Walk along the Himalayan footbridge

The Livet gorges trail

This rural and historic walk will take you through the valley, from Rioupéroux to Livet, past both industrial and natural sites.

This 4 km trail is the perfect opportunity to explore the lower Romanche valley after a long period of deindustrialisation. The trail will lead you to the Musée de la Romanche and then through the valley, via some surprisingly peaceful hamlets, winding across the meadows, past ancient farms and an industrial project with a bright future. We recommend beginning your visit at the museum.

The highlight of this trail is most definitely the Himalayan footbridge that straddles the Romanche river, 10 metres above the ground meaning it is outside of the 100-year floodplain and so not at risk. This 15-m-long footbridge was officially opened in 2018 and is the very first of its kind in Oisans!

Livet Gorges itinerary

You can pick up a leaflet about this trail from the Tourist Office. It takes around 2 hours on the way there, and 1.5 hours back, with a difference in altitude of barely 100 m.

A tour of the Musée de la Romanche will provide you with all the information you need to be able to fully appreciate the heritage treasures along this trail.
From the museum, take a left, then take the 1st left onto the Rue Georges Pelletier. Then, take the 3rd little street on the left (at the Stop sign), Rue des Eaux Claires, and you’ll see the passage below the canal.

After that, follow a footpath to the right until you reach the Rue de la Combe Blanche. This road leads onto the main road to the hamlet of Le Ponant.  Follow this road and then go across the walkway over the Romanche river (instead of the bridge) and then carry on, cross through Le Ponant, one of the original hamlets of Livet-et-Gavet. The road then leads onto a track (Chemin de la Vigne) for about a kilometre. 

To reach the Himalayan footbridge, go down a footpath to the right that leads past one of the popular bouldering sites. Go over the footbridge and carry on until you reach the main road (RD 1091). Cross the road (carefully) and carry on until you reach the hamlet of Les Roberts.

When you arrive in the hamlet, follow the Route des Roberts (2nd left) which leads onto a track. Go back to Livet by crossing back over the RD 1091. Vernes hydroelectric power station is opposite you. Continue to the right to get to the village of Livet along the old road. Just before crossing the Romanche river, walk around the Pavillon Keller (where the film The Crimson Rivers by Matthieu Kassovitz was filmed) and you will have arrived at your destination.
There are signposts to guide you along your way.

Location