Trail Crossing of Vercors: Three Days of Self-Sufficiency Between Cliffs and Plateaus

From Villard-de-Lans to Châtillon-en-Diois.

Approximately 70 km, 3,000 m of positive elevation gain.

3 days, 2 nights: one in an unguarded hut, the other bivouacking.

What drives Johann, Aurore, and Célian to embark on a trail crossing of the Vercors, carrying everything they need on their backs? The desire to discover a wild massif, of course, but also to try a different way of running: slower, more self-sufficient, and more attuned to their surroundings. From Villard-de-Lans to Châtillon-en-Diois, they recount three days of self-sufficient trail running between thunderstorms, high plateaus, limestone peaks, and meticulous water management.

Here is their story.

A Natural Fortress

Some massifs instantly evoke images. The Vercors is one of them.

Standing south of Grenoble, this limestone fortress immediately asserts its wild character: steep cliffs, deep forests, vast plateaus, and kilometers of trails far from roads and villages.

It is precisely this raw terrain that Johann, Aurore, and Célian came to discover in early June. Their idea: to follow the GR91 across the Vercors to connect Villard-de-Lans, in Isère, to the sunny streets of Châtillon-en-Diois, in Drôme.

Three days of self-sufficient trail nomadic travel. Approximately 70 kilometers and 3,000 meters of positive elevation gain in the heart of the Vercors Regional Natural Park. One night in an unguarded hut, a second bivouacking in the Vercors, and sufficiently changing weather to test bodies, minds, and equipment.

The GR91 will serve as the common thread. For the rest, they will have to adapt.

[Day 1] Thunderstorm as an Introduction

Villard-de-Lans → Carrette hut
Approximately 20 km · 900 m D+ · 550 m D-

Route: Villard-de-Lans → GR91 → Fauge valley → Corrençon-en-Vercors → entrance to the Nature Reserve → Carrette hut
Water points: Villard-de-Lans, Corrençon-en-Vercors and Carrette fountain, with unpredictable flow
Night: unguarded Carrette hut
To remember: Corrençon-en-Vercors is the last possibility for food resupply before entering the Hauts-Plateaux.

Leaving Villard-de-Lans, legs are light and motivation is high. The Running Bag 555s contain everything needed for three days of travel: clothes, food, bivouac gear, and water reserves. All that's left is to go.

After a leisurely warm-up through the streets of the largest town in Vercors, accessible by bus in just 45 minutes from Grenoble train station, the trio joins the GR91 towards the Fauge valley and Corrençon-en-Vercors.

But in the mountains, plans sometimes fade as quickly as the sky clouds over.

A violent thunderstorm breaks out in the first few kilometers. To limit exposure, the group stays on the forest trails and pulls out their rain gear: Blackshell waterproof jacket and Rainshell Pant. The layers keep their bodies dry, but the storm intensifies.

Less than five kilometers from the start, the Roybon hut offers a providential refuge. Inside, several hikers are already waiting for a lull. They exchange a few words, warm up, and dry what can be dried.

Then the clouds finally move away.

The trio resumes its route, crosses Corrençon-en-Vercors: the last pass near shops before the Hauts-Plateaux, then crosses the 45th parallel marker. It indicates that they are at the same latitude as the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve and Yellowstone National Park. From here, civilization gradually fades away.

After 19 kilometers and 900 meters of positive elevation gain, the Carrette hut appears. No one inside. A functional stove, wood, a table, and an upstairs floor to set up mattresses: the comfort is basic, but after a day that started in a thunderstorm, the place feels like a small luxury.

Several springs are shown on the IGN map nearby, indicated by a blue dot and a name in blue italics. In the Vercors, however, an indicated spring is never a promise, especially in summer. Water management will be one of the recurring themes of the trip. The unguarded huts are represented by a pink outline, while the refuges appear as a solid pink hut.

[Day 2] The Great Crossing of the High Plateaus

Carrette hut → Pas de l’Aiguille
Approximately 30 km · 1,300 m D+ · 1,100 m D-

Route: Carrette hut → Darbounouse plain → Jasse du Play → Chau plain → Pas de la Ville → Grand Veymont → Pas des Bachassons → Pas de l’Aiguille
Water points: Play fountain, Chau fountain, Bachassons fountain and Chevalière spring
Night: bivouac at Pas de l’Aiguille
To remember: orientation can become difficult on the plateau in case of fog. Map, compass and GPX track are necessary.

Upon waking, the sky is perfectly clear. After yesterday's storm, the day promises to be bright and long.

The trio gears up lightly, with the Short 522 and the T-shirt 230, then leaves the hut to enter the heart of the Vercors High Plateaus National Nature Reserve, the largest terrestrial nature reserve in mainland France.

Here, disconnection is not just a phrase. There are no roads, no villages, and often no network. Only the immensity of the plateau, flower-covered pastures, undergrowth, and wild fauna. Marmots appear at the edge of the trail. Further on, ibex move with disconcerting ease on this mineral terrain.

For 16 kilometers and approximately 500 meters of positive elevation gain, the terrain often remains runnable. The group progresses south and takes advantage of the Chau fountain to refill their water bottles.

The GR91 continues straight. But on the left stands the Grand Veymont, the highest point of the massif at 2,341 meters. It's hard to pass so close without attempting the detour.

From the Pas de la Ville, the route suddenly steepens: about three kilometers and 600 meters of positive elevation gain on more mineral, sometimes technical terrain. At the summit, the effort is rewarded with a 360-degree view. The Ecrins, the Dévoluy, the Chartreuse, and even Mont Ventoux appear on the horizon.

A real eye-opener.

From the ridge, the trio even spots where they will spend the night. There are still nine kilometers, a technical descent, and a pass near an ancient Roman quarry before reaching the Pas de l’Aiguille.

The place also carries the memory of the massif. The national necropolis commemorates the battles of July 1944 and pays tribute to the maquisards who fell during the Battle of the Passes.

Nearby, a hut, several springs, and above all a spectacular view of Mont Aiguille. Its first ascent, in 1492, is often considered one of the founding acts of alpinism.

The bivouac is set up discreetly, respecting the surroundings. The Samaya tents, carried for two days in the Running Bag 555s, are pitched facing the summit. No fire. When the coolness falls, everyone puts on their ThermalShell and FKT Pant before preparing dinner, after a day of 30 kilometers and 1,300 meters of positive elevation gain.

On the menu: freeze-dried, savory, and caloric dishes, and a sunset that no one will soon forget.

[Day 3] Heading South

Pas de l’Aiguille → Châtillon-en-Diois
Approximately 22 km · 500 m D+ · 1,500 m D−

Route: Pas de l’Aiguille → Jas Neuf → GR91 → Glandasse mountain → Châtillon hut → Châtillon-en-Diois
Water point: Chevalière spring, at the start
To remember: a very long descent leads to the Diois valley.

The night is short. Upon waking, the altitude and humidity bring the perceived temperature close to zero. Warm layers remain on their backs and the Storm Gloves protect numb hands.

The first few kilometers are difficult. The fatigue of the previous two days is felt and the wind sweeps across the plateaus. To rejoin the GR91, they must cross several areas of lapiaz, these limestone formations carved with fissures that require careful foot placement.

Gradually, the trails become more runnable again and the landscapes open up. After approximately seven kilometers and the last 500 meters of ascent of the trip, the group reaches the summit plateau of the Glandasse mountain, at the southern end of the Vercors.

Something changes.

The vegetation transforms, as does the light. The south begins to make itself felt, even though the wind requires keeping the NanoShell over the Shirt 235 almost all day.

At the fifteenth kilometer, Châtillon-en-Diois finally appears below. The village marks the end of the journey, but there are still seven kilometers and nearly 1,200 meters of descent. The quadriceps are sore; they must draw on what little energy and concentration remain.

Then the trails give way to the first streets of the village.

The crossing ends on a café terrace, with an impromptu debriefing. They talk again about the storm, the huts, the ibex, the Grand Veymont, and the bivouac facing Mont Aiguille.

And, already, about the next crossing.

Running Differently

This trail crossing of the Vercors was neither a race nor a record attempt. The pace was dictated not by a stopwatch, but by the terrain, the weather, water reserves, and the desire to stop and look around.

For three days, running became a way of traveling. A way to connect two territories, to pass from the northern forests to the more southern reliefs of the Diois, and to measure all that autonomy entails: carrying, anticipating, sometimes giving up, and always adapting.

In the Vercors, the feeling of freedom is immense. It goes hand in hand with an equally great responsibility: to respect a fragile environment, prepare each stage, and leave as few traces as possible of one's passage.

This is perhaps what Johann, Aurore, and Célian remember most: the simplicity of three days outdoors, everything they needed on their backs, and the feeling of having crossed much more than a massif.

Preparing for the Crossing

General Information

  • Total distance: approximately 70 km
  • Positive elevation gain: approximately 3,000 m D+
  • Format: 3 days and 2 nights: one in an unguarded hut, one bivouacking
  • Technicality: 3/5: limestone terrain, lapiaz, sometimes demanding orientation, and more technical variants towards the summits
  • Commitment: 4/5: complete self-sufficiency and rigorous water management
  • Recommended season: June to October, depending on snow cover and weather conditions
  • Main route: GR91, with a variant via the Grand Veymont

Water, a Key Aspect of Nomadic Travel

The Vercors is a karstic limestone massif: rainwater quickly infiltrates the ground, and there are no permanent watercourses on the Hauts-Plateaux. A spring mentioned on a map may have a low flow, or even be dry.

  • Plan for a capacity of 2.5 to 3 liters per person at the start of each stage.
  • Bring a water filter or purification tablets, as water points are also frequented by herds and wild animals.
  • Check the status of springs before departure on Info Sources Vercors.
  • Refill your reserves as soon as a spring flows, even if there is still water left.

Bivouacking in the Reserve

In the Vercors High Plateaus Nature Reserve:

  • bivouac is only allowed from 5 PM to 9 AM;
  • fires are prohibited;
  • all waste must be carried out, including toilet paper;
  • dogs are prohibited, even on a leash.

As regulations and conditions may change, they should be checked with the Park before departure.

Checklist for Three Days of Self-Sufficiency

Carrying and Trail Equipment

  • Running Bag 555
  • Trail poles
  • GPS watch with loaded track and external battery
  • Map, compass or emergency navigation solution
  • Survival blanket, whistle and first aid kit with strapping essentials, tick removers, and blister treatment

Clothing

Hydration and nutrition

  • Water capacity of 2.5 to 3 liters
  • Water filter or purification tablets
  • Freeze-dried meals, gels, bars and energy snacks

Bivouac and night

  • Sleeping bag with a comfort temperature adapted to the conditions
  • Ultralight sleeping pad
  • Samaya lightweight tent
  • Headlamp
  • Compact stove

Photo credits: Julien Raison