Carpe and mammoths on the Pasques plateau

Discover several major attractions – Combe aux Mammouths, Saut à la Carpe and Creux Percé – from the village of Pasques. Not too much elevation gain and long stretches through the forest to shelter from the sun or wind.

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 15.31 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 55 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 181 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 188 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 581 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 466 m
  • ⚐ Country: France
  • ⚐ District: Pasques (21370)
  • ⚑
    Start/End: N 47.363793° / E 4.85714°
  • ❏
    IGN map(s): Ref. 3022ET
  • Hour-by-hour weather

Description of the walk

Easy parking at the Lévêque car park at the Pasques cemetery.

(S/E) Walk up the embankment to find a path behind the gate that climbs to the right. Follow it between walls and thickets until you reach the plateau, onto a wide white path marked in yellow: the Bouton d’Or and Five Valleys route.

(1) Turn right and walk straight on until you reach a gate. About a hundred metres past this, turn left onto a dirt track. Follow it downhill, turning slightly to the right, until you reach the end of the Combe d’Arvaux, where you can admire the view of the rocks and cliffs on both sides of the valley. This is the Mammoths site.

(2) Take a good dirt track to the right into the woods, heading south-west, to rejoin the main Yellow Trail. Cross over and take a good track opposite; stay on this track, ignoring all junctions and keeping a north-westerly direction. A good climb through the forest followed by a gentle descent to the bottom of the Combe du Petit Charme, where you emerge onto a small clearing at the junction of forest tracks.

(3) Head up to the right along the forest road, ignoring the small dirt track. Continue up to the two successive high-voltage power lines, then emerge further up at a fork.

(4) Leave the forest road and take the small, dirt and stony path on the right. Follow it as it crosses the Lamien woods. Continue down to the end of a path that leads to the foot of the Puiset farm.

(5) Turn left at the end of the farm’s meadow, then, in the woods, take a faint path on the right. Follow it through the woods and, at the end, where it emerges into a meadow, take another faint track on the right. This leads to the foot of some trees, which you cross to emerge, 5 or 10 metres higher up, onto the access road to the Puiset farm.

(6) Take the road on the left to rejoin the D10 a little further on.

(7) Cross it carefully to reach the forest track opposite, walk for about 100 m then take the path on the right. You’re now set for a 2,650 m straight stretch through the forest, on a good, wide and fairly flat dirt track. At the end, you’ll come out at a multi-way junction onto a large logging clearing that’s also fairly flat.

(8) Take a good path opposite which goes round the end of the Combe de Vaux de Roche. After about 100 m, turn right onto a good track, made of earth with a few stones. Follow it to the first junction, turn right, then 50 m further on, take a path running perpendicular to the right. Walk for about a hundred metres and find a small path on the left.

(9) After 10 metres, you’ll find yourself overlooking the magnificent Saut à la Carpe viewpoint, offering an exceptional view of the cliffs on both sides. It’s not signposted at all and the drop-off is impressive, so take care with children! Head back up to the starting path and follow it to the left. This path winds around the valleys of the area, with sections going up and down. Follow it until you reach the junction with a path marked in yellow.

(10) Take the path through the woods on the right, which has a few signposts, and leave it at the end of the straight stretch to head for the Abîme du Creux Percé: a huge karstic cave on the plateau, over 60 metres deep. Its perimeter is protected by a barrier, with access possible from the opposite side: the walls are very steep and you must not attempt to climb down; extreme caution is also required with children!

(11) Return to the Yellow trail after your visit; it turns at a right angle and a barrier prevents vehicle access. Continue through the forest until you reach a large junction.

(12) Take the track on the left to return to the village of Pasques, following the yellow markings.

(13) Turn right to follow Rue de l'Abreuvoir and head towards the wash house. Join the RD10, which you will cross to return to the car park (S/E)

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 516 m - Car park at the Pasques cemetery
  2. 1 : km 0.57 - alt. 539 m - Junction with the white path
  3. 2 : km 2.11 - alt. 517 m - Balcony - Combe-aux-Mammouths (Lantenay)
  4. 3 : km 4.79 - alt. 523 m - Crossroads of forest tracks
  5. 4 : km 5.25 - alt. 540 m - Path on the right
  6. 5 : km 6.53 - alt. 553 m - Crossroads at the bottom of the Puiset farm
  7. 6 : km 7.08 - alt. 570 m - Junction with the access road to Le Puiset
  8. 7 : km 7.59 - alt. 576 m - RD10
  9. 8 : km 10.32 - alt. 497 m - Clearing
  10. 9 : km 11.06 - alt. 480 m - Saut à la Carpe
  11. 10 : km 12.02 - alt. 466 m - Junction with the Yellow Trail
  12. 11 : km 12.65 - alt. 480 m - Abîme du Creux Percé
  13. 12 : km 13.21 - alt. 493 m - Creux Percé Valley
  14. 13 : km 14.84 - alt. 510 m - Pasques, Rue de l'Abreuvoir
  15. S/E : km 15.31 - alt. 515 m - Car park at the Pasques cemetery

Notes

Easy parking at the Pasques cemetery, and a water point.

The views of the Saut à la Carpe and the Creux Percé are impressive: be careful not to get too close, especially with children

Worth a visit

The Mammoth Valley on Lantenay, the grand avenue of the Pasques Forest, the Saut à la Carpe viewpoint and the Creux Percé de Pasques!

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