Rompon: Hiking, Climbing and Culture

A trip to Rompon can be shaped around a range of interests: hiking, climbing, concerts, and the natural world and wildlife. Particularly specific details are available for the Le plateau de Rompon circular hike and the Le Chat Gourmand climbing area. The historical and ecological themes of the Chapelle du Vieux Rompon and La Boissine broaden the options, alongside activities for families, children and adults. You can tailor your trip to your interests and take the relevant details into account when planning.

Hiking on Le plateau de Rompon

The “Le plateau de Rompon” route is a moderately difficult 7.8 km circular hike, with a stated duration of 2 hours and 15 minutes. Its difficulty, distance and time frame give you practical reference points for fitting the hike into your travel day. It starts in the hamlet of Laval; there is a car park next to the Saint-Martin church. Along the route, you can enjoy views of the village of Vieux Rompon, the Rhône Valley, the Drôme Valley, the Vercors massif and the Alpine range. These views add a scenic perspective to the route details of distance, duration and difficulty.

Climbing at Le Chat Gourmand

Le Chat Gourmand offers 145 climbing routes graded from 4a to 7b+ on a limestone cliff at an elevation of 400 metres. Different planning details are relevant here than for the hike: the number of routes, grades, rock type and elevation describe the climbing area, while distance and duration are key for the circular hike. To reach the climbing area from Rompon, take the N104 between Le Pouzin and Privas towards Vieux Rompon and continue to the chapel, where you can park. The distance to the chapel is 7 km. Check local conditions before setting off.

The chapel and its concerts

The Chapelle du Vieux Rompon is a small Cistercian chapel on the rocky hill of Vieux Rompon. Concerts organised by the Association de l’Offrande Musicale are held in the chapel. The first concert there took place on 26 September 1965. The chapel thus combines a distinctive architectural character with a concert history that has a specific date. If you would like to plan a concert into your trip, check the relevant dates before travelling.

La Boissine: geological history and nature

The geological heritage of La Boissine illustrates the past 300 million years of the history of life on Earth. The La Boissine departmental area is a 226-hectare site of ecological interest. In addition, a 182-hectare pre-emption zone was established in 2012 by agreement with La Voulte-sur-Rhône and Rompon. These figures refer to different areas: the extent of the site of ecological interest and the size of the pre-emption zone.

For families, La Boissine offers activities to discover the area’s fauna and flora, including butterflies and lizards. Ecozootopia offers interactive and educational activities for children and adults, including a visit to the animal park. The focus differs: La Boissine highlights the discovery of nature, while Ecozootopia focuses on interactive activities and a visit to the animal park.

Discover more destinations: St. Barthelemy Le Plain, Saint-Alban-d'Ay, Malbosc, Boucieu-le-Roi, Lavillatte, Chauzon, Chomérac, Saint-Alban-Auriolles.

For the regional travel overview: Ardèche.