Pégourié
Pégourié

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 06, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful, easy hike. Just one downside: the forest on the plateau was much nicer before the numerous box trees (large and old) were stripped bare by the box tree moth (originally from China). They had been recovering for two or three years, but there has clearly been another attack. Let's hope they recover once again.

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sarrarobert
sarrarobert

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 11, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hike completed on 5 August 2025, a very hot day, I recorded 10.12 km and 383 m of elevation gain
The return loop along the cliffs is very pleasant... no rocks! Beautiful shaded forest. Which is not the case afterwards! Picnic at the cross,
Robert

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Francou38
Francou38

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 09, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

A very pleasant walk through the woods when the weather is warm, with beautiful views.

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Jeanloic
Jeanloic

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 23, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A short, easy hike on the Grand Ratz plateau, with beautiful views of the Grenoble valley upon arrival at Rochebrune. Ideal for trail running or a half-day hike
A few days later, I did the "Tour de Rochebrune" hike starting from Voreppe, which is more interesting but much more challenging.
Thanks to the author

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COMETE38
COMETE38

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 05, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

The app was very useful for following the route, especially on the way back, which isn't signposted. Beautiful view from the top. A pleasant hike, shaded but rocky, which isn't a problem if you're wearing good shoes.

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MIMINE 38
MIMINE 38

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 27, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

I knew Rochebrune from the hamlet of Le Bourget, then passed by the Maquisards viewpoint, but after the fires...
Having confused the sign for "les grands bois" with the big crossroads, we missed the path that passes by the airfield on the way back.
A beautiful, peaceful route with the first snowflakes of the season.

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martagon38
martagon38

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 26, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We discovered this place for the first time, thank you!
A shaded path, ideal for this beautiful, still warm autumn day; and what a beautiful view of the valley! As a bonus, we saw a beautiful red kite soaring overhead.
- charming locals and a pleasant chat on the way back to the hamlet
In response to Tarot, the cross is on a left-hand bend, clearly visible; the stele dates from 1903 and the cross was rebuilt in 2003; I agree that the path is very stony, so be careful with your knees on the way down – take your walking sticks – but there are no particular difficulties

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mimip
mimip

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 24, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Hello, this route is completely shaded and very well signposted. However, take the first turn-off on the way back after Rochebrune, do not return to the Grands Bois crossroads.
No difficulty. Very nice hike
thank you

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Tarot
Tarot

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 03, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A very rocky circuit with some fairly difficult sections that would merit a rating higher than "moderate".

In stage 1, you mention a cross that I searched for in vain. However, there is a cross at the top of Rochebrune.
Is this the same one that has been moved?

In conclusion: a beautiful walk but tiring and quite difficult in places.

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redolfi
redolfi

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 21, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

My objective was simply to examine the map of the region to consider other options, as I have travelled this route at least ten times over the past fifteen years

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