A walk in the Massif du Conest, at the foot of Fau Cuchet

A lovely walk through the woodland, with no particular difficulties, where you won’t be overwhelmed by too many other walkers.
Its appeal lies simply in following a route sheltered from the intense heat, without seeking ‘breathtaking views’ of ‘unforgettable sites’, nor any ‘picturesque scenery’ or ‘monuments’.
Do be careful, however, right at the start of the walk, where you’ll face an average gradient of over 20 per cent for the first 1,500 metres...

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 6.65 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 5h 05 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 2,356 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 2,362 ft

  • ▲
    Highest point: 3,255 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 1,024 ft

Photos

Description of the walk

Parallel parking at the entrance to the hamlet of Saint-Sauveur.

(S/E) To start your walk, head up the road for a few metres towards the main square; the start of the path is located between a house and the road leading down to Champ-sur-Drac (there are no directional signs to guide you). After a few dozen metres, the path climbs steeply and, after 1.5 km and an elevation gain of over 300 metres, following the yellow markings, leads you to a wide track.

(1) At a place called Les Sources, turn right onto the track, which climbs gently for just over 1 km – still marked in yellow – and this will take you to Les Hauts de Tillerets.

(2) Leave the track and take the path on your (far) right, which descends towards “Champ village”.

(3) After about 1 km, you’ll reach the site of the Prieuré Saint-Michel; do take a look around and admire, amongst other things, the panoramic view of the Vercors mountain range overlooking the Drac valley.
Continue your descent; after some 600 metres you’ll reach Champ Garo.

(4) Turning left, thePR® trail takes you to Champ Village (listed as Saint-Michel du Conest). Turn left, following Rue des Fontaines and Rue du 8 Mai 1945; here again, follow the yellowPR® markings for about 250 metres.
Please note: make sure you do not miss the turn-off on the right (small yellow marker), between the houses, onto the track which you will follow for about 2 km. When the track turns south, it becomes a track (tarmac in poor condition); after 600 m you will reach Le Touvier.

(5) At Le Touvier, leave this makeshift road and take another gravel track straight ahead for nearly 400 metres. After passing a plot of vineyards on your left, leave the track to the right and take the path towards Saint-Sauveur. This will lead you to a tarmac road which, to the right, takes you the final few hundred metres of the walk back to your starting point (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 1,532 ft - The hamlet of Saint-Sauveur (Notre-Dame-de-Mesage)
  2. 1 : mi 0.95 - alt. 2,772 ft - Les Sources
  3. 2 : mi 2.27 - alt. 3,238 ft - Les Hauts des Tillerets
  4. 3 : mi 3.13 - alt. 2,024 ft - Ruines du Prieuré de Saint-Michel de Connexe (Champ-sur-Drac)
  5. 4 : mi 3.43 - alt. 1,873 ft - Champ Garo
  6. 5 : mi 5.72 - alt. 1,257 ft - Le Touvier
  7. S/E : mi 6.65 - alt. 1,542 ft - The hamlet of Saint-Sauveur (Notre-Dame-de-Mesage)

Notes

Wear sturdy shoes with rigid soles.
No drinking water available.
The entire walk is marked with yellow markings or signposts.

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.

Reviews and comments

4.5 / 5
Based on 2 reviews

Reliability of the description
5 / 5
Ease of following the route
5 / 5
Route interest
3.5 / 5
User 22967090

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 18, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

Be careful at the start of the hike, which has a significant elevation gain over 2 km. The descent two kilometres further on is also quite challenging for the knees and thighs.
Otherwise, it's a pleasant hike with a short break possible at the former Saint-Michel-de-Connexe priory.

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patrick1944
patrick1944

Overall rating : 4.5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 10, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : Not used / Not applicable
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

You have the option of taking a shortcut and not going down to the village. This reduces the elevation gain to 550 m.
If you follow the signposted route, you might not necessarily see the signposts (we missed the view of the gypsum quarries).
It’s also worth mentioning the arboretum, which you can see if you take a shortcut straight back to the starting point (St Sauveur).

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The GPS track and description are the property of this route's author. Please do not copy them without permission.