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The eastern edge of the Vercors is impressive due to its elevation and the thickness of the Urgonian cliffs that cap the plateau (a drop of about 1700 m/5580 ft between the Moucherotte and the Drac).

The broken folds that characterise these slopes create a complex morphology. Limestone banks alternate with marl layers, forming moderate-sized rock steps occupied by several hamlets and the village of Prélenfrey.

The Lavanchon has hollowed out a valley up to the foot of the cliffs, thus creating a blind valley on the edge of the industrial suburbs of Grenoble.

The Piedmont is composed of areas with different configurations. Due to the proximity of Grenoble, most of it has been affected by a very strong process of urbanization which has nevertheless had different results on different sites.

The Seyssinet hills are composed of steep rocky slopes alternating with forests. The rocky slopes have escaped urbanization. Build-up on the other hillsides has disappeared under the vegetation and is thus difficult to see from the valley and from Grenoble.

The situation is different from the ledges/balcons of Claix, Seyssins and Sassenage, which are subject to intense real estate pressure. The Balcon de Claix continues on from the Comboire Rock , which stands as the southern doorway to Grenoble, and has a bocage landscape whose unity, land distribution and network of hedges gives it a genuine landscape quality.

The Saint-Ange Plateau takes the form of an immense clearing on a terrace bounded by rocky bars and surrounded by forest timberlines. The bocage here is very legible, extending around a few very old farms. The limited access makes it an isolated microcosm between the sky and the broad plain. It very much deserves protection, but its open continuities are tending to shrink, calling for vigilance.