Walk via the Haut-Plateaux du Vercors
Randonneurs sur les hauts plateaux du Vercors
Randonneurs sur les hauts plateaux du Vercors - Booth
Corrençon-en-Vercors

Walk via the Haut-Plateaux du Vercors

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No roads, no villages. The scarcity of surface water has prevented a permanent human presence. 
The main activities that you are likely to meet in the Reserve area are grazing, forestry and walking. Other activities such as scientific research, hunting, etc also take place.

The Hauts-Plateaux Natural Reserve nestles at the heart of the Vercors Park, in its highest and wildest area. With little signposting, no real refuges but unmanned shelter-cabins.  These conditions may seem restrictive at first sight, but they provide the guarantee of total immersion in this rich, preserved natural environment. A luxury in today's "over equipped" society, that this variant lets you discover.

Description

A variant to Grand Tour du Vercors, the Hauts-Plateaux crossing is a 55 kilometre trail at the heart of the Natural Reserve. 
Created in 1985, the Reserve nestles at the heart of the Vercors Park. With its 17,000 hectares, it is the largest Natural Land Reserve in mainland France.
Whilst the Reserve retains a wild aspect, it requires daily management by the Vercors Park, in collaboration with local institutions (NFO, towns) and the professional users of the land. Work is regularly carried out to preserve the fauna, flora, building heritage; to facilitate the work of the breeders and farmers, tap water sources... Rangers carry out the main takes on the Reserve: scientific work, welcome, information, environmental education, nature protection...
Although it is open to all, the Reserve still needs to be protected, respected and cared for by visitors...
For Practical information: see "Recommendations".

  • Departure : Corrençon-en-Vercors (village)
  • Arrival : Châtillon-en-Diois (village)
  • Towns crossed : Corrençon-en-Vercors, Saint-Andéol, Saint-Agnan-en-Vercors, Gresse-en-Vercors, Chichilianne, Romeyer, Laval-d'Aix, and Châtillon-en-Diois

Forecast

Altimetric profile

Recommandations

Nature doesn't belong to anyone, and its use is shared by all. 

Take part in protecting the Vercors Hauts-Plateaux by complying with the regulations:
- Camping prohibited: bivouacs are authorised from 5pm to 9am.
- Fires prohibited.
- Dogs prohibited, even on leads.
- No flower picking.
- Mountain biking is restricted to certain itineraries.

The trails do not hold any major difficulties in good weather. However, bad weather may make direction-finding very difficult.

In summer, one of the main difficulties in this crossing is managing water resources.
Sources are often dry, find out about their state before leaving on the Vercors Rando website under the Info Source heading.

Don't hesitate to ask the professionals who have perfect knowledge of the sector. 
Warning, no or reduced mobile phone networks!

Ensure that the fauna is not scared by your presence. Observe it from a distance, especially in winter, when food resources are scarce and animals weak.

Also respect the work of shepherds by going around flocks: do not enter shepherd cabins, or sheep pens, and keep well away from the dogs that protect the flocks. 

Use the installed passages to cross fences, close gates and barriers, stay on the marked trails.
Stay on the marked trails and respect private property.

Have a great stay in the Haut-Plateaux du Vercors!

Herd protection dogs
In the mountain pastures, the guard dogs are there to protect the herds from predators. When I hike, I adapt my behaviour by going around the herd and pausing so that the dog can identify me. Click here to see the video : c'est quoi au juste un chien de protection ?
National nature reserve of Vercors Hauts plateaux
The national nature reserve of Vercors Hauts plateaux is an unrestricted natural area but subjected to regulations which must be known by all visitors. This reserve, created in 1985 by the French government, is the heart of the Vercors Park, with no permanent habitations or roads running through it. Unique in its size (17,000 hectares), the Hauts-Plateaux du Vercors reserve covers 8% of the Vercors Regional Nature Park. It is now the largest terrestrial reserve in mainland France. It is open to all, but it's subject to a number of regulations that you will need to be aware of to prepare for your stay.

Information desks

Square Jean Giono, 26410 Châtillon-en-Diois

http://www.chatillonendiois-tourisme.com/chatillonendiois@diois-tourisme.com04 75 21 10 07

Le village, 38250 Corrençon-en-Vercors

http://www.villarddelans-correnconenvercors.com04 76 95 81 75

101 place Mure-Ravaud, 38250 Villard-de-Lans

http://www.villarddelans-correnconenvercors.com04 76 95 10 38

Rue des Jardins, 26150 Die

http://www.diois-tourisme.com/contact@diois-tourisme.com04 75 22 03 03

Place Pietri, 26 420 La Chapelle-en-Vercors

http://www.vercors-drome.com/info@vercors-drome.com04 75 48 22 54

Transport

To the start
By bus :
Take the regional coaches T64 by Engins or T65 by Saint-Nizier-du-Moucherotte to go to Corrençon.

From the end
En bus : 
ligne 29 Die - Beaurières going through Châtillon-en-Diois until Die city.

The OùRA multimodal route planner provides information about all the connections between regional trains, urban transport and departmental bus lines: https://www.oura.com/

By hitch hiking : You can get there / get back by hitching a lift with the Rezo Pouce network (you can find all the stops in the Vercors on www.rezopouce.fr).

Carpooling :
Offer your services or book your carpooling on the regional Mov'Ici platform.

Access and parking

From Villard-de-Lans, take the D215 towards Corrençon-en-Vercors.

Parking :

Car park in the village of Corrençon-en-Vercors.

More information

Report a problem or an error

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