Dent de la Rancune

The Dent de la Rancune is a dyke: a vein of magma that rose through a fissure, cooled, and was then exposed by the glacial erosion that swept away the soft rock all around it. What remains is a pinnacle 90 metres high, in the heart of the Chaudefour valley national nature reserve, at Chambon-sur-Lac. Its neighbour, the Crête de Coq, is also a dyke.

At the entrance to the valley, near the information board, you see it along with the Crête de Coq. To reach its foot, follow the discovery trail from the reserve car park, then take a path on the left through the woods, about 200 metres after the bridge.

For climbing, this is serious stuff: more than thirty equipped routes, graded up to 8a+. The rock is well equipped but committing, and a helmet is very strongly recommended. The only climbing here is on the Dent and the Crête de Coq, and never during the nesting period flagged by the LPO (the French bird protection league) and the reserve's manager.

Access to the reserve is free and unrestricted all year round. In 2026, parking at the reserve is paid from 1 May to 30 September. Dogs are not allowed there, even on a lead.