Bélize Castle and Crêt de Baronnette Tower

Date of your route : Apr 16, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

It is a shame to see the 'suffering' of the area, with the forest partially devastated..

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From Pélussin, I climbed towards La Croix de Montvieux and then headed towards Col de Pavezin.
Without having seen your description and following the IGN trails marked in PINK.
I was about to describe the hike I did, but while checking to see if it had already been done, I discovered information about Crêt de Quatregrains, which caught my attention.
I was able to walk along the Crêt de Quatregrains to reach Château Bélize, then descend through the beech forest towards the Col de Pavezin road.
On Crêt de Quatregrains, apart from the fact that bushes had been deliberately dumped on the path in places, I didn't see any signs prohibiting passage. This meant that we had to zigzag, but the path was always clearly marked.

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Date of your route : May 29, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

We didn't see anything of Belize Castle. What's more, it was difficult to find the path down through the forest.

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I understand that you are disappointed. This walk, which used to be magnificent, is becoming less and less interesting. That's just the way it is, and we can only regret it.

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Date of your route : Feb 04, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

Four walkers were a little disappointed, even though we were aware of the change in route due to the owner not wanting us to walk across his land (barbed wire). Going around the woods is risky.
We were unable to complete the circular.
The walkers we met, even though they were from the area, were unable to offer us a solution.
It's a real shame

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Thanks for the information. Indeed, parking at Grange-Rouet is no longer an option. I will amend the route and description accordingly.

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Date of your route : Aug 06, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

The car park mentioned in the description is the inn's private car park. Since the route has been changed to avoid a road that has become private and the municipal road was closed by order of the town council in 2017, there is no point in parking in the hamlet. It is better to park along the access road just at the start of the climb. There is space near the park sign at point 1 on the map.

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I had to change the route following comments made in June. After checking with the Pilat Regional Nature Park, it appears that the new owner of the land does not agree to hikers crossing his property, as was the case in the past with the previous owner. If you follow the route described, you should not have any problems. Please note, however, that between the start and point 1, there may be local detours in place, which will be signposted. You can avoid these inconveniences by taking the road to point 1, but this is obviously less pleasant, even though it is very quiet.

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Hello,
Have the access difficulties reported in June 2020 been resolved?
The two hikers in July did not report any problems.
I am interested in this walk.
Thank you

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Date of your route : Jul 26, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

very beautiful forests, mostly shaded, which is very welcome in this heat. Beautiful views

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Date of your route : Jul 14, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful walk with stunning 180-degree views. Please note that there have been some changes to the terrain due to tree felling and the enclosure of fields, which have led to the closure of some of the surrounding hiking trails. It is essential to follow the route described carefully, particularly before reaching the "Château de Belize" point.
Thank you for this route!

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This situation is completely abnormal. It is a hiking trail that should allow pedestrians free passage. I have notified the Pilat Regional Nature Park via the contact form on its website, and I invite all hikers to do the same. The more of us who report the problem, the more likely it is to be solved.
Otherwise, the other option is to return by road to point 756 and then climb directly to Bélize, to make a round trip to Crêt de Quatregrains. But this means walking along the road and the climb is much steeper. For the time being, this is the only solution.

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Date of your route : Jun 01, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : Yes

As mentioned above, a gate closed from point 1 (which is not the pass but just before the pass) means you have to take a different route, adding:

• an extra 20 minutes ON THE ROAD
• you no longer pass close to the ruins and I think you lose the view

In short, the walk is partly spoiled, even if there are some pleasant parts

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Date of your route : May 16, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Please note that at landmark 1, where there is supposed to be a hairpin bend, there are two barriers and a private property sign. As a result, we had to climb higher and take the road around to reach landmark 3. This meant we didn't get to see the ruins.
It would be good to update
. Otherwise, it was a very nice hike and easy to access

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Date of your route : Sep 08, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

One of the best hikes in the area with incredible views and magnificent woodland...

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