Drop your car : 11 ideas for mountain outings without a car, from Lyon

Climbing or hiking in the Monts d'Or

• Mountain range : Monts d'Or
• Activity : Climbing and mountain bike
• Duration : 1 day - or half-day
• Difficulty : 5a to 6b (4a to 5c GB grade)
• Public Transport :
• The nearest : Access to Curis Lavoir : A bus from Vaise train station, line 84 takes you to the foot of the cliff in 30 min
• Other public transport possibilities : Access from d’Albigny-Neuville bus/train station, then you have to walk 15 min of cycle 5 min (1.5km) to reach the site. From Vaise station, bus lane 43 takes you in 20 min to d’Albigny-Neuville station. The TER trains from Part-Dieu, Perrache, Gorge-de-loup et Vaise stations also reach d’Albigny-Neuville train station in about 10 min.
• Biking :
  From Lyon, this could be an opportunity to make a nice visit of les Monts d'Or :
  -mountainbike : Example of sportive route
  -regular bike : From L'île Barbe bridge or Paul Bocuse bridge, climb up to Mount Cindre. Follow up to the base of Mount Thou on top of which you can climb to enjoy a nice view over the valley. Then reach Mount Verdun, then the village of Polémieux and eventually Curis au Mont d'Or from which the climbing starts.
• Topo du site d'Escalade - Trip example

The castle of Allymes and Mount Luisandre

• Mountain range : Bugey
• Activity : Hiking
• Duration : half-day to a day
• Difficulty : Easy
• Public Transport :
• TER from La Part-Dieu to Ambérieu en Bugey station (25 min).
  Bike the first kilometer which is in a town offers a quicker option.
• Hike summary - Add this summary to your trip

Le Gouffre d'Enfer

• Mountain range : Pilat
• Activity : Hiking
• Duration : half-day t a day
• Difficulty : Easy
• Public Transport :
• From Part-Dieu or Perrache stations: By TER, reach [waypoints/752486|St Etienne Bellevue station].
  Then take busline TIL 119 or 122 to Planfoy, stop « RD 1082 » (8 min.)
• Hike summary - Add this summary to your trip

Kayaking in the Haut-Bugey

• Mountain Range : Pilat
• Activity : Kayaking / Mountain bike
• Duration : half-day to a day
• Difficulty : Easy
• Puclic Transport :
• TER from Part-Dieu station to Seyssel-Corbonod (1h 10).
• Alternative way back : TER from Culoz to Lyon (more trains on this line), do not hesitate to ask the kayak rental staff if they can drop you at Culoz on the way back to Seyssel rental site.
• Kayaking and rental Information :www.france-voyage.com/activites/site.php?prop_id=78864
• Kayak trip summary : - Add this summary to your trip
  The trip starts in Seyssel-Corbonod in the Bugey. When leaving the station, follow Rhône river Southwards until you find the kayak rental base (1 400m, 15 min walk) where you will be able to rent your kayaks, canoes or mountain bikes.

La Montagne de l’Épine

• Mountain range : Chartreuse
• Activity : Hiking and climbing
• Duration : half-day to a day
• Difficulty : Easy to slightly difficult (possible alternatives)
• Public Transport:
• TER from La Part-Dieu to Lépin-le-lac station (1h10).
  Leaving the station, start walking - or cycling if you are impatient! - or take the SNCF coach to Aiguebelette village .
• Hike summary - Example of trip
  De l'Epine pass climbing site summary - Example of trip

From the Croix de Chaubouret to the Crêts du Pilat

• Mountain range : Pilat
• Activity : Hiking
• Duration : a day
• Difficulty : Slightly to rather difficult
• Public Transport :
• From La Part-Dieu or Perrache stations : By TER, reach St Etienne Bellevue station (1h15).
  Then take the busline TIL 102 to Bessat, stop « Croix de Chaubouret » (25 min)
• Hike summary - Add this summary to your trip

The Grand Som from La Grande Chartreuse monastery

• Mountain range : Chartreuse
• Activity : Hiking
• Duration : 1 or 2 days (Camp or sleep under shelter at Habert du Bovinant)
• Difficulty : Slightly to rather difficult depending on the chosen itinerary
• Public Transport :
• Take the TER at La Part-Dieu to Voiron (1h05). Follow with the Transisère coach (line 7010) then Line 7000 to stop"La Correrie" (25min journey with a quick and free transfer between these two coaches.).
• Alternative : TER to Grenoble then take Transisère busline 7000.
• For the way back, take the loop back, the bus can also be caught in St Pierre de Chartreuse.
• Hike summary - - Example of trip

Enjoy the lakes of Belledonne from Chamrousse

• Mountain range : Belledonne
• Activity : Hiking, Snowshoe
• Duration : 2 days (Night at the refuge CAF de la Pra)
• Difficulty : Slightly difficult
• Public Transport :
• TER from La Part-Dieu to Grenoble (1h25). Then take the Transisère busline 6010 (or bus/winter shuttle) to stop Chamrousse « Le Recoin » (1h journey) or stop Chamrousse « l'Arselle »
  Depending on the time and the season, you might want to get there the day before.
• Hike summary - Example of a hiking trip
• Example of a snowshoe trip - Example of a cross-country ski trip
  Snowshoe/Cross-country ski trip : You will have to adapt the itinerary according to the snow conditions and your experience. (ARVA security gear/Shovel/Probe required, ask for a professional guide if needed)

Cross-skiing through Mount Thabor and La Vallée Etroite

• Mountain range : The Cerces
• Activity : Cross-country skiing, hiking
• Duration: 1 or rather 2 days (Night in a mountain refuge)
• Difficulty : Slightly difficult
• Public Transport :
• From Lyon Part-Dieu station: by TGV train (direct)to Modane train station (2h15) or by TER (3h) and a shuttle to Valfréjus (climbing there is hard otherwise)
• Way back: from Bardonecchia station (Italy) : by TGV train (direct) to Lyon (2h45) or by TER (4h)
• Corss-country ski trip summary Using alternative routes to ride the Vallée Etroite down - - Example of trip

Les Gorges de l'Ardèche

• Mountain Range : Ardèche
• Activity : Hiking, kayak, climbing
• Duration : 2 days or more (night in campsite, carefull, limited places avaliable)
• Difficulty: quite difficult
• Public Transport : Notice that bus are not running on sundays, except during July and August.
• To Vallon Pont d'Arc from Lyon (Or Grenoble or Valence):
• All year long from Lyon Part-Dieu platform : TGV (or TER) to Valence TGV station (aprox 35min). Take TER shuttle for Aubenas, and finely take the shuttle « Le Sept » lane 15 to Vallon Pont d'Arc (2h20).
• July-August : From Lyon Part-Dieu platform : TER train (can be a bus) to Pierrelatte (aprox 1h45) then shuttle «Le Sept l'été » to Vallon Pont d'Arc (1h10).
• Other possible itinary : combine TER to Pierrelatte + Bike to Vallon-Pontd'Arc (by Bourg St Andéol then take départementale ( road D4) ; In that case, you will have to get your bike back, by doing a circuit back…..
• To leave (or to arrive to) Saint-Martin d'Ardèche :
• Shuttle «Le Sept» line 20 from Saint-Martin d'Ardèche to Montélimar ( or to Pierrelatte with a changing in Bourg St Andéol, from Monday to Wednesday).
• Shuttle «Sept l'été» from Saint Martin to Vallon-Pont d'Arc.
• Topo de la Randonnée pédestre / Kayak - Exemple de sortie
• Topo Site d'Escalade (Secteur difficile)
• Topo Site d'Escalade (Secteur Tout Niveau) ou encore Topo Site d'Escalade (Secteur Tout Niveau)

Les Gorges du Chassezac

• Mountain range : Ardèche
• Activity : Hiking, kayaking, Climbing
• Duration : 2 days or more (night in campsite)
• Difficulty : Easy
• Public Transport :
• All year round from La Part-Dieu station : TGV train (or TER) to Valence TGV station (35min). Then take the TER coach to The Vans.(2h approx.)
• Informations about Canoe :
• You can rent canoes at The Vans (Compagnie Canoë Chassezac located a few kms from The Vans) in order to reach, for instance, Les Blaches campsite (10km - 2h approx. for the slowest)
• From Les Blaches campsite, you just have to reach the opposite bank taking a free 24h/24h canoe in order to get to the climbing site rocks.
• For the way back, you have 2 possibilities : sneak in a canoe shuttle going back up to The Vans or paddle up the river with a canoe.
• Example of climbing/canoe/hiking trip
• Bois de Païolive and Corniche hike summary - Chaulet climbing site (all levels)

Ressources

• More links about "mobilité douce" ("gentle mobility") : les ressources du net