Tour of the Drom Valley

The walk starts from the village of Ramasse, near the town hall and church (parking spaces available).

(S/E) Head left past the church, then straight ahead eastwards on Route des Vallières. Shortly afterwards, continue right on Route de la Fruitière.

(1) Continue straight ahead on Route de la Fruitière (towards Drom) and join a cross road. Make a quick left-right turn to continue on Chemin des Montioux. Shortly afterwards, the route continues on a wide path uphill: ignore the two turnings on the right, then on the left. After a descent, you will reach a third fork under a power line (not shown on the IGN map).

(2) Heading almost due north, follow the path on the left that climbs towards Drom. After a short while, pass under a power line and continue to the next intersection.

(3) Turn left: you will see the village of Drom ahead. Shortly afterwards, continue right on a well-marked path, then turn left and reach a fork at the end of Chemin du Réservoir. Turn right and follow Rue de la Paix on the left opposite the dairy.

(4) After passing the church and town hall of Drom, continue straight on Rue du Canal, then turn left onto Montée des Vignes and left again onto Chemin des Conches. Not far away, turn right onto an uphill path, following the sign for "Les Conches". At the first intersection, follow the path on the right. Further up, you will come to a road. Follow it to the left for about 100 metres until you reach a path on the right and a trail on the left.

(5) Take the path on the left, heading south-west, continue straight ahead and pass under a power line.

(6) About 50 metres further on, turn right towards the nearby road. Cross it and then continue left, following the^GR® 59. You will arrive at the Notre-Dame de Conche Chapel, which offers some beautiful views.

(7) Head south, follow the road for about 100 metres, then take a path on the right, still on the^GR®. You will reach the site of Saint-Julien sur Roche: ruins of an old chapel and a beautiful view, particularly towards the Château de Jasseron.

(8) Continue south, straight ahead until you reach a fork in the road.

(9) Continue on the left, still following the^GR®, until you reach the foot of the television relay station, a place known by some as Mont July.

(10) Continue straight ahead on the road for about 300 metres, passing an observatory, and at the next crossroads in a sharp right-hand bend, turn left and continue for another 300 metres.

(11) Turn right towards the nearby viewpoint and continue along the path until you reach a road at its end (car park). Take a path almost opposite and you will soon arrive at the Col de la Pérouse.

(12) Turn right towards the Passerelle des Vendangeurs

(13) After enjoying this pretty spot, which is well worth a detour, return by the same route.

(12) Follow the path opposite and continue to the village of Ramasse, going straight ahead at the various intersections you encounter (S/E).

The starting point can be viewed on Google Maps: click here.

Please take your rubbish with you; nature will thank you for it.

Here is a description of the difficulties encountered along each section (the route is not uniform):
- green: fairly easy going with no significant elevation changes or difficulties.
- Blue: steeper slopes and/or gradients on a well-marked route.
- Orange: route presenting some technical difficulties and/or poor route viability (markings or visibility of the path).

Numerous signposts have been put up along the route, which should make it easier to find your way. Please note that in some places, the time indicated seems incorrect to me (I think it would have been more useful to indicate the distance to be covered).

From (S/E) to (1): green difficulty.
Easy section along a road with little traffic.
Signposts

From (1) to (4): green difficulty.
This section of the route is fairly easy.
No markings, but there are a few signposts.

From (4) to (5): green difficulty.
The route follows a trail and then a path that presents no difficulty.
White-blue markings + signposts

From (5) to (7): blue difficulty.
The route follows a trail with slightly steeper slopes but no major difficulties.
Yellow, then white-red (^GR®) markings. Signposts are present.

From (7) to (8): green difficulty.
Easy route.
White-red markings (^GR®). Signposts present.

From (8) to (10): blue difficulty.
The slope is a little steeper, but no major difficulties.
White-red markings (^GR®). Signposts present.

From (10) to (11): green difficulty.
Follow a road with easy progress.
White-red markings (^GR®). Signposts are present.

From (11) to (12): blue difficulty.
Follow a path that is a little uneven in places (take care).
White-red markings (^GR®). Signposts are present.

From (12) to (13): blue difficulty.
Follow a wide path that is not particularly difficult (at most, it may be slippery when wet).
Yellow markings. Signposts are present.

From (12) to (S/E): blue difficulty.
Follow a fairly easy path.
No markings + signposts present.

As an option, after the Col de Pérouse (12), I suggest a short detour to the Cabane du Maquis (about a 10-minute walk). There are many explanations about this place.

• The dry Drom valley has no surface watercourses; the water flows underground through a network of fissures and cavities. According to the website of the Société des Naturalistes et Archéologues de l'Ain (click here), dye tests at the Fay well prove that it flows from this location to the Bourbou resurgence (in the municipality of Neuville sur Ain).

• The 980-metre-long Tunnel de l'Espoir was built on the initiative of Mr Hippolyte Gouilloux (Mayor of Drom) between 1855 and 1869 to drain water following catastrophic flooding. For more information, click here or here.

• Notre-Dame des Conches dates back to 1839, but archaeological excavations suggest that its origins are much older. For more information, click here.

• Saint-Julien-sur-Roche Church in Ramasse: it is in ruins and has been listed as a historic monument since 12 July 1945. Click here for more information.

• Mont July and its television relay station, which came into service in 1962. Click here to find out more.

• Grape pickers' footbridge: this was originally built on the Carpathian railway line (from Bourg-en-Bresse to La Cluse). During renovation work on the line for the TGV high-speed train, it was moved to its current location. For more information, click on the link here.

• La Cabane du Maquis: initially a place of refuge for those refusing to perform compulsory labour in 1943, it was later used by local resistance fighters and those passing through. To find out more, click on the link here.

• Château de Jasseron is in ruins. For more information, click here.