Loop in the coualo from Le Revest-les-Eaux

If you enjoy scrambling up the coualo (Provençal for ‘hill’) like a goat, unafraid of steep paths or the argelas, sarsaparillas, fragons and other kermes oaks, then this circular route is for you.
A complete immersion in the maquis and solitude guaranteed.

This path was built from scratch on the steepest section to link the dam to the quarry road via the hill.
Don’t forget your secateurs to help maintain this trail.

Details

4411337
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 3.17 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 05 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 755 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 755 ft

  • ▲
    Highest point: 968 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 417 ft

Photos

Description of the walk

Large car park at Place Jean Moulin (200 spaces).

(Start/Finish) Walk past the Comoni theatre and head down Chemin de la Reboune until you reach Chemin de la Foux.

(1) If you’d like to see the dam up close, turn right and stay as close to the lake as possible to reach the dam, built in 1913 (holding one million cubic metres of water; under construction until June 2022. Unfortunately, the dam is almost empty). The canyon-like effect is impressive.
Otherwise, turn left straight away.

(2) Retrace your steps.

(1) Take the Chemin de la Foux heading north. At the end of the path, a turquoise-blue arrow indicates you should turn right. Follow the concrete spillway to the end. Follow the blue markings to the opposite bank, then carry on.

(3) At a fork, head 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; at flood stage, the flow can reach 60 m³ per second). Retrace your steps.

(3) Head east along the turquoise-blue trail, which winds its way between two rock faces through a forest that seems enchanted!

(4) Before the Cierge ravine, a cairn with a turquoise-blue stone near a cluster of seven trees marks the start of the recently created path (Dec 2020) on the left. Follow the blue markings until you reach a junction.

(5) The blue path heads left.
If you’re feeling tired, there’s a quicker way back: turn right to reach a forest track, then turn left onto the tarmac Fieraquet path and continue 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 : mi 0 - alt. 623 ft - Le Revest car park
  2. 1 : mi 0.27 - alt. 430 ft - Junction. Return to - Barrage de Dardennes
  3. 2 : mi 0.46 - alt. 436 ft - Dardennes Dam - Las (fleuve)
  4. 3 : mi 1.16 - alt. 476 ft - The Vaucluse outcrop of the Ragas
  5. 4 : mi 1.39 - alt. 620 ft - Junction
  6. 5 : mi 1.8 - alt. 968 ft - Junction
  7. 6 : mi 2.66 - alt. 869 ft - GR99
  8. S/E : mi 3.17 - alt. 623 ft - Le Revest car park

Notes

A good level of fitness and suitable footwear are recommended for this route.
This trail was built from scratch on the steepest section to link the Dardennes reservoir to the Revest quarries road (Chemin de Fieraquet) via the hill.
It follows rainwater runoff channels, so do not set off on it if it is raining.
It is passable on the way up, though it requires some effort.
Halfway along the route, do give the large boulders a go (marked with a large blue dot). The view is magnificent and perfect for meditation.
Take this walk in the direction indicated, or the other way round if you really feel like a mountain goat.
Bring a pair of secateurs to help maintain this path; otherwise it will disappear, and that would be a shame.
Those in shorts and a vest top will have a few scrapes by the time they reach the end, but hey, that’s the price you pay for a wild trail!
The time given by the app (2 hours 5 minutes) is about right if you don’t dawdle.
If you daydream a bit and spend some time pruning with the 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 18 reviews

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

It’s great that you brought your secateurs. This footpath will only survive thanks to initiatives like yours.
I’ll add the directions to the car park. Thank you, and happy hiking!
Mbabi

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User 1456004

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 08, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Walk this morning, starting at 7.30 am from Le Revest
Could you please add Place Jean Moulin as the location for the large car park at Le Revest?
It took us 3 hours, but we did have to use the secateurs quite a lot in that section, following the previous comment.
We were very pleased with this walk, which we were doing for the first time.

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mbabi
mbabi

Thank you! You’ve really captured the spirit in which I mapped out this route.
Yes, nothing but fun, with a few drops of blood and sweat
And well done on the three photos.
Happy hiking
Mbabi

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rumax
rumax
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 30, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

I did this walk on 30 June; it’s a route that’s mostly in the shade.
I took it at a leisurely pace in the morning (taking 3½ hours), which meant I avoided the peak heat at 2.00 pm.
Do feel free to take a detour along the lakeside.
At point 4, I didn’t spot the turquoise-blue stone: a recent yellow mark on a tree is the landmark to help you find the path just behind it, which climbs gently upwards (turquoise-blue markings).
For the more experienced, climb up onto the rocks at the hairpin bend about 300 metres before point 5: the view is well worth it.
Armed with a pair of secateurs, I made my own small contribution to maintaining this superb path, though between points 5 and 6 a hedge trimmer would have been far more effective.
However, although I came back with a few scratches, the trail is perfectly passable as it is.
Thanks to the author for this lovely route.

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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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