Visit the Trois Becs, the high points of the Forest of Saou.
Correction: the elevation is 750 m instead of the 1071 m described.
Description
Start from the car park of the Col de la Chaudière (Siarra car park) (S).
Take the path opposite the parking. The yellow marked trail (PR) has recently been refurbished by the department of Drôme. Meander among the bushes as far as Pas de Siarra (2). Turn right on the steep trail in the pasture, reach the first Bec: Le Veyou (3) (the highest point).
Head down along the ridge crest and back up, still on a ridge to get to the second Bec: Le Signal (4).
Head downhill again to Pas de Picourère and back up to the third Bec: La Pelle or La Roche Courbe (5).
Start down a recently refurbished path to reach the Col des Auberts then the crossroads of the GR9 (6).
Take the trail left which then becomes a forest track as far as a bend in the Pas de l'Ane (7).
Leave the GR and take the PR (signposted) to the left to return to the pasture in Pas de Siarra (2).
Then go down to the car park by the outbound trail.
Waypoints
- S/E : km 0 - alt. 1,040 m
- 1 : km 0.12 - alt. 1,046 m - Start of the refurbished PR
- 2 : km 1.17 - alt. 1,322 m
- 3 : km 1.99 - alt. 1,538 m - Le Veyou - Veyou (le)
- 4 : km 2.74 - alt. 1,524 m - Le Signal - Signal (le)
- 5 : km 3.67 - alt. 1,474 m - La Roche Courbe - Roche Courbe
- 6 : km 4.58 - alt. 1,362 m - Crossroads on GR9
- 7 : km 6.94 - alt. 1,212 m - Bend in track at Pas de l'Ane
- S/E : km 8.77 - alt. 1,040 m
Useful Information
No water on this circuit.
Bring plenty.
The Pas de Siarra trail was re-opened in 2012 following extensive work. It had been closed since 2004 following two fatal accidents, but is now totally safe. For people taking children on this circuit, extreme caution is still recommended in the area before the Pas. A low dry stone wall provides a barrier to the steep drop on the other side, and although at this point the trail is wider do not jostle each other as a fall would be fatal. Take care also on the path along the ridge, the cliff is particularly high.
Last point: the path of Pas de Siarra is forbidden to our Visorandonneur friends on horseback or on mountain bikes.
Always stay careful and alert while following a route. Visorando and the author of this walk cannot be held responsible in the event of an accident during this route.
During the walk or to do/see around
The Drôme valley with its market towns of Crest, Saillans and Die.
The forest of Saou.
