Rochers de la Sausse, Pas de Chovet and Bois de Rucla

de fr

After passing through the Col de la Bataille, take an aerial walk along the ridges of the Sausse rocks to the pass of the same name at an altitude of 1,440 metres, with beautiful views. After the Pas de Chovet, discover a double stone arch in the Bois de Ruclas, an extraordinary place with a promontory and a magnificent view of the Léoncel valley. Return to the Auberge du Grand Échaillon, which is also a cross-country skiing centre in winter, with the Col de la Bataille road, which is closed at this time of year, serving as a ski trail.

Details

n°1530845
Creation:
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 9.81 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 00 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 421 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 412 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 1,420 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 1,170 m
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Photos

the ridges of La Sausse
the Rucla arch
View of the Ambel plateau from the Sausse ridge
Omblèze Valley from the Sausse ridge

Description of the walk

Park in front of the Auberge du Grand Échaillon

(S/E) At the bend at the end of the car parks, turn right onto the forest path that leads to the Grand Échaillon sheepfold.

(1) Turn left at the edge of the forest onto theGR®93, which winds through the undergrowth.
You will reach the D199 in a bend.

(2) Turn right up the Ravin de Pissenible, following the Route Forestière de Pissenible.

(3) Turn almost 180° to the left and reach the Sausse pastures at the edge of the forest. Follow the pasture fence. Come out onto the road (D199) and follow it to the entrance of the Col de la Bataille tunnel.

(4) Take the path on the right that climbs up to the Sausse ridges. Follow it all the way along the edge of the rocks, taking great care not to fall. Approach with caution to admire the views. The path runs alongside the fence, and in the last section, you have to go inside it to continue. Reach the Pas de la Sausse crossroads.

(5) Continue straight ahead to reach this pass. Enjoy the beautiful views of the surrounding mountains.

(6) Return to the previous crossroads.

(5) Take the path down to the left, which can be seen from the descending tracks along a copse. Pass several ponds, then at the bottom of the valley, climb up to the left towards the Pas de Chovet. Reach it at the pylon.

(7) Cross the barbed wire fence slightly to the right and find the Bois de Rucla trail just behind it. Once on it, there is no problem as this path is well marked with red dots on the trees. This path climbs to point 1407. Begin a short descent to reach the double arch on the left, which reveals a magnificent panorama of the Léoncel valley next to a promontory.

(8) Continue along the path, which descends steeply to the edge of the woods.

(9) Find the path along the fence and follow it all the way down to join theGR®93at the crossroads of the bend you passed at the start of the circuit.

(2) Take the same path as on the way there to return to the car park of the Auberge du Grand Àchaillon (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 1,170 m - Parking at the Auberge du Grand Échaillon
  2. 1 : km 0.44 - alt. 1,191 m - GR93 on the left
  3. 2 : km 1.2 - alt. 1,195 m - Crossroads of the loop
  4. 3 : km 2.47 - alt. 1,310 m - Hairpin bend
  5. 4 : km 3.61 - alt. 1,339 m - Col de la Bataille
  6. 5 : km 5.43 - alt. 1,392 m - Crossroads towards the Pas de la Sausse
  7. 6 : km 5.66 - alt. 1,420 m - Pas de la Sausse
  8. 7 : km 6.9 - alt. 1,376 m - Pas de Chovet
  9. 8 : km 7.21 - alt. 1,385 m - Double arch in the Bois de Ruclas
  10. 9 : km 8.03 - alt. 1,246 m - Edge of the Bois de Ruclas
  11. S/E : km 9.81 - alt. 1,170 m - Parking at the Auberge du Grand Échaillon

Notes

On the Sausse rocks, be careful of the drop at the edge of the rocks and approach with caution to admire the views.

Worth a visit

(4) Panoramic view of the ridges of the Rochers de la Sausse, with the imposing Roc de Toulaud and the Ambel plateau opposite.
To the north, you can even see Mont Blanc rising above the ridges.

(8) Viewpoint with a panorama of the Léoncel valley. Double stone arch (geological curiosity)

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.

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Reviews and comments

4.3 / 5
Based on 34 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.1 / 5
Ease of following the route
4 / 5
Route interest
4.7 / 5
meco
meco

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 08, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A few unclear points that make a GPS essential. At point 6: It’s not easy to find ‘the crossroads’ where you need to climb over the fence and rejoin the path in the valley, especially in snowy conditions. At 7: once at the pylon, you need to go back down about fifty metres, following the fence, to spot the path on the other side and a ‘snowshoe’ marker in a tree. The markers on the trees are orange, not red. To find the arch, at the start of the descent, look carefully to the right and look for marker no. 4, which is the entrance to the path leading there. Magnificent!

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tronchenko
tronchenko

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 28, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The entire first part is absolutely magnificent (snow-covered Mont Blanc and Oisans, and even the first snow on Grand Veymont) and easy to follow, but from point 5 onwards, it is not recommended if you do not have a GPS! The final descent is very slippery when the beech trees have lost their leaves and it has rained in the previous days. Point 9 seemed enigmatic to us, as we didn't see any fence...
But it's a very beautiful and varied walk, and not very physically demanding!

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Pierre-Yves Fouchier
Pierre-Yves Fouchier

Overall rating : 5 / 5

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

A lovely fitness walk with beautiful scenery and views.

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Actarus73
Actarus73

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 21, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

When you arrive at the tunnel at the La Bataille pass, make a round trip to the viewpoint via the path to the left of the tunnel.
There is no explanation on how to get to the top of the Pas de La Sausse, and it is not easy to find the passage. For the return trip, you will need the app or GPS.
Otherwise, it's a very beautiful hike, not difficult, with magnificent views.

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User 3651690
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 12, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike, which we shortened a little by starting from point 2 in the car park at the bottom of the Pissenible ravine.
The route is varied, alternating between trails in the woods and aerial paths on limestone ridges.
The start of the downhill trail at point 5 is not very visible, so don't be afraid to descend a few metres along the edge of the copse to find it.
The same applies at Pas de Chovet, where you have to climb over the fence and walk a few metres through the undergrowth to find the trail.
At point 9, we preferred to follow a well-marked trail parallel to the fence but slightly above the impassable trail.

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pierreantoine
pierreantoine

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 09, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Very beautiful hike with magnificent views.

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pago26
pago26

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 28, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very pleasant, accessible to all. However, depending on the season, passing through fences can be problematic.
The added bonus is seeing a dozen vultures flying overhead.

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randonnée2607
randonnée2607

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 07, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Very busy route : Yes

Be careful on the way back from the Rocher de la Sause: you have to go under some barbed wire, but there is a sign saying "private property". We ended up going back the way we came, but this detour takes away some of the charm of the hike. Perhaps it was possible to get through when we did it, but it's best to avoid this route in windy weather!
Otherwise, there is a beautiful view down into the valley.

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Jmi26
Jmi26

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 26, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Detailed description of the start of the route, but impossible to find the passage from 5 to 7! We turned back for fear of getting lost in the undergrowth.
Other hikers we met managed to get through by relying solely on their GPS. Be careful, there is little or no mobile phone reception!
Avoid this hike in strong north winds: you risk being pushed into the void!

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papi2638
papi2638

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 15, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

When you reach point 7 next to the telephone relay antenna (no chovet), do not take the clearly visible path on the other side of the barbed wire above the relay, as it descends into the Léoncel valley. Go downhill, keeping the barbed wire fence on your left for about 100 metres, until you see a mark on a tree indicating the path, which is clearly visible at this point. Simply cross the barbed wire fence at this point and the descent is well signposted.
The start of the route is quite busy, but after point 5 we didn't meet anyone except when we reached the bottom of the route.

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daddy bear
daddy bear

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 09, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

The route is very easy to follow from the start at Grand Echaillon. The section between the Col de la Bataille and the Pas-de-la-Sausse is more challenging, as the fences are sometimes very close to the cliff edge and, for safety reasons, you have to walk inside the enclosures. This means that if you want to enjoy the views, you have to navigate a 110-metre obstacle course between the inside and outside of the enclosures. This isn't a problem in autumn and winter, but it's certainly less straightforward from spring onwards when the animals are out. The start and rest of the route follow the snowshoe trails

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Thierryb26
Thierryb26
• Edited:

It's surprising, even though the vegetation is a bit overgrown at the moment, the paths are still relatively wide and well marked on the ground. I think you may have started off in the wrong place. The route does not pass behind the Auberge du Grand Echaillon but starts by following the Col de la Bataille road before taking the first path on the right.

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Plan-de-Baix
Plan-de-Baix

Overall rating : 3 / 5

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

The start of the rear route, the large echaillon, is impossible to find; it is a field with very tall grass. It is therefore impossible to hike the route between nos. 1 and 4. Perhaps only with snowshoes.

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renemichel
renemichel

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 03, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Very beautiful route... but this hike involves crossing a meadow (going through the fence) between points 5 and 7 with a herd of cows and their calves near the ponds. And you end up (at point 7) at an electricity pylon and a fence with three rows of barbed wire and "private property" signs. We had to walk along the fence and find a place where it was easy to climb over. I feel that this loop does not respect the privacy of certain paths, which made me feel uncomfortable.

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vincenmarino
vincenmarino

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 23, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A magnificent route, very flowery, often shaded, and we encountered very few people. We had a little trouble finding our way. Superb

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