Suggested nearby visits along the route:

Plantimay Cheese Farm (8 km from the start): Tour the farm.
Chartreux Caves and Distillery (24 km from the start): Visit the world’s largest liqueur cellar.

For more information and additional visit ideas, go to chartreuse-tourisme.com/rsf.

Useful numbers:

Weather (essential to check before departure): 3250 or www.meteo.fr
Mountain Rescue: 112
Marking : Starting signs are placed in the villages at parking areas or public reception points. To follow your route, posts are set up at intersections and are identifiable by a plaque showing the name and altitude. Between two posts, painted markers indicate the path to follow (or not). You may also be guided by small directional signs. The "Walks and Hikes in Chartreuse" map is recommended.

Admission fee : Free of charge.

Opening : From 01/05 to 30/11. Subject to favorable weather.

Step by step description : Access to the carpark: From St-Laurent-du-Pont, drive up to the hospital and turn right to bypass it. Follow the road towards the hamlet ‘‘Les Provenches’’. Take the road of Piquetière to the place known as ‘‘Le Désert’, where you can park your car. (1) At the end of the carpark, in front of the ONF’s fence, turn right to follow the «Sentier d’interprétation botanique» to «Pas de Pertuis». At the junction with the forest road, follow it for a few meters on the right and take the small path going up on the left to «la Pointière». This path leads to a forest track, which you take on the left. After about 10 meters, take the path «Grand sentier de découverte» on the right. This small winding path leads to «La Pointière» (990 m). (2) Turn left on the forest track towards «Belvédère de Pertuis». Pass «Pas de Pertuis», staying on the paved forest track (sometimes more of a stony track). (3) In the bend on the right indicating «Plat du Larzot», take the path on the left to the «Col de la Sariette». (4) After passing the «Col de la Sariette» (1 282 m), turn right to «Riondettes» and «Prairie d’Arpison». This small path through rocks ends up on a track. Go down the track to the carpark of «Riondettes». Take a wide forest track that goes up on your right towards south and, after 1.6 km, reaches the «Prairie d’Arpison». (5) In following the edge of the forest, you get to the «Belvédère d’Arpison» (1460m). (6) Come back on yourself and, from the meadow, go down towards north-west to «Pertuis». The path passes left of the dell of the Courbières stream and goes down on the right in the forest to «La Cellière». At the junction, take right along the forest track to «Pertuis». A quick return trip to the belvedere offers a new view on the monastery of Currière and the Grande Sure. Keep going down on the forest track passing by «Pas de Pertuis» and «La Pointière». Follow «La Revira», then «Le Désert» until the starting point.

Area : Cœur de Chartreuse