SPHC, étape 10

The SPHC, Étape 10 is a 20-km point-to-point trail in the Ardèche, southern France, gaining 424 m of elevation on a single day's walk. Part of the International Walking Network's Sur les Pas des Huguenots (GR 965), it is rated moderate and connects the historic Protestant market town of Les Vans to the ancient stone village of Grospierres, threading through the boulder-strewn Bois de Païolive and past medieval ruins that trace the 17th-century exile of French Protestants.

About the SPHC, Étape 10

The Sur les Pas des Huguenots (SPHC) is a 374-km long-distance trail that retraces the routes taken by Huguenots — French Protestants — who were forced to flee southern France after Louis XIV revoked the Edict of Nantes in 1685. Designated as part of the International Walking Network (IWN), the trail crosses some of the most culturally and ecologically significant landscapes in southern France. Étape 10 is one of 29 stages on the route, running 19.7 km from Les Vans to Grospierres through the Ardèche department of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region.

This particular stage is one of the most historically layered on the entire circuit. It begins in Les Vans, a Huguenot stronghold whose Protestant past is visible in its architecture and street plan. The route then descends into the extraordinary Bois de Païolive — a 1,600-hectare ancient forest growing directly from a limestone plateau, classified as a ZNIEFF (Zone Naturelle d'Intérêt Écologique Faunistique et Floristique) for its exceptional biodiversity. After leaving the forest, the trail crosses the Ardèche garrigue — open scrubland of lavender, thyme, and holm oak — and passes the Camps de Jalès, site of three major counter-revolutionary gatherings between 1790 and 1792, before arriving in Grospierres.

At Grospierres, a commune whose name derives from the Latin gurges petra ("stone chasm"), hikers encounter a landscape scattered with around 50 prehistoric dolmens alongside the ruins of the 14th-century Chastelas castle and the 13th-century Notre-Dame des Songes chapel. For those carrying a lightweight pack, the 5 h 30 min walk is comfortable as a day hike, though spending a night in Grospierres rewards those who want time to explore these ancient sites properly.

Route Overview & Stages

Étape 10 is a linear day stage with a net elevation change of just −8 m (424 m gain, 416 m loss), meaning the overall profile is broadly balanced. The terrain alternates between limestone plateau paths, forest tracks, and quiet rural lanes. The table below breaks the stage into its five main sections.

The stage is waymarked throughout with the standard GR red-and-white paint blazes of the French Fédération Française de la Randonnée Pédestre. A free GPX track and downloadable map sheet are available on the official Sur les Pas des Huguenots website. The previous stage (Étape 9) arrives from Malbosc, and Étape 11 continues northeast toward Vallon-Pont-d'Arc.

Highlights & Points of Interest

• Les Vans Old Town: The starting point is one of the Ardèche's most intact Huguenot towns, with a 17th-century Protestant temple, arcaded market square, and narrow limestone lanes little changed since the Wars of Religion. The Thursday market has operated here for over 400 years.
• Rivière Chassezac: A clear Ardèche tributary crossed near the start of the stage, popular with kayakers and summer swimmers. The bridge crossing offers a clean view north up the river gorge and south toward the Cèze valley — useful for orientating yourself before the forest section.
• Bois de Païolive: A 1,600-hectare ancient forest rising from a raised limestone plateau, classified as a ZNIEFF for its rare flora and fauna. The forest floor is carpeted with wild orchids in spring — including Ophrys species found nowhere else in the Ardèche — and the scattered boulders, some as large as houses, give the forest an otherworldly character.
• Casteljau Castle: The 12th-century château was partially destroyed during the Wars of Religion in the 16th century and later reconstructed. Its position above the confluence of the Ardèche and Cèze rivers commands views south toward the Cévennes hills. The castle's turbulent history mirrors the religious conflicts the entire SPHC route commemorates.
• Camps de Jalès: An open field outside Berrias-et-Casteljau that served as the assembly point for three counter-revolutionary gatherings between July 1790 and February 1792. Up to 20,000 royalists and Catholic nobles gathered here in failed attempts to reverse the Revolution — a striking reminder that the religious and political tensions that drove the Huguenots into exile did not simply vanish after 1685.
• Berrias-et-Casteljau Village: A quiet Bas-Vivarais hamlet with a Romanesque church and traditional dry-stone architecture. Local artisan producers in the village sell lavender honey, chestnut flour, and Ardèche wine. A good spot for a mid-stage rest and refill.
• Dolmen Fields, Grospierres: The commune of Grospierres contains around 50 prehistoric dolmens, one of the highest concentrations in the Ardèche. These Neolithic burial chambers, dating to approximately 3000 BCE, sit scattered across the garrigue and are accessible on short detours from the main path.
• Notre-Dame des Songes Chapel: A 13th-century Romanesque chapel on the outskirts of Grospierres, associated with a local pilgrimage tradition. The chapel's interior retains original stonework and simple vaulted ceilings. The name translates as "Our Lady of Dreams" — a reference to a legend of a vision experienced here during the medieval period.

Best Time to Hike the SPHC, Étape 10

The Ardèche has a Mediterranean climate — hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters — with a spring and autumn sweet spot that makes most of the SPHC stages most enjoyable outside the July–August heat.

April–June is the best overall period. Temperatures on the limestone plateau sit between 15°C and 25°C, wildflowers peak in the Bois de Païolive (including numerous orchid species), and the Chassezac river runs at a photogenic level. Rainfall is light but occasional, so a packable waterproof is worth carrying.

July–August is possible but demanding. Daytime temperatures on the exposed garrigue regularly exceed 35°C, and the Bois de Païolive — a plateau with little shade at its edges — can be oppressively hot between 11:00 and 16:00. Start before 07:00 if hiking midsummer and carry at least 3 L of water, as sources on the plateau are unreliable. As of 2026, the Préfecture de l'Ardèche's daily fire-risk arrêtés may restrict access to certain forest areas; check before setting out.

September–October is the second-best window. The heat has broken, the chestnut trees begin to colour gold, and the light on the limestone is exceptional. October can bring heavier rain and the first cold nights, making a waterproof layer essential.

November–March sees the trail passable but less rewarding. The garrigue is dormant, daylight short, and occasional freezing fog settles on the plateau. Some accommodation in Grospierres closes until spring.

The single best month to hike Étape 10 is May: the Bois de Païolive is in full spring bloom, average temperatures are a comfortable 18–22°C, trail surfaces are firm after winter rains, and the route is far less crowded than the July–August peak.

Practical Information

Accommodation

Both Les Vans and Grospierres offer accommodation within easy reach of the stage start and end.

Les Vans (start): Several chambres d'hôtes operate in the town centre, priced from €55–€80 per night for a double room. The municipal campsite Camping de Chassezac lies 1 km south of the centre and charges approximately €12–€18 per pitch. Advance booking is essential in July and August, when Les Vans fills with summer visitors.

Grospierres (end): The village has a small number of gîtes and B&Bs from approximately €60–€90 per night. Camping Les Gorges du Chassezac, a four-star site on the river 2 km from the village, charges from €22 per pitch. The GR 965 route information page at gr-infos.com lists additional gîtes d'étape along the full circuit.

There is no dedicated hiker's hostel (gîte d'étape spécifique) on this particular stage, so book private accommodation in advance during peak season. The nearest dedicated gîte d'étape on the broader SPHC circuit can be found on the previous stage at Malbosc.

Getting There & Back

By train: The nearest main-line railway station is Alès (Gare d'Alès), approximately 40 km south of Les Vans, served by TER regional trains from Nîmes (45 min) and Montpellier (1 h 15 min). From Alès, a regional bus on the Ardèche Sud network runs to Les Vans in approximately 1 hour; timetables vary seasonally so confirm in advance.

By car: Les Vans is accessible via the D104 from Alès, or via the A7 motorway from Lyon (2 h 15 min) and Avignon (1 h). Parking is available at the market square in Les Vans. For the point-to-point stage, a taxi between Grospierres and Les Vans (approximately 15 km by road) costs around €25–€35 and is the most practical return option.

Nearest airports: Nîmes Alès Camargue Cévennes Airport (FNI), 55 km south, operates seasonal flights from the UK and northern Europe. Montpellier-Méditerranée Airport (MPL), 120 km south, has more frequent international connections year-round.

Permits & Fees

No permit or trail fee is required to hike SPHC Étape 10. The route follows public footpaths and GR-marked paths throughout. GPX files and stage maps are available free from the official website. The printed topoguide covering the full GR 965 is published by the FFRandonnée and costs approximately €18. There are no entrance fees for the Bois de Païolive, Casteljau Castle, or the Grospierres dolmen sites.

Gear & Packing List

Étape 10's 20 km and 424 m of elevation gain suit a day-pack approach for most hikers. The route is not technically demanding, but the exposed garrigue sections and limestone boulder terrain of the Bois de Païolive call for solid footwear and good sun protection.

• Backpack (20–35 L): A mid-volume daypack is the right choice. The Fjällräven Abisko Hike 35 offers excellent ventilation for warm-weather hiking and enough volume for an overnight if you continue to Étape 11 the next day. For ultralight hikers, the Hyperlite Mountain Gear 2400 Windrider at 1,050 g handles all terrain on this stage without unnecessary bulk. If you plan to carry camping gear for multiple stages, the Osprey Aether 65 gives the capacity for a sleeping bag, mat, and extra provisions.
• Footwear: Trail shoes with grip for limestone and packed dirt work well in dry conditions. Light hiking boots are better if the forecast shows rain, as the Bois de Païolive forest floor becomes slick when wet. Sandals are not suitable for the boulder sections.
• Sun protection: Hat, SPF 50+ sunscreen, and a UV-protective shirt for the open garrigue sections — particularly important between 11:00 and 15:00 in spring and summer. The plateau has very little natural shade outside the forest.
• Water: Carry at least 2 L from Les Vans. There are no guaranteed water sources on the plateau section between the forest and Berrias; Grospierres has a public fountain near the church. Our guide on how many calories you need hiking a full day covers fuelling well — 20 km with 424 m of gain burns approximately 1,500–2,000 kcal for a 70 kg hiker, so pack accordingly.
• Navigation: Download the GPX file before leaving; waymarking is generally reliable but occasional gaps near the Camps de Jalès section have been reported. A paper map as backup adds almost no weight and can save significant time if you lose a blaze.
• Packable rain jacket: Even in May, afternoon thunderstorms can develop quickly over the Cévennes. A 200 g hardshell jacket costs nothing in pack weight and is essential comfort insurance.

For multi-day gear planning across the full SPHC circuit, see our roundup of the best ultralight backpacks of 2026, which tests packs suited to exactly this type of European long-distance walking.

Similar Trails You Might Like

Étape 10 sits within one of France's richest long-distance walking regions. If you enjoy the cultural depth and varied Ardèche terrain of this stage, these routes offer similar or complementary experiences — from the adjacent Cévennes to the wider Protestant exile trail network across Europe:

• Chemin de Stevenson — Liaison 1 (France) — Robert Louis Stevenson's 1878 Cévennes walk passes through country immediately south of the SPHC route, sharing its mix of garrigue, Protestant village history, and spectacular plateau landscapes. The closest cultural and geographic companion to Étape 10.
• GR 105 (France) — a quieter Grande Randonnée tracing the Pre-Alps south of the Vercors, with a similar length-and-difficulty profile to the SPHC stages and connecting to the same IWN network.
• Sulle Strade dei Valdesi: GRV Glorioso Rimpatrio dei Valdesi (France), 325 km — the Waldensian "Glorious Return" trail through the French and Italian Alps. As a fellow IWN Protestant exile route, it is historically the closest companion trail to the SPHC in all of Europe and rewards hikers who want to continue the Reformation-era story beyond France.
• Tour du Mont Blanc — Itinéraire Principal (France) — the definitive Alpine circuit, far more physically demanding than the SPHC but sharing the same GR trail infrastructure and hut-to-hut culture.
• GR 20 Principale (France) — Corsica's famous ridge walk, rated one of the most demanding GR routes in France and a natural next challenge after completing moderate IWN stages.

For a complete contrast in terrain and culture while staying within the point-to-point mountain-walking format, the Theth to Valbona hike in Albania offers dramatic Alpine scenery with an equally rich historical backdrop.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best time of year to hike SPHC Étape 10?

May is the single best month. Temperatures average 18–22°C, the Bois de Païolive is in full spring bloom with wild orchids and fresh greenery, and trail surfaces are firm after winter rains. The April–June and mid-September–October windows are both excellent. Avoid July and August unless you start before 07:00 — temperatures on the exposed garrigue regularly exceed 35°C and forest fire restrictions may apply.

How difficult is SPHC Étape 10?

The stage is rated moderate. Total elevation gain is 424 m over 19.7 km — manageable for any reasonably fit hiker with some trail experience. The terrain is varied: forest tracks, limestone plateau paths, and rural lanes. There is no exposed ridge walking or scrambling. The primary challenge in summer is heat on the open garrigue sections rather than technical difficulty.

How far is the stage and how long will it take?

Étape 10 covers 19.7 km (approximately 20 km) from Les Vans to Grospierres. The official walking estimate is 5 hours 30 minutes. Add an hour or two for stops at the Bois de Païolive, Casteljau Castle, and the Grospierres dolmen fields. Most hikers complete the full stage in a comfortable 6–8 hours including all breaks.

Is accommodation available at the start and end of the stage?

Yes. Both Les Vans and Grospierres have chambres d'hôtes, gîtes, and camping. B&B double rooms start at approximately €55–€80 per night, and campsites charge €12–€22 per pitch. There is no dedicated hiker hostel (gîte d'étape) on this stage as of 2026, so advance booking is important during July and August when the Ardèche is at its busiest.

Do I need a permit or pay any fee to hike SPHC Étape 10?

No permit or fee is required. The entire stage follows public footpaths and GR-marked routes. GPX files and stage maps are free to download from the official Sur les Pas des Huguenots website. The only optional cost is the printed FFRandonnée topoguide for the full GR 965, available for approximately €18. There are no entrance fees for any site along the route, including the Bois de Païolive and the Grospierres dolmen fields.