Rocher du Baconnet loop via the Pas du Serpaton

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From Gresse-en-Vercors, via the Pas du Serpaton, access to the Rocher du Baconnet via the ridges offers a 360° panorama of the cliffs of the Vercors barrier to the west, mont Aiguille to the south, the Dévoluy and Écrins massifs to the east, and the Chartreuse and Belledonne massifs to the north.

Details

n°2552004
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 9.89 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 40 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 658 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 656 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 1,794 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 1,183 m
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Photos

Jean Moutet's cross on the road to the Col de l'Allimas
Croix des Têtes
The ridge towards the summit
No Serpaton

Description of the walk

At the entrance to the village of Gresse-en-Vercors, coming from Monestier-de-Clermont, park in the car park on the edge of the CD8A, near the Chalet Hôtel Prayer.

(S/E) From the car park, follow the D8A north-east towards the cemetery.

(1) Opposite the cemetery, turn right onto the road towards the Serpaton mountain pasture. At the end of the road, take the track that climbs up to the left. Cross the stream and continue on the left towards Serpaton. When you reach the road from Uclaire, continue straight ahead to cross the barrier at the entrance to the Serpaton mountain pasture and continue for 200 metres.

(2) Take the track on the right for about 50 metres, then turn left to pass through the opening in the electric fence. Cross the mountain pasture towards the Croix de Gresse.

(3) At the cross, find the road leading to the antennas and follow it to the right until you reach the Serpaton antennas.

If there are cows in the mountain pasture, you can reach the antennas by staying on the road.

(4) Take the path (not shown on the map) that climbs to the right. Go through the opening in the fence and continue on the path towards the ridge. Pass close to the Croix de Saint-Paul and follow the ridge to the Rocher du Baconnet.

(5) At the top of Rocher du Baconnet (altitude 1,808 m), turn right onto the unmarked slope in the mountain pasture to join the balcony trail coming from Pas du Serpaton.

(6) Turn left onto the track. After 150 m, descend to the right across fields and off the trail to the Combe des Têtes towards the cross (elevation 1524 on the map).

(7) At the bottom of the valley (elevation 1,486), take the path on the right towards Uclaire. Join the road in a bend (elevation 1,361).

(8) Do not take this road, but turn left onto the path that descends. At the next intersection, turn right towards the hamlet of Uclaire. Return to the road and turn left.

(9) In Uclaire, look for the EDF transformer on your left, which marks the path to take that leads to the D8a at the Croix de Jean Moutet (elevation 1287).

(10) Cross the road with caution and take the wide track opposite.

(11) Turn right onto the path that takes you back to the centre of the village of Gresse-en-Vercors. Pass the town hall and the church to reach the car park where you started (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 1,190 m - Car park at the entrance to Gresse-en-Vercors - Gresse (rivière) - Affluent du Drac
  2. 1 : km 0.14 - alt. 1,184 m - Cemetery, Montée de l'Alpage on the right
  3. 2 : km 2.02 - alt. 1,536 m - Turn right onto the track
  4. 3 : km 2.34 - alt. 1,588 m - On the right - Croix de Gresse
  5. 4 : km 2.64 - alt. 1,607 m - Antennas
  6. 5 : km 4.62 - alt. 1,791 m - Baconnet Rock
  7. 6 : km 5.37 - alt. 1,582 m - Balcony trail, on the left
  8. 7 : km 5.8 - alt. 1,487 m - On the right, head towards Uclaire
  9. 8 : km 6.69 - alt. 1,361 m - Turn left.
  10. 9 : km 7.27 - alt. 1,288 m - Uclaire, left-hand trail
  11. 10 : km 8.27 - alt. 1,285 m - Cross - Jean Moutet - Pas du Bru (1287m)
  12. 11 : km 8.63 - alt. 1,292 m - On the right
  13. S/E : km 9.89 - alt. 1,190 m - Car park at the entrance to Gresse-en-Vercors

Notes

Do this hike in good weather to enjoy magnificent panoramic views of the eastern barrier of the Vercors, Mont Aiguille, the peaks of Dévoluy and Écrins, the Belledonne mountain range and the Chartreuse Massif.

Reviews and comments

4.6 / 5
Based on 27 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.5 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.2 / 5
Route interest
4.9 / 5
APOSTROPHES
APOSTROPHES

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

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

A very beautiful hike, but pay particular attention to the trail between points 5 and 8. Thank you.

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User 7072134

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 27, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Nice hike

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soco26
soco26

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

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

A route with stunning views of the Vercors cliffs and beyond.
We really enjoyed the route, which starts with a steady climb.
The only downside was the descent into the mountain pasture below the Rocher du Baconnet. The GPX track does not correspond to a trail. You can find your way by looking for the cow troughs, there are two in a row.
We highly recommend this hike!

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Sardine*
Sardine*

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

Magnificent landscapes, superb views 🤩.
To get from point 5 to 6, as indicated, there are no tracks. Without GPS, I would never have made it to point 6.

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jc.chiari
jc.chiari

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 04, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Amazing 360° view of the Vercors, Matheysine, Oisan, and of course Mont Aiguille
On the way back from the mountain pasture, the route is a little disrupted by cow trails.
But the view is well worth the effort

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Yoann30
Yoann30

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 31, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

The descent from the mountain pasture was complicated with the children and not particularly pleasant. This was the only downside to the hike. After setting off, there is a very long, difficult climb, hence the elevation gain.

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megane38
megane38

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 15, 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 offering breathtaking views of Grand Veymont and Mont Aiguille. Not to mention the other side stretching all the way to the Écrins! It's a climb, but well worth the effort 😉
To cross the mountain pasture, aim for the two feeding troughs you'll see below and just before you'll find a small path leading to the final trail. The descent is easy, everyone can go at their own pace!
I did this walk with the Visorando GPS, so there were no problems finding my way!

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~Justine~
~Justine~
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 12, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Superb snowshoe outing at Rocher du Baconnet!
The route was very well marked and easy going until Col du Serpaton.
Then I followed the ridges with a good elevation gain and good powder snow to the summit of Bacconnet.
I arrived at the top at 5pm, just in time to admire a magnificent sunset! Extraordinary 360° view 😍 Mont Aiguille, the Vercors mountain range, the Chartreuse, the Écrins, Belledonne...

I made my way back down with my head torch through the snow-covered pastures (no visible trails) – thank you, IGN map!
Then we found some trail marks and followed them to Gresse en Vercors.
Total distance: 9 km and 700 m elevation gain

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JCParavy
JCParavy

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 21, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Loop completed, hoping to do it on snowshoes. The lack of snow meant that the snowshoes stayed in the bag, but crampons were put on at the summit to ensure a safe descent on the Combe des Têtes.
A few variations were tried: climbing up the road then along the Ruisseau de Saudeires, passing by the Puits, but this lengthens the road section to reach Serpaton. After the Pas de Serpaton, in winter, we followed the level track southwards for a while before reaching the ridge, to avoid the rocks.
For the descent, I continued for a while along the Crête des Rochers des Chaux ridge before diving right into the Combe de Châtelard to reach the Fontaine de Dalafy and then the Croix des Têtes. All descent variations are possible on this type of slope.
A loop to recommend in all seasons.

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JB6007
JB6007

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 10, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

In response to Loz42100, I would say that I tried to do the circuit in the opposite direction, as it seemed to me that crossing off-trail would be less tricky if done uphill. That's what we did, and I don't regret it. However, opinions on the best way to do it varied, with some feeling more comfortable going uphill and others downhill...
The view was definitely worth doing this route.

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gisou42
gisou42

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 18, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike started in the cool air on this very hot Friday. The first part in the forest is very pleasant despite the fairly long climb. The directions to the summit are perfect. The magnificent 360° view is worth all the effort. The descent through the mountain pasture is not the most pleasant, and ultimately quite long because you don't really know where to put your feet! Once you find the trail again, the rest of the hike is great.

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Loz42100
Loz42100

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 15, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike with magnificent 360-degree views at the Pas du Serpaton.
The description is reliable and the signposting is good, except between points 4 and 5, where you have to go straight down into the mountain pasture. Take care during the descent as there is little visibility of where to place your feet.
The difficulty of descending through the mountain pasture made me wonder whether it would be better to do the circuit in the opposite direction, as the climb up the mountain pasture would certainly be less risky. If any future hikers want to try it, I would be curious to hear their feedback.

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MB1
MB1

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 17, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The route is very interesting. The view is superb when you're on the ridges. The description and photos are reliable. However, there are no signposts, particularly for the descent through the meadow after the Baconnet rock. You absolutely must use either a GPS or the Visorando app, in which case everything will be fine.

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Sade
Sade
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 11, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike with a 360° view of the Vercors mountains and a distant view of other beautiful Alpine peaks! Shaded at the start and end.
There are indeed a few sections off the trail. Once at the top of Serpaton on the Baconnet rock, you have no choice but to cross the fields for about 200 metres. It's a shame (sorry to the flora, insects and animals...). You can then follow the small path to the left (towards Mont Aiguille), passing several enclosures and watering holes. Just before the last enclosure, don't miss the bend in the path leading down to the forest, which will take you to the cross where you will cross a small fence. Then continue to step 6. Be careful at step 9, the path is on the left (towards the "Odyssée verte"). The rest is easy.

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Brirandoru
Brirandoru

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 22, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

At the summit, an extraordinary 360° view!

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