Tour of the Sornin Plateau and the Dent du Loup, starting from La Molière

From the village of Autrans, take the D218 towards La Sure. At the Mortier tunnel (permanently closed), continue along the Route Forestière des Feneys (not cleared of snow during winter). Just before the refuge of the same name, take the road on the left leading to the Molière car park.

(S/E) Leave the car park via the information point for the Molière Sensitive Natural Area. Reach the meadow where an orientation table has been installed. From there, head due north, taking the wide path that leads to the Les Génisses junction.

(1) Leave the Sentier des Génisses and turn right onto the path leading to the hamlet of Les Lapiaz: marked with yellow and green signs.

(2) Continue to the right, following the red and white markings of the GR®9. Walk to the next junction, located about 200 m further on.

(3) Turn right onto the path leading to the Fork in the road at the Sornin.

(4) Turn left towards "La Dent du Loup". Cross the hamlet of Sornin and continue to the junction on the Sornin Plateau: follow the yellow and green markings.

(5) Continue straight on to reach La Dent du Loup and its majestic electricity pylon, from where you can enjoy a sweeping panorama of the Isère valley and the Chartreuse massif.

(6) Turn back.

(5) Start the climb up the Sornin hill on the right. Pass a shepherd’s hut, enter the forest, and continue until you rejoin the GR®9.

(3) Turn right and follow the path taken on the way out until you reach the hamlet of Les Lapiaz, which has a sharp limestone pavement.

(2) Follow the signs for “Malatra” on the right, keeping to the red and white markings. The path, lined with numerous sharp limestone pavements, leads to the Malatra crossroads.

(7) Leave the GR® 9 and follow the path branching off to the left, which leads to the Plénouze pastures: yellow and green markings.

(8) Continue along the grassy path to Sous Plénouze.

(9) Pass the path on your right leading to Font Chaude, and continue left towards La Molière. You’ll soon rejoin the Sentier des Génisses.

(1) Head straight on to return to the car park (S/E).

Access to the ( S/E): from mid-July to mid-August, on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, the Route des Feneys is closed to private vehicles from 10am to 7pm. Access to La Molière is only possible via the shuttle buses operating from the La Sure ski resort.
Enquiries: Vercors Regional Nature Park: Tel 04 76 94 38 26 / Email: info@pnr-vercors.fr

This circular loop presents no navigation difficulties: there are numerous signposts and markings on trees and rocks.

The paths are sometimes very stony, particularly on the Molière section, so good walking shoes and walking poles are recommended.

You must absolutely avoid walking on the sharp limestone pavement. The risk of injury, sprains or fractures is very real.

(6) At the Dent du Loup, caution is essential at the edge of the cliff.

At the car park exit, information boards about the Molière Sensitive Natural Area (ENS) have been installed. They feature a map of the hiking trails, information on biodiversity and on how to behave in an ENS.

A little further on, an orientation table, installed in 1990 by the municipality of Autrans, makes it easy to identify the many surrounding peaks.

Between the waypoints (2) and (7), extensive fields of sharp limestone pavement run alongside the path. These limestone rock surfaces feature cracks and crevices, sometimes deep, carved out by rainwater. This geological formation is typical of the Vercors massif.

Shortly after the waymarker (3) and in the hamlet of Sornin, you can read information boards about the traditional coal mining industry, the mountain pastures and the origins of pastoralism.

From the hamlet of Sornin, don’t miss the beautiful view of Le Moucherotte (1,901 m) and the Rocher des Trois Pucelles, which overlook the village of Saint-Nizier-du-Moucherotte.