Vallon du Bens circular

Head to the village of La Chapelle du Bard on the D209, between Allevard and La Rochette.
In the village, take the D209A then the D209B towards the Saint-Hugon National Forest. After a few kilometres, at the first hairpin bend (on the right), continue straight on to the dirt car park a few metres after the Saint-Hugon Forest House.

(S/E) Take the wide track that continues beyond the barrier and follow the Bens stream on its left bank. Follow this track, ignoring the first path on the left towards Pont Sarret, then a second path also on the left towards the Saint-Bruno bridge (dam), until you reach the Baraque de Cohardin.

(1) Ignore the path on the left that leads to the bridge and continue straight ahead.
The path first runs alongside the stream, then moves away from it, climbing upwards via a first hairpin bend to the right followed by a second to the left, and then becomes a trail. Join the^GR®®738.

(2) Follow it to the left (no sign) to descend to the Bens stream.

(3) Cross it via a wooden footbridge and you will soon arrive at the Chalet de Pré-Nouveau (closed).

(4) Leave the^GR®® 738, which climbs to the right towards the Refuge des Férices, and begin the descent on the left along the Bens torrent, now on its right bank.

(5) Make a round trip to the small Haut-Bens dam.

(5) On the way back, continue along the track that runs alongside the torrent. Ignore all the forest paths on the left (leading to a bridge over the torrent) and on the right.
Pass by the Haut-Bens hydroelectric power station and the Saint-Bruno Dam, and continue along the wide track.

(6) Take the road that climbs slightly to the right, cross the parking area of the Buddhist centre (former Chartreuse de Saint-Hugon) on the left, pass in front of the main building and its beautiful gate, and descend along the road. At the next crossroads, continue along the road to the right.

(7) Just before La Correrie, leave the road and take the stony path that descends to the left towards the Pont du Diable (no signpost).

(8) Cross this bridge and climb up the other side to reach the road.

(9) Turn left to return to the car park (S/E), about a hundred metres away.

There are no water sources along the route, but there are numerous streams and springs running down the slopes on either side of the trail.
You can shorten the circular route by cutting across the route at one of the three bridges (Sarret, St Bruno or Cohardin).
Alternatively, you can climb up to the Claran Refuges (on the right at point (2)) or the Férices Refuges (on the right at point (4)).

The majestic Cirque du Pic du Frêne between points (2) and (4).

The Haut-Bens micro hydroelectric power station uses water collected from the previous dam. This water is carried through a penstock buried under the track and discharged into the stream downstream of the turbine to fill the St Bruno dam next to it.

History and future ofthe former Carthusian monastery of St Hugon. As a private establishment, the site is not open to visitors but is available for stays of varying lengths.

The Devil's Bridge was a crossing point on the border between the Kingdom of France and the Duchy of Savoy, symbolised by the boundary marker in the middle of the bridge's parapet, with the fleur-de-lis of France on one side and the cross of Savoy on the other.
Today, the Bens torrent serves as the boundary between the Dauphiné (Isère) and Savoy.