Le Rocher de la Garde
This is a small summit that has everything a big one has! Forest, stony paths, short lapies*, panoramic summit… it's all there and easy to access!
Perched on this rock, you are at a true observation post and perhaps even, in the past, a surveillance post! In any case, it is certain, the view invites contemplation and escape to other adventures in Chartreuse or on the immense neighboring plateau of Grand-Ratz.
After passing through a dense boxwood forest, the hike continues with a descent to the hamlet of La Maladière, near which you can see the Chapel of La Madeleine. This hamlet, located away from the village, was once a place of isolation for lepers in a leper colony founded in 1282 by the Counts of Savoy, then ceded to the Carthusian monks of Currière in July 1315 by Count Amadeus V of Savoy. It closed in 1614. The path continues along the edge of the forest, then crosses it to return to your starting point.
*Lapiaz: erosion of the limestone rock with deep grooves: be careful!
Just steps from the trail, the impressive limestone cliffs of the Crossey Gorge are a playground for beginners to advanced climbers. The climbing site offers nearly 300 routes from 3 to 8b and a splendid view. Ready to put on your climbing shoes and harness?
Delicate passages
Road crossing (at the start of the route, depending on the parking side)
Crossing a limestone pavement (a geological formation with a 50cm wide fissure to step over)
Risk of falling: presence of a handrail on a descent through the forest with polished rocks, therefore potentially slippery.
Risk of falling: cliff edge at the summit of Rocher de la Garde
Section of road without a shoulder (100m to travel along the D520 at the Chemin des Chèvres)