Roche d'Ajoux, Mountain summit in Poule-les-Écharmeaux, France.

Roche d'Ajoux is a summit of the Beaujolais mountains in the Rhône department, reaching 970 metres, second only to Mont Saint-Rigaud at 1,009 metres. Its top is bare rock and slabs of grey and brown stone with greenish tinges, broken by melting patches of snow, with dark trees just beyond the crest. The view takes in the Azergues valley, the Forez and Madeleine mountains and the Charolais.

The location shows archaeological traces of a Celtic sacred site with a temple dedicated to Jupiter, from which the name originates. The name Roche d'Ajoux derives from ara jovis, the Latin term for Jupiter's altar that once stood at this hilltop.

The name comes from the Latin ara Jovis, the altar of Jupiter, a reminder of a Celtic site where a temple to the god is said to have stood. The GR 7 long-distance footpath passes at the foot of the rock, and the summit lies on the mountain-bike route of the Grande Traversée du Rhône.

The final stretch to the summit is a stony path, so sturdy footwear helps. The GR7 long-distance trail passes at the foot of the roche, and the summit lies on the Grande Traversée du Rhône mountain-bike route. The top is 970 m, just below Mont Saint-Rigaud (1,009 m), about 4 km away.

Two streams rise on the slopes of Roche d'Ajoux: the Propières at about 700 metres and the Azergues at about 650 metres. The Propières is a sub-tributary of the Loire, so water from this Beaujolais summit reaches the Atlantic. The GR 7 long-distance footpath passes at the foot of the rock, and the Grande Traversée du Rhône mountain-bike route crosses the summit.