Sentier Gobert

Sentier Gobert is a moderate, long-distance hiking route in the Vercors Regional Natural Park area near Villard-de-Lans, France. On the usual loop versions, it’s timed for roughly a half day: about 3–4 hours depending on how far you carry it and how many stops you make.

The route is known for a balcony-style traverse—much of it stays near-horizontal—so the outing feels more like sustained walking than constant climbing. Where the trail inclines, it’s generally handled as short climbs tied to junctions rather than long grind sections.

A big part of the character is botanical: along sections of the route, you’ll encounter summer plant diversity, with many hikers focusing on June–July when the vegetation is at its fullest.

Navigation is built around trail junctions and long-distance markings. One common starting/ending option uses the Espinasses car park area near La Conversaria; from there you connect to the GR® 91 corridor and then pick up the Sentier Gobert portion marked with red-and-white trail indications.

A widely used turnaround point is Combe Chaulange, where you leave the GR® to descend back toward Conversaria/La Ya. Another popular approach extends beyond Combe Chaulange toward the Roybon hut, keeping the “almost horizontal” balcony character before dropping back to the car park.

Mapped versions put the loop distance in the ~5.5 km range for the shorter trail-specific line, while longer loop variants in the same system run closer to ~7 km. With the typical elevation gain for these loops sitting around the ~430 m mark, the moderate label fits hikers who can handle sustained ups and a few rougher foot placements on hillside paths.

More information: The Gobert Trail from Font Froide to Combe Chaulange - Walk, Long loop of the Gobert trail - Walk - Visorando, VERCORS TOUR COMFORT self-guided - Altitude Montblanc