The route Canyon des Gueulards et Gorges d’Omblèze passes through Le Chaffal. It is a moderately difficult circular hike covering 9.2 km, with 541 metres of ascent and 551 metres of descent. The path through the Canyon des Gueulards includes technical sections that must be negotiated. The GTV hiking stage from Omblèze to Léoncel also passes through Le Chaffal; it is a 13.9 km traverse with 805 metres of ascent and 536 metres of descent. The GTV mountain-bike stage from Beaufort-sur-Gervanne to Léoncel also leads through Le Chaffal.
Renting a holiday apartment in Le Chaffal means spending your stay in this village.
Hiking and trails
The signposted route Le Pescher du Bas starts in Le Chaffal and uses the green-and-yellow trail markings of the Vercors Regional Nature Park. It is 13.6 km long, has 470 metres of elevation gain, takes 4 hours and 24 minutes, and is classified as difficult. The route passes through meadows and woodland and offers views across the Gorges d’Omblèze from Pescher du Haut. Rando’s Valley – Le Randonneur is associated with the GR9 and the entrance to the Canyon des Gueulards.
Landscape and nature
On the Omblèze–Léoncel traverse, the vegetation changes from Mediterranean species such as boxwood and thyme to oak and beech stands characteristic of areas farther north. The Baume Noire cave bears witness to the complex hydrogeology of the surrounding area. The Cascade de la Pissoire is set in a green landscape and has a small lake. The Gorges d’Omblèze have been designated a classified site since 1991 by the decree of 28 November 1991; the classified site extends across Omblèze and Plan-de-Baix, covers 372 hectares, and lies entirely within the Vercors Regional Nature Park.
History and culture
The route Les Sept Lacets illustrates a construction method featuring sections cut into the rock on the mountainside and a structure built of masonry on the open side. In 1944, the hamlet of La Vacherie was 80 percent burned down, and the Ferme du Chaffal was destroyed with explosives. The hamlet of Le Chaffal grew up around a priory founded in the 12th century and dependent on La Chaise-Dieu Abbey; the church, dedicated to Saint Robert of Turlande, served as the parish church. The Church of Saint Robert in La Vacherie was built in 1863 and replaced the Church of Le Chaffal as the parish church.
Other places in the same higher-level destination: Roynac, Lachau, Le Poët-Laval, Sainte-Jalle, Saillans, Beaumont-Monteux, Margès, Nyons.
