Walking in Chartreuse

The car wasn't due back to the hire company until 5pm today, so we decided to go somewhere out of reach of public transport. Our destination, the small village of St Christophe la Grotte, 40km north of Grenoble. Leaving the freeway we drove through Voreppe and into the very picturesque Chartreuse mountains.

 

St Christophe la Grotte is nestled at the end of the Guivers Valley, under the steep folds of the Chartreuse massif and located at the mouth of a narrow natural canyon.

  

The canyon, named the Sardinian Way, was used by men in the Roman era as the main link between Lyon and Turin. In the 17th century, the Duke Charles Emmanuel II of Savoy renovated the road to include the main ramp. From the carpark, we wandered up the ramp and along the Sardinian Way.

 

 

From the top of the Sardinian Way, we clambered up the hundred or so of metal steps to the top of the plateau de la Ravoire and into an amazing forest. Finding a lovely spot, we ate our picnic lunch. Walking through this forest was wonderful. The limestone rocks were covered in all types of moss and the girls happily rock hopped. The first signs of spring were emerging.

 

  

A short time later we arrived at the Belvedere de Gerboix, the lookout from which we could see our car in the village below. The trail continued until we came to steep cliffs of Gorges de l'Echaillon where the small windy path descended to the village of Pont St Martin. From here we walked back along the road to the car. The trip back to Grenoble was lovely until we pulled into a petrol station to fill up the car. It was an unattended petrol station which wouldn't accept our card. Three petrol stations later, we finally managed to put petrol in the car before returning it. Another wonderful day out.