Why this ride
Out of Châtonnay, one way: 217 km, roughly 3 h 40 in the saddle. The climbs: near Sarras and Scenic stretch in Roche-la-Molière.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Chartreuse Forest Passes · part 1
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 217 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 3 h 40
- Journey
- One way; return travel is separate
Distance and timing basis
Ordered leg totals agree within rounding. Stop distances are approximate sums of rounded legs. Stops, delays, approach and any separate return travel add time. Basis: producer-declared routed record.
Reading history stays on this device. My road watch requires a separate selection; opening it does not subscribe this ride.
Distance and riding time are measured on the routed road. Check local closures and conditions before you ride.
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. Fuel stop near Châtonnay
Châtonnay is a farming village in the Bas-Dauphiné, on the gently rolling ground between Bourgoin-Jallieu and the Bièvre plain. Its surroundings are typical of this part of Isère: a mix of maize and wheat fields, pastures, hedges and small woods, with stone farmhouses and church towers on the low ridges.
Read the complete Fuel stop near Châtonnay write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Chartreuse Forest Passes is where the day begins. Next is High point near Sarras.
2. High point near Sarras
Sarras lies on the Ardèche bank of the Rhône, opposite Saint-Vallier, where the valley narrows between steep granite slopes. Behind the village, the river Ay comes tumbling out of the Ardèche hills through a deep, wooded gorge, and that gorge is the reason to be here.
Read the complete High point near Sarras write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
You top out here; the road stops climbing. Next is Scenic stretch in Roche-la-Molière.
3. Scenic stretch in Roche-la-Molière
Coal made Roche-la-Molière. The town sits on the western edge of the Saint-Étienne basin, and for generations its hillsides were dotted with pit heads, slag heaps and miners' terraces. The mines are long closed, the spoil tips have grassed over, and today it is a quiet residential town of around ten thousand people with a château on its hill and good views back towards the city and the dark ridge of the Pilat beyond.
Read the complete Photo stop in Roche-la-Molière write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
This is where the road stops climbing. Next is Photo stop near Saint-Just-en-Chevalet.
4. Photo stop near Saint-Just-en-Chevalet
In the Monts de la Madeleine, the hills between the Loire and the Allier, Saint-Just-en-Chevalet sits high on a ridge, a small village of granite houses where the main road from Lyon to Clermont-Ferrand once brought a steady stream of travellers. The motorway now runs to the south, and the village has returned to a quieter life, surrounded by forests, meadows and the occasional pond.
Read the complete Photo stop near Saint-Just-en-Chevalet write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Photo stop near Saint-Just-en-Chevalet closes the day.
Leg by leg
Fuel stop near Châtonnay to High point near Sarras
Fuel stop near Châtonnay → High point near Sarras is 65 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
High point near Sarras to Scenic stretch in Roche-la-Molière
High point near Sarras → Scenic stretch in Roche-la-Molière is 67 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Scenic stretch in Roche-la-Molière to Photo stop near Saint-Just-en-Chevalet
Scenic stretch in Roche-la-Molière → Photo stop near Saint-Just-en-Chevalet is 85 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.