Top 5 Trail-Hikes in Auvergne–Rhône-Alpes

The Auvergne–Rhône-Alpes (AURA) region is a real little paradise for trail and hiking enthusiasts. If you are a trail-hiking enthusiast like we are at EDELI and you are looking for superb routes and beautiful discoveries, this region is made for you. To guide you, we have listed the Top 5 Trail-Hikes in the AURA region, trying to offer you a lot of diversity in the landscapes and the type of surrounding nature that you can enjoy during these trail-hikes. One of these gems to discover starts very close to Lyon in the Monts du Lyonnais and the other 4 are scattered between the Alps and the Ardèche. These 5 trail-hikes alternate between the mid-mountains in the Monts du Lyonnais, the mid- or high-mountains in the Alps and a natural environment with Mediterranean accents in Ardèche.

Preparation and equipment

Before embarking on one of these trails, it may be useful to recall some advice so as not to neglect preparation and equipment . Beyond the good physical condition required to embark on these trail hikes, preparation also includes a good prior knowledge of the route. Studying the altitude profiles carefully allows you to prepare before starting the route and during the trail hike to save yourself with full knowledge of the facts before going on sections that can be difficult with sometimes long climbs. It is prudent to identify possible water or supply points (village/small town) before setting off, especially on fairly long routes. Finally, it is strongly recommended to bring your phone to avoid straying from the route, if you take the wrong path, which can easily happen, and to be able to call in the event of a problem.

In terms of equipment, you need to leave with clothes (shorts, T-shirt, cap, etc.) and shoes that are adapted and specially designed to offer both comfort and performance. Choose technical clothing with breathable materials and optimal lightness . You should also remember to bring several layers including a waterproof jacket, especially in the mountains where the weather can change very quickly and where the differences in altitude from the bottom of a valley to a pass crossing can be accompanied by major temperature differences in the space of a few hours. Beyond clothing, you will need to include in the list of equipment to prepare: the trail-hiking backpack, potentially poles, sunglasses (and sunscreen), a headlamp and of course food/hydration to take depending on the planned duration of the adventure.

After these preparations, we are ready to set off on an adventure, starting with our first Top 5 trail hike in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.

1. The High Crossing of Belledonne in Isère

For this first trail-hike, we are heading to the Alps in high mountain landscapes. This first trail-hike is the Haute Traversée de Belledonne in Isère and Savoie, along the Bergers trails. This hiking trail is a real challenge over 130 km along the GR 738 with 10,000 m of positive elevation gain. There are also several variants such as the Tour des lacs de Sept-Laux over 39 km and 2,560 m of positive elevation gain or the Tour du Pays d'Allevard over 78 km and 5,900 m of positive elevation gain.

The Haute Traversée de Belledonne offers a unique adventure through a wild mountain, highlighting:

• dizzying ridges,
• immense forests,
• breathtaking alpine lakes.

The GR® 738 - high crossing of Belledonne is a difficult, demanding trail-hike. The crossing more or less follows the ridge line which is between 2500 and 3000 m.

As mentioned in the introduction, good physical preparation is necessary before embarking on such a crossing. There is also an ideal period from July to September. This period corresponds to the opening period of the refuges (mainly from June to September) and avoids the presence of too many snowfields, which can make certain passages more tricky.

This route is truly one of the most beautiful trail-hikes, but also one of the hardest in France. It is demanding but it offers a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in nature in the middle of wild mountain ranges.

 

2. The Tour of the Massif des Bauges in Savoie

For this second trail-hike in AURA, we propose to go on a loop-shaped route with the very beautiful Tour du Massif des Bauges in Savoie . It is a trail-hike route almost 90 km long with 4500 meters of positive elevation gain in the heart of Savoie. Note that there are several shorter variants than this great Tour des Bauges. Nestled in a preserved massif, the Tour du Massif des Bauges takes you through many magnificent landscapes with:

• vast forests,
• very beautiful mountain pastures,
• the imposing cliffs of the Hautes-Bauges,
• surprising caves

The Bauges massif is unique because it is naturally protected and separated from the rest of Savoie, a little out of the way. This is what gives it all its charm. It is a bit like a raised plateau containing several valleys and surrounded by mountains that delimit the massif with passes as crossing points such as the Col de Leschaux that must be crossed to go to Annecy or the Col du Frêne to return to Saint-Pierre d'Albigny and Chambéry. The recommended starting point is often the La Feclaz resort about twenty kilometers from Chambéry.

Last little tip for this unique trail hike: don't forget to taste the famous "tome" of Bauges with a small glass of Savoie wine before leaving! This will make you forget the efforts made and will surely make you want to come back.

3. The Cirque de Saint-Même and its Waterfalls in Isère

This route is very different. We included it in this Top 5 because it is a trail-hike in the middle of a natural cirque in the mountains, a magical corner. It is like a somewhat secret place which, by its rounded shape, is protected and separated from the rest of the surrounding mountains. This route is that of the Tour du Cirque de Saint-Même and its waterfalls in Isère. It transports you to the center of the Chartreuse, in the middle of this superb natural cirque which separates Savoie and Isère. What makes it even more attractive and spectacular are the large limestone cliffs which can be up to 500 meters high and the presence of several waterfalls:

• the Cascade of springs,
• the Great Cascade,
• The Isolated Waterfall

The cirque is located at an altitude of 900 m. The hiking trails offered in the cirque, including the waterfall trail, are not very long, but the landscape of the cirque is so unique with its cliffs and waterfalls that this Tour du Cirque de Saint-Même seemed essential to us and therefore had to be included in this Top 5 trail hikes in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. To extend the route, it is possible to start from Saint-Pierre d'Entremont to the Cirque de Saint-Même, continue by following the waterfall trail and then return to Saint-Pierre d'Entremont.

 

4. The Tour of the Monts du Lyonnais in the Rhône

The most surprising thing about this fourth route is that it starts about 30 minutes from the center of Lyon. The Tour des Monts du Lyonnais is also an astonishing route due to the distances offered for a trail so close to a big city like Lyon. There are actually two routes: the TML and the GTML. The Tour des Monts du Lyonnais or TML and the Grand Tour des Monts du Lyonnais or GTML. The first is a 111 km loop with nearly 3700 meters of elevation gain. The second is even longer and is 180 km with 4500 meters of elevation gain. This second route is popular with mountain bikers. The one we recommend is the 111 km TML. It is already quite a long route. There is enough to keep you busy over several days.

This tour offers you unique panoramic views of Lyon and the Alps on a clear day. It starts on the first mountains overlooking the city of Lyon to the west, the Monts du Lyonnais, then heads towards the Azergues valley (a tributary of the Saône). You will cross beautiful forests, villages high up and others at the bottom of the Azergues valley. Even though it is a medium mountain, it is a fairly difficult route with steep and technical parts (strewn with stones and tree roots) and easier, more rolling parts made of trails or paths.

You can start the adventure from the town of Sain Bel which is located in the middle of the Azergues valley or from Saint-Martin-le-Haut which as its name suggests is a village on the heights of the Monts du Lyonnais.

5. The Tour of the Upper Cèze Valley between Ardèche and Gard

To complete our Top 5 Trail-Rando in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, head south and Ardèche. Change of landscape and vegetation with Mediterranean accents. The fifth Trail-Rando that we have selected is the Tour de la Haute Vallée de la Cèze on the border between Ardèche and Gard. It is a 57 km route with a cumulative positive elevation gain of almost 2300 m on a course of average difficulty. The start of the tour can be in the south at Bessèges or in the north from Malons-et-Elze and the period to aim for for this trail-rando is quite wide since it goes from March to October.

This diversity between mid-mountain landscapes such as in the Monts du Lyonnais, high mountains such as in the Belledonne range and finally landscapes with Mediterranean accents such as in the south of the Ardèche, is what makes all the richness and charm of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. This Top 5 Trail-Hikes offers a wide range of variety in terms of landscape, level of difficulty and vegetation. All these Trail-Hikes have in common that they are real escapades in the heart of nature rich in superb landscapes where it is easy to simply enjoy nature, the views and the moment. We could have added the volcanic landscapes in Auvergne or the landscapes with Provençal accents of the Drôme. In short, there is more than an embarrassment of choice in this beautiful region and the selection was not easy.

Before concluding, a final reminder about preparation and equipment. Of course, you need to arrive in good physical shape to make the most of these Trail-Rando courses and walk/run at your own pace to last on fairly long courses of several dozen kilometers (and even close to or beyond a hundred kilometers for the longest courses such as the Tour des Monts du Lyonnais, the Tour du Massif de Bauges and the Haute Traversée de Belledonne).

For equipment, it is essential to choose suitable technical clothing (shorts, T-shirt), made from lightweight, breathable fabrics that wick away perspiration and dry quickly. As a reminder, you should also make sure to bring several layers, including the waterproof trail-hiking jacket, to face possible large temperature changes and rain if it comes during your trail-hike. Not forgetting the essential trail-hiking backpack, potentially poles, sunglasses, a headlamp and something to eat and drink between refreshment points.

All that remains is to wish you to make the most of these superb escapades in the heart of nature, of these large preserved natural spaces and to take deep breaths of fresh air to leave both tired and invigorated, enriched by these beautiful discoveries and adventures in the heart of nature.