Loop in the coualo from Le Revest-les-Eaux

If you like scrambling around the coualo (hill in Provençal) like a goat, unafraid of steep paths or argelas, salsepareilles, fragons and other kermes oaks, then this loop is for you.
Complete immersion in the scrubland and guaranteed solitude.

This trail was created from scratch in the steepest part to reach the quarry road from the dam via the hill.
Don't forget your secateurs to help maintain this trail.

Details

4411337
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 5.09 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 05 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 230 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 230 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 295 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 127 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Large car park at Le Revest (200 spaces).

(S/E) Walk past the Comoni theatre and take the Chemin de la Reboune down to the Chemin de la Foux.

(1) If you want to see the dam up close, turn right and stay close to the lake to reach the dam built in 1913 (holding a million cubic metres of water; under construction until June 2022. Unfortunately, the dam is almost empty). The canyon effect is impressive.
Otherwise, turn left immediately.

(2) Retrace your steps.

(1) Take the Chemin de la Foux northwards. At the end of the path, a turquoise blue arrow indicates to turn right. Follow the concrete spillway to the end. Follow the blue markings to the other bank and continue.

(3) At a fork, go down to the left to see the Ragas, a Vaucluse exsurgence from the Siou-Blanc massif and, deeper down, a spring that feeds the dam and the Las, a coastal river (150 m deep; during floods, the flow can reach 60 m³/second). Retrace your steps.

(3) Follow the turquoise blue trail eastwards, which winds its way between two rock faces in a forest that seems enchanted!

(4) Before the Cierge ravine, a cairn with a turquoise blue stone near a group of seven trees indicates the start of the recently created trail (12/2020) on the left. Follow the blue markings to a fork in the trail.

(5) The blue trail branches off to the left.
If you are tired, there is a quicker way back by turning right onto a forest road and then left onto the tarmac Fieraquet path, then left towards Le Revest.
Otherwise, continue along the path following the blue markings.

(6) Turn left onto theGR®99until you return to the Le Revest car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 190 m - Le Revest car park
  2. 1 : km 0.44 - alt. 131 m - Fork in the road. Return trip to - Barrage de Dardennes
  3. 2 : km 0.75 - alt. 133 m - Dardennes Dam - Las (fleuve)
  4. 3 : km 1.86 - alt. 145 m - Vaucluse spring of the Ragas
  5. 4 : km 2.24 - alt. 189 m - Junction
  6. 5 : km 2.89 - alt. 295 m - Junction
  7. 6 : km 4.29 - alt. 265 m - GR99
  8. S/E : km 5.09 - alt. 190 m - Le Revest car park

Notes

Good physical condition and sturdy footwear are recommended for this route.
This trail was created from scratch on the steepest part of the hill to connect to the Revest quarry road (Chemin de Fieraquet) from the Dardennes reservoir.
It follows rainwater runoff, so do not use it when it is raining.
It is passable on the way up with some effort.
Halfway along the trail, don't hesitate to climb up onto the large boulders (large blue dot). The view is magnificent and invites meditation.
Take this walk in the direction indicated or in the opposite direction if you really feel like a mountain goat.
Bring pruning shears to maintain this trail, otherwise it will disappear, which would be a shame.
Those wearing shorts and vest tops will have a few scratches when they arrive, but that's the price you pay for a wild trail!
The time given by the software (2 hours 5 minutes) is accurate if you don't dawdle.
If you daydream and do a bit of pruning with your secateurs, allow 3 hours.

Worth a visit

Panoramic views of the village of Le Revest, the dam and Mont Caume.

 Always be cautious and plan ahead when you're outdoors. Visorando and the author of this route cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurring on this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

Reviews and comments

4.8 / 5
Based on 16 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.7 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.7 / 5
Route interest
4.9 / 5
john31200
john31200

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 25, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant route as it is not very busy and surrounded by nature: we were wearing long trousers and long sleeves, so no problem. The GPS track clearly showed us the left turn at point 4 (even though the cairn had almost disappeared). The new path after 4 is steep and it is better to go up than down, but with walking sticks and good shoes, there is no major problem. Thank you for creating and maintaining this route.

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Faron
Faron

Confirming previous comments, a pleasant hike with no major difficulties. It is advisable to cover your arms, as already mentioned.

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Paramant
Paramant

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 17, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A well-documented and very varied loop, all in just over two hours.
A challenging climb takes you up to a higher elevation, but it's not very long and well worth the effort.
I enjoyed the pleasant mid-April weather and clear skies, which allowed me to enjoy magnificent views. In the height of summer, precautions should be taken as the hillside section is exposed and faces south.

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mbabi
mbabi

Thank you, thank you @michelvtt13
So I recommend: https://www.visorando.com/randonnee-habi...
which was also created during lockdown

... and it would be great if you could help maintain this trail.
Happy hiking.
mbabi

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michelvtt13
michelvtt13
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 09, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful route, you discover the lake with its picnic areas, signs saying "No Kill carp fishing zone" show that the lake is alive. I only saw one crane at the far end of the lake. The steep climb (make sure you wear good shoes) gives you views of the lake in the foreground and the sea in the distance, which I think is quite rare!
Shorts and short sleeves will give your skin an "invigorating massage". As for maintenance, I'll have the opportunity to do it again with pruning shears...
The directions on the app and the markings along the way are well done. I see that the author has created several routes, which encourages me to try them out. (Well done!)

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Audray
Audray

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 22, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely little hike that takes more like 2½ hours than 2 hours.
I definitely plan to include it in my regular outings!

You absolutely must have a picnic... or drink tea... on the large rocks overlooking the dam, which offer a view of the sea. You can't miss them!

It's a good idea to bring your secateurs for the end of the walk between 5 and 6, thank goodness for the creator

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Belette83
Belette83

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 24, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Being from Revest, I was not familiar with this "new route"...
The route is very well designed with beautiful views and the unique feature of passing over the Ragas resurgence.
From point 5 onwards, we were completely immersed in the Coualo... my 8-year-old daughter, our dog and I loved it.

So yes, there is a goat path... but it's great because we're very used to the green kermes oak and the pesky sarsaparilla.

We'll definitely be doing it again!
Thank you for sharing this

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mbabi
mbabi

It's true that to us, a few cubic metres of water seem like gigantic lakes!
See you soon, friends in the Pyrenees.

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Marie Brd
Marie Brd

Hello,
I am sorry if my message seemed harsh, as I sense some aggression in your reply. That was not my intention; I simply wanted to inform future visitors.
I admit that "under construction" did not necessarily mean "dry lake" to us. I am therefore clarifying this for people who, like us, may not have understood.
We did try our best to maintain the path with the scissors and knives we had. But you'll agree that this is much less effective than pruning shears, despite the time I spent trying So it was clearly not a case of bad faith or "consumption", but thank you for the reminder.
Our Pyrenean mountain souls were simply providing information that I hadn't found in the comments, that's all.
Have a wonderful hike yourselves, and thank you for helping us discover these beautiful hills

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mbabi
mbabi

We are sorry for your disappointment, but:
- you should have read the description, as it stated that work on the dam would continue until 2022... and we are neither the tourist office nor are we paid for creating and/or maintaining the paths.
- stop consuming and expecting "everything to be done for you" because these trails were created and will only remain passable if they are maintained by those who use them.
A little nod to finish, fellow hikers from other regions: these aren't brambles and holly, but sarsaparilla and kermes oak or scorpion broom. And a few scratches are part and parcel of walks in the coualo (hills).
You have been warned: you need to have the spirit of a goat.
Enjoy your hikes.

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Marie Brd
Marie Brd
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 12, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Nice walk, but a few things spoiled our experience a little.
Positive points: not very busy, very well signposted, beautiful views of the hills.
Negatives:
- Huge disappointment when we arrived: the lake was completely dry/empty due to construction work. The sight of the cranes in front of the dam was quite off-putting at first glance... you might want to check in advance to see how the work is progressing.
- As we were just passing through the area, we didn't have any secateurs with us, and a small Swiss Army knife is useless against the very dense vegetation that encroaches on the path, especially between points 5 and 6, which was very unpleasant (we all came out scratched by brambles and holly branches), so here's some advice for those who don't have pruning shears or who aren't passing through after the path has been cleared: turn right at point 5 to get back on the GR as recommended in the description.

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Richard ERPÉ
Richard ERPÉ

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 02, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Well done for this magnificent route, which is very well marked (the cairn with the blue stone had collapsed and we rebuilt it, but the cluster of seven oak trees was still there as a landmark...). Thank you to the creator of this circuit for showing us some magnificent views in our beautiful Provençal hills. Richard De Tourris...

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Micmac62
Micmac62

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 23, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

I too have left my mark on this improvised circuit. It's a lovely discovery. No complaints. Well done on the signposting, which is very helpful, and thank you to mbabi for sharing.

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mbabi
mbabi

Thank you for all these lovely comments!
Yes, the route to follow is indeed in the direction indicated, otherwise it is a little more difficult.
If you enjoyed this hike, I have mapped out four others around Le Revest.
If you go, I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Enjoy your walks.
mbabi from Le Revest

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robertisa
robertisa

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 18, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very varied loop with beautiful scenery.

We really enjoyed this outing and didn't need pruning shears!

Just one tip for future enthusiasts: it's definitely better to do this hike in the direction indicated.
In the opposite direction, there are five or four steep and slippery sections, so it's better to do it uphill (as indicated) than downhill.
The loop is not long, but I would not recommend it with very young children.
Thank you for this route.

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