Traversée du Vercors Nord-Sud - Classique
The place
The Vercors Traverse is a 5- to 7-day route across the Vercors Regional Nature Park, a tabular limestone massif between Grenoble and Valence. Over roughly 100 km, from Grenoble to Die, it climbs the steep cliffs that ring the plateau (Rencurel, Échevis), crosses the bare high plateaus grazed by wild horses and mouflons, and descends toward the Drôme provençale through gorges and black pine forests. The Vercors is also deeply marked by the history of the French Resistance (Maquis du Vercors, 1944), and numerous memorial sites punctuate the route.
Why go
High plateaus of the Vercors (alpine meadows with wild horses). Resistance Memorial (Vassieux-en-Vercors). Gorges de la Bourne. Choranche Cave. Perched village of Pont-en-Royans. Lavender fields and vineyards of the Drôme provençale on arrival in Die.
A bit of history
The Vercors is famous for having hosted one of the largest Resistance strongholds in France in 1944. The plateau, naturally fortified by its cliffs, was occupied by thousands of resistance fighters before being crushed by the Germans during the fighting of July 1944. The Regional Nature Park, created in 1970, waymarked the traverse to showcase both the natural landscape and this history.
Getting there
Grenoble: TGV station (Paris Gare de Lyon, 3h). Die: regional train station (from Valence, 1h15). Easy access from Lyon or Paris.
Recommended gear
Hiking boots. Waterproof clothing (plateau exposed to wind). Water (few sources on the high plateaus). Trekking poles. Warm layer for the nights.
Best season
June to October. The plateau can stay snow-covered until May. Beautiful late spring (daffodils). Warm summer with possible thunderstorms. Very pleasant autumn.