Molettes to Pleurey circular loop

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An easy walk, mostly on a path. The hike can be done on foot or by bike. You can start much lower down in Revel, either from the village or from an intermediate point.

Details

n°8510177
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 3.36 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 10 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 705 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 705 ft
  • ▲
    Highest point: 3,842 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 3,133 ft
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Description of the walk

Parking at the hamlet of Les Molettes.

(S/E) Take the road leading up to the Molettes water tower.

(1) Continue straight on into the forest and climb up to the Freydière road.

(2) Cross with care and continue along the path opposite, which loops back and eventually leads onto a new road (Chemin des Granges) leading to the centre of Freydière. Turn right and you’ll reach a three-way junction. Do not take the road leading to Le Crozet, but take the forest track on the right after the car park and toilets. Continue to the forest gate.

(3) Turn right and enjoy this lovely path winding through the fir trees. Make sure to keep heading in the same direction, ignoring the offshoots on either side, until you gradually reach the Freydière clearing on your left: a vast, very pleasant clearing for a picnic but very busy in summer.
Walk along the edge of this clearing to continue your hike and rejoin the forest track you left earlier.

(4) Follow it to the right. Pass the little Pleurey chalet, where you can grab a bite to eat and have a drink, and carry on for about fifty metres.

(5) Take a small path that descends to the right, quickly takes a sharp right-hand bend and heads north again. About 200 m further on, a small stream blocks the path: cross it and continue on your way.

(6) Go straight on at the junction and head for the Molettes bend, where your vehicle is waiting (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 3,136 ft - Small parking area at Les Molettes
  2. 1 : mi 0.21 - alt. 3,238 ft - Les Molettes Water Tower
  3. 2 : mi 0.64 - alt. 3,451 ft - Freydière Road
  4. 3 : mi 1.36 - alt. 3,740 ft - Forest barrier
  5. 4 : mi 2.07 - alt. 3,825 ft - Return to the forest road
  6. 5 : mi 2.28 - alt. 3,835 ft - Path on the right
  7. 6 : mi 2.73 - alt. 3,497 ft - Crossroads
  8. S/E : mi 3.36 - alt. 3,136 ft - Small parking area at Les Molettes

Notes

Just after the Molettes water tower (1), a few metres after entering the forest, there is a small drinking trough.

Freydière: there are two restaurants to choose from: Le Chalet de Freydière or La Gélinotte. You can make the most of this short stop to admire Lake Freydière and perhaps enjoy a little picnic.

Food is available at the Chalet du Pleurey just before the (5).

After the (5), the path is flooded. You cross a small stream which, depending on the season, may be more or less substantial. Suitable footwear is essential, otherwise your feet will get soaked and, depending on the season, this may be more or less pleasant.

(Don’t worry, if you continue along this route you will reach point (4) directly) from (3).

Worth a visit

Lake Freydière: you can walk all the way round it; it’s lovely.

Reviews and comments

4.6 / 5
Based on 5 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.8 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.6 / 5
Route interest
4.4 / 5
Bram
Bram

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 11, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Walk completed on 10 November. A very pleasant route, with a steady climb through the woods but no real difficulty, leading to the small lake at Freydieres, where there are plenty of picnic facilities. We found the app’s GPS tracking very useful, as there are indeed several paths… which you shouldn’t take if you want to continue along the route. The route isn’t busy at this time of year in November; the light filtering through the fir trees is magnificent. At one point along the route, a fellow hiker had posted a warning about fallen branches blocking the path – thanks to him; it’s a great idea to have this notification feature.

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Oymontagne
Oymontagne

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 19, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A great walk, fairly easy and suitable for everyone. There’s a short climb that might be a bit tricky for young children and older people, but it’s not too long. It’s a lovely circular walk and you can stop for a bite to eat by the lake. Best done in the morning or mid-morning. Personally, it took us 2 hours (including a 30-minute break for a bite to eat) at a leisurely pace. It’s lovely – well worth doing if you’re looking for a simple, invigorating walk.

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jluca
jluca

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 18, 2023
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely circular path. Perfect for getting some fresh air, in particular.
Thanks for this route.

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Danlauyoga
Danlauyoga

Hello, I’m glad you enjoyed the hike.
Unfortunately, the Chalet du Pleurey no longer serves food. I’ll update the description.

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ServCom
ServCom
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 19, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A really lovely, varied route with some fantastic views. Lake Freydière is a great spot for a picnic or a meal at the chalet.
In February, we didn’t see the second chalet mentioned where you can eat (the little chalet at Le Pleurey) and there were quite a few sections that were still snow-covered and slippery.
We got a bit lost before reaching Freydière, and when leaving, there are many paths and the directions are difficult to explain clearly.

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Hibiscussafi
Hibiscussafi

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 19, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

We had a bit of a dilemma at one point on the hike, depending on which way the signs were pointing,
So we had to feel our way a bit!
The rock slabs mentioned do indeed exist, but they’re perfectly passable.

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