Walk via the Haut-Plateaux du Vercors

Corrençon-en-Vercors

Walk via the Haut-Plateaux du Vercors

52,5km

+1840m

-2352m

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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.

3 steps

Gresse-en-VercorsFrom the Cabane de Châtillon to Châtillon-en-Diois

6h30

22,6km

11 points of interest

Les Murgers

The name would come from a Burgundian word. It is true that from Bourgogne to the Ardèche, the stones grow well in limestone fields! These piles of pebbles at the edge of the field are the result of the stoning patient, over time, realized by generations of obstinate peasants to gain arable land. Sometimes, they are mounted in low walls to delimit enclosures and plots.

It is also a beautiful refuge for rampant wildlife in search of shelter.

Zecamp

A few months ago, Marie Dorin-Habert, accompanied by her husband, Lois, and the cross-country skier, Robin Duvillard, set themselves an innovative and interesting project, called "Zecamp".

Zecamp is an accommodation and restaurant structure at the departure point for the cross-country skiing, golf and Vercors high plateau reserve trails, open to the general public all year round. Created by high level sports people living in the Vercors, the formula is more suited to a sporty public, with healthy food, the provision of maps and GPS indications, a weight room, equipment storage and repair rooms and offers for Vercors activities.

The "Zecamp Outdoor Activity Center" should open in Autumn 2018 in Corrençon-en-Vercors.

see the video

Biathlon Stadium

The Vercors is a land of champions. You can see the training facilities for biathletes, including the 5.5 km rollerski trail and its 25-target shooting range.

Lapiaz

Along the route, you can admire the lapiaz, which result from the run-off of water on the surface of limestone slabs. The limestone being soluble in the water of the gutters are formed and draw miniature canyons, the water then infiltrates in the cracks to join the underground network.

45th Parallel

The 45th parallel of north latitude is halfway between Ecuador and the North Pole, which are each 5,000 kilometers away. At the same latitude, there is the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve in Europe, and in Yellowstone National Park, created in 1872 and the first national park in the world.

The CAMP 2 of the maquis of Vercors

It was at the Puits des Ravières that the CAMP 2 of the maquis of Vercors was installed in 1942; Bringing together young people who refrains from the occupation of France. Indeed, here water is rare, it is one of the rare places where shepherds, hunters, woodcutters, speleos and maquisards have drawn water.

Cabane of Carrette

The carette hut is an old sheepfold restored by the Parc du Vercors and transformed into an unguarded refuge. This beautiful hut indicates the entrance to the Natural Reserve of Hauts-Plateaux du Vercors.

Prairie of Darbounouse

The prairie of Darbounouse is a so-called cold combe. The accumulation of a semi-continental climate and altitude is aggravated by the nocturnal inversion of temperature (the denser cold air is lodged in the hollows). The weather station installed in the framework of the Vercors eco-climatic observatory recorded a record negative temperature with -38 ° C in 2000.

The Vulture Ball

At the dawn of the 2000s, the Regional Natural Park of Vercors participated in an operation to reintroduce vultures fawn on the scale of the Pre-Alps. These birds had disappeared from our mountains in the 19th century. By relying on the population of the Grands Causses, the idea was to exchange (birds, and therefore genes) with the Pyrenean populations. A vast population occupies a space that goes from the Spanish Pyrenees to the Vercors, which the birds traverse freely (the observation of the banded birds proves it to us). The Col de Rousset and the circus of Archiane are two sites of rest and nesting for these great gliders (almost 3m of wingspan). They use the ascending currents along the cliffs to transit from one to the other. A large shadow on the ground, raise your head, a vulture passes over you ...

The Nature reserve of the Hauts-Plateaux of Vercors

Unique by its size of 17,000 hectares, the Réserve des Hauts-Plateaux extends over 10% of the territory of the Regional Natural Park of Vercors. Today it is the largest terrestrial reserve in metropolitan France. Between 1050 m and 2341 m of altitude (with the Grand Veymont in climax), it undergoes very contrasted climatic influences, at the hinge between the northern and southern pre-Alps. The strong seasonal human presence has shaped it since prehistoric times. Pastoralism has been practiced there for over a thousand years.

Now marked by an alternation of mountain pastures and forests, the Reserve has the largest forest of hooked pines in the limestone Alps and a rich flora of 738 species. Animal life is discreet but abundant.

Châtillon-en-Diois

Nestled at the foot of the most southern cliffs of the Vercors, this medieval village has preserved from its past narrow streets called "rapes" and 17 fountains with stone basins on which climb the plants of the botanical village.
Capital of canton along the river Le Bez, Châtillon-en-Diois offers all shops and services, a swimming pool and many festivities during the summer season. Its vineyard, one of the highest in France, produces red, white and rosé wines with an Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée.

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, Châtillon-en-Diois

Altimetric profile

Sensitive areas

Along your trek, you will go through sensitive areas related to the presence of a specific species or environment. In these areas, an appropriate behaviour allows to contribute to their preservation. For detailed information, specific forms are accessible for each area.

Griffon vulture

Impacted practices:

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Sensitivity periods:

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugDec

Contact:

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Golden eagle

Impacted practices:

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Sensitivity periods:

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAug

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Black grouse - winter

Impacted practices:

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Sensitivity periods:

JanFebMarAprDec

Contact:

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Impacted practices:

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Sensitivity periods:

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSep

Contact:

https://www.parc-du-vercors.fr/

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Impacted practices:

Sensitivity periods:

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSep

Contact:

https://www.parc-du-vercors.fr/

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Bearded vulture

Impacted practices:

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Sensitivity periods:

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugNovDec

Contact:

Parc naturel régional du Vercors
B.Betton 04 76 94 38 20
benoit.betton@pnr-vercors.fr

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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!

Is in the midst of the park

The national park is an unrestricted natural area but subjected to regulations which must be known by all visitors.

Information desks

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

http://www.villarddelans-correnconenvercors.com

04 76 95 10 38

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Le village, 38250 Corrençon-en-Vercors

http://www.villarddelans-correnconenvercors.com

04 76 95 81 75

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Rue des Jardins, 26150 Die

http://www.diois-tourisme.com/

contact@diois-tourisme.com

04 75 22 03 03

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Place Pietri, 26 420 La Chapelle-en-Vercors

http://www.vercors-drome.com/

info@vercors-drome.com

04 75 48 22 54

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Square Jean Giono, 26410 Châtillon-en-Diois

http://www.chatillonendiois-tourisme.com/

chatillonendiois@diois-tourisme.com

04 75 21 10 07

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Access and parking

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

Parking :

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

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