Route de Vescous and Pierrefeu via the Pas d’Estève

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A lovely walk which I had mistakenly thought would be uninteresting: a small hamlet, impressive views across the whole Esteron valley, from the Bernade ridges above Soleilhas right down to the lower Var. Explore Pierrefeu, with its church nestled between two rocky outcrops.

Details

n°18064264
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 6.05 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 20 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 1,762 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 1,749 ft
  • ▲
    Highest point: 2,762 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 1,339 ft
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Photos

Chapel, hamlet of Vescous
bell tower

Description of the walk

Park in the small car park at Vescous.

(S/E) Walk back 100 metres. At the junction, turn left for a few metres.

(1) Take a small, very steep concrete slope on the left for 25 metres before turning left again towards the west, then north-west, to join the Piera Longa forest track; cross it and continue slightly to the left to take the path on the right, which serves as a shortcut and rejoins the same forest track further up.

Continue along the track lined with olive trees to the right, heading north.

(2) After about 400 m, take the path on the left to join the track (marker 56a)

(3) At marker 56a, turn right; at the small signpost, turn left to follow a wooded path through pine and oak trees, gently sloping down to the valley.

(4) At marker 56b, take the path on the left that leads uphill. Take care before marker 77a: there has been a landslide, but the path continues on the other side of the landslide (10 m).

(5) At marker 77a, keep to the right and follow the ridge along a gently ascending path until you reach the Costa d’Aigla track. Take the descending track on the left.

(6) Ignore the path on the left – which you’ll take later – and carry on straight ahead. After the water tank, turn right to reach the Pinéa plateau.

(7) Turn back.

(6) Take the path on the right, which is a bit steep for the first hundred metres, followed by a lovely path running along the edge of the Pinéa valley. After crossing the valley, the path joins the Uesti track at an old hillside reservoir currently being restored.

(8) At the walking signpost, take the track on the left.
After a few bends, admire the bell tower of Pierrefeu church, nestled between the two rocks.
Continue until you reach a junction.

(9) After taking in the view and perhaps resting on the bench, carry on along the track.

(10) At the next junction, turn left onto the Boscaglion track, then take the Piera Longa track to quickly reach marker 56a.

(3) Return along the same path as on the way out, keeping to the right, to reach Vescous (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 1,339 ft - Car park in the hamlet of Vescous
  2. 1 : mi 0.06 - alt. 1,381 ft - Concrete-paved ascent
  3. 2 : mi 0.57 - alt. 1,703 ft - Junction
  4. 3 : mi 1 - alt. 2,162 ft - Marker 56a, junction of the circular loop
  5. 4 : mi 1.41 - alt. 2,244 ft - Marker 56b
  6. 5 : mi 1.73 - alt. 2,694 ft - Marker 77a
  7. 6 : mi 1.98 - alt. 2,726 ft - Junction
  8. 7 : mi 2.23 - alt. 2,717 ft - Plateau de la Pinéa
  9. 8 : mi 3.25 - alt. 2,103 ft - Former hillside reservoir
  10. 9 : mi 3.83 - alt. 2,188 ft - Bench, viewpoint
  11. 10 : mi 4.27 - alt. 2,228 ft - Crossroads; turn left
  12. S/E : mi 6.05 - alt. 1,339 ft - Car park in the hamlet of Vescous

Notes

No special equipment required apart from good walking shoes. The walk is mainly on the south-facing side; recommended seasons: autumn, winter and spring.

La Capeline, a renowned restaurant serving Niçoise cuisine, at the junction of the D17 and D117.

Worth a visit

(S/E) Notre-Dame des Grâces Chapel.

Views of the Mont Vial range and the Tourette du Château all along the route.

(7) At La Pinéa, magnificent views of the snow-capped Cheiron in winter, with unobstructed views stretching as far as the mountains above Soleilhas in the 04 department, with the village of Sigale in the foreground.

From the Boscaglion track after (10), there is an unobstructed view of Levens, Castagniers and Aspremont.

(S/E) Notre-Dame des Grâces Chapel.

(8) Former hillside reservoir currently being restored.

Pierrefeu Church.

(9) A bench from which you can admire the little village of Pierrefeu.

Reviews and comments

3.5 / 5
Based on 5 reviews
Reliability of the description
3.2 / 5
Ease of following the route
4 / 5
Route interest
3.4 / 5
randonice
randonice

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 06, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

As mentioned earlier, from the car park at the entrance to the hamlet, the starting point of the walk is just behind the stone fountain, which you reach by following the tarmac road for a few metres. Take the small path that climbs up and runs alongside the fence of a property, marked by a sign on the ground. A pleasant, easy walk with some lovely views. The village of Pierrefeu, which you’ll reach in 15 minutes from the track, is a must-see. The paths and tracks you’ll follow are now well-cleared, and the unavoidable tracks on this route do not detract from the enjoyment of the walk.

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alex06510
alex06510

Overall rating : 3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 01, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Very busy route : No

A rather uninteresting walk; the woodland is lovely, but there are too many firebreak tracks, which spoils the walk. The weather was lovely. We had a bit of a faff at the start because there were roadworks and the access road to the village was closed.

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picon philippe
picon philippe
• Edited:

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

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

1) If you leave your car at the entrance to the village of Vescous, the start of the walk is right next to it, near the fountain basin marked ‘not fit for drinking’.
2) When you reach the cistern, the signpost indicating the direction to take “towards the Plateau de la Pinéa” is unclear.
3) Turn back from the cistern and take a rather steep path for 100 metres… The entrance to this path, on the right, is barely visible amongst the vegetation and requires you to be very careful.
4) The fact that a significant part of the route follows wide tracks means that this walk is of ‘average’ interest.

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bebeghislaine
bebeghislaine

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 23, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely, enjoyable walk with beautiful scenery, though the paths aren’t always well-maintained and the route description isn’t very clear.

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gf06
gf06

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 23, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant walk thanks to the scenery – the route description isn’t always very clear – poorly maintained paths

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