Rochebrune Tower

Parking and departure from the La Rigonnière outdoor activity centre car park.

(DA) Opposite the trail sign, take the path on the left towards Voreppe, then the Chemin du Groupe Raymond. At the crossroads, take the path that turns 90° to the right towards the Roize Dam.

(1) At the Roize Dam, head straight ahead towards La Malossane. You can cross the dam using the stepping stones.
Caution: if the stepping stones are covered with water, it is not advisable to cross the Roize.
After crossing the Roize, take the path and then the road that continues through the hamlets of Malossane Haut and Malossane Bas.

(2) At the sign for Gouffre Gondrand, turn right onto Allée des Chênes, then take the steps between the two properties.

(3) At the top, rejoin the D520a. Follow it to the right, with the safety barrier for protection, for 200 metres. At the low wall, cross this barrier and cross the D520a, taking great care.
Follow the road on the opposite side for 50 metres and enter the woods.
Climb this pleasant path and take advantage of the bench to admire the views of Voreppe and Grenoble in the distance. After this break, continue climbing to reach the place known as Arbre Fourchu.

(4) Continue to the left and take a 15-minute round trip to the Belvédère du Bourget.

(5) Viewpoint offering views of the Voironnais plain and the Parménie hill in the background.

(4) Back at the forked tree, turn left towards the Col de la Tençon.
Follow the path for about 1 km. This is the Chemin des Geais (Jay Path), so named because it was home to thousands of these migratory birds in autumn.

(6) At the Col de la Tençon, continue straight ahead on a slight descent for 100 metres and take the path that climbs to the left. It continues through the woods, becoming steeper and steeper, with a few hairpin bends in the steepest sections.
Caution! In wet weather, this path is very slippery and should be avoided.
You will reach the Grand Ratz plateau after 1,300 metres, about 100 metres after crossing the pass.

(7) Take the unmarked but clearly visible path on the left. Ignore the path on the left and continue on the slightly uphill path on the right, which runs parallel to the cliff and follows the contours of the terrain. Cross the small valley to reach the marked path.

(8) At the crossroads, make a return trip to admire the view from the Croix de Rochebrune viewpoint, then descend to the junction with the Sentier de Rochebrune.

(9) Take the slightly uphill track on the left. This track approaches the cliff and runs along it to reach the paragliding launch area and then a pleasant viewpoint over the valley and surrounding hills.

(10) The trail continues to a slightly marked intersection to reach the Sabot viewpoint and then to a track. Take it by turning left. Continue north until you reach a paved track, an old "Roman" road or known as the quarry road.

(11) Continue to the left, after three hairpin bends, and you will find a marked trail with a signpost.

(12) Head towards Les Combes and descend this path to the village (path not marked on the IGN map).
Be careful, this path is very stony.

(13) At Les Combes, ignore the roads leading off to the right and continue along the road on the hillside until you reach the sign for Bois de la Tençon.

(14) At this fork, turn left towards Col de la Tençon, which you will cross for the^second time.

(6) Turn left onto the path you have already taken, then veer right, leaving this path, and descend to the hamlet of Les Barniers.

(15) Leave the road and take the path that branches off to the left and joins the D520a.

(16) Cross it very carefully and follow it downhill to reach the village of Pommiers-la-Placette (commune of La-Sure-en-Chartreuse) and cross it.

(17) Turn right onto Route de l'Ancienne Église, which turns into a path after this hamlet. Keep following it until you reach the edge of Torrent de Roize.

(18) At the sign, turn left and cross the Roize ford. Go up opposite and reach the La Rigonnière outdoor activity centre (S/E).
Please note: if the water flow is strong, it is not advisable to cross the Roize.
In this case, at the Roize ford sign, continue along the Roize to the dam and return to La Rigonnière in the opposite direction to the outward journey.

(S/E) The starting point is at the Rigonnière outdoor activity centre, at the sign showing the map of the Western Chartreuse trails (to find it, go to the back of the car park).

Visit the Corepha association website to learn more about the heritage and history of the commune of Voreppe.

(2) The Gouffre Gondrand, a former open-air refractory earth quarry, operated from 1880 to 1915.

(6) The Col de la Tençon, once a busy crossing point to Savoie, which until 1335 stretched its border between Voiron, La Buisse and the Col de la Placette.

(8) The summit of Belvédère de Rochebrune (941 m) offers a beautiful view of the Isère valley and the Chartreuse and Vercors massifs.