Hauteurs du Revermont between Signal de Nivigne and Mont Myon

Update by the author on 08/10/2024:
- Minor corrections to the route
- Addition of signpost (11)
- Repositioning of signposts (6) and (10)
- Text updated on signposts (2), (3), (6), (10) and (13)
- Expanded the ‘Practical Information’ section

The route starts from the car park at Pouillat Town Hall, right in the heart of the village.

(S/E) About 50 m past the town hall, turn left down a path under a house (Chemin du Lavoir) towards Nivigne and the Grotte à l’Ours: continue along a good, carriageable track which soon enters the forest.
(1) At a clearly marked fork, continue to the right along a forest track.

(2) Just after a^second hairpin bend, take the path on the left, following the white and green markings.
A little further up, you’ll join a forest track: carry on straight ahead.

(3) About 300 m further on, take a path on the right towards the Signal de Nivigre.

(4) A little further on, you’ll reach the Signal de Nivigne, marked by a small brick structure (a former geodetic marker). Enjoy the lovely view to the west. Continue along the path running at a constant altitude along the ridge (caution: there is a cliff partially obscured by vegetation).

(5) Not far on, you’ll come to a fork in the path leading to the route’s main challenge: take the right-hand path down a fairly steep section to reach the Grotte de l’Ours, which is only about ten metres away (it’s visible on the right). Continue down a fairly steep and slippery path, with a rope running alongside it the whole way (this section is even trickier in wet conditions).

(6) Further down, you’ll reach a large meadow: at a rock, carry on straight ahead towards the Chapelle de Montfort.

(7) At a fork in the path, join the^GR®® 59 coming from the Col de la Justice. Carry on straight ahead, then immediately turn left towards the Montfort Chapel. At another fork^, carry on straight ahead, leaving the GR®® trail^.

(8) About 200 m further on, you’ll reach the 14th-century Montfort Chapel. Retrace your steps to the junction with^{the GR®®} and continue to the left towards Mont Myon.

(9) After a short while, you’ll come to a forest track: turn left and head downhill.
About 400 m further on, take the correct track to the right, which is suitable for vehicles and leads uphill (marked with red and white^{GR®® signs}).

(10) Just before a bend in the track, look out for the start of a small path on the right, marked by a rope: after a short steep section, the path continues up a steep but not excessively steep slope.

(11) A little further up, take the path on the left to join the track (^GR®® 95) at a bend. Continue to the right, heading uphill, with a clear view over the plain. About 600 m further on, just past a paragliding launch site, turn right towards Mont Myon, leaving the GR®® trail^.

.(12) Once you reach the shelter (Camille Gouilloux refuge), an orientation table in an open area is just a few metres to the left (the highest point is not far to the south).
Retrace your steps: at the junction with^{the GR®®}, continue straight on along the wide path for about 900 m.

.(13) At the^first fork you come to, leave the^{GR®® trail.} Turn right, then right again a few metres further on (no signposts) to continue along a good, unmarked path.
Shortly after passing through a fence, the route follows along the right-hand side of the fence with a slight incline.

Near the Bourdettes spring, the route becomes somewhat difficult to follow for a short stretch, and you should continue at roughly the same altitude.

(14) You’ll come to a fork. Turn left towards Dancia and Pouillat (white and green markings). After a steep descent to a small meadow, join a clearly visible path further down.

(15) After reaching a small road, continue straight on towards the hamlet of Dancia, which you should pass through: at a crossroads, take the wide central path leading downhill.

(16) About 1 km further on, you’ll come to a small road. Follow this to the right and return to the starting point, making sure not to miss the beautiful chapel at the entrance to the village (S/E).

Good walking boots and walking poles are recommended.

Nature doesn’t cope very well with your rubbish. Take it home with you!

The quality of the route is good to fair throughout.
During 2024, numerous signposts were installed in the surrounding area.
However, a few inconsistencies have been noted regarding walking times. Examples:
- From point (2), the Signal de Nivigne is listed as a 1 hour 5 minute walk, but in my opinion this time can be halved at the very least
- Conversely, from point (5), the Col en Giriat is stated as a 5-minute walk, whereas in my opinion it would take at least 10 to 15 minutes (especially on slippery ground)

Below is a difficulty scale by section (a route is not uniform):
- Green: a fairly straightforward route with no significant elevation changes or difficulties.
- Blue: slopes and/or elevation changes are more pronounced on a well-signposted route.
- Orange: routes presenting some technical difficulties and/or poor route conditions (markings or visibility of the path).

From (S/E) to (2) Blue difficulty
The route is easy to follow on a good path with a generally moderate gradient.
Regular yellow and green markings with a few signposts (towards Nivigne).

From (2) to (3) Blue Difficulty
The route follows a good path on a slightly steeper gradient (but not excessively so), before continuing easily along a wide track.
Yellow and green markings are consistently present throughout.

From (3) to (5) Green difficulty
The route follows a good path that is fairly gentle.
Follow the clearly visible yellow and green markings.

From (5) to (6) Orange difficulty
The descent after the Grotte de l’Ours is quite steep and slippery, requiring caution (and even more so in wet conditions); the presence of a rope running almost the entire length is very helpful. In my opinion, this route could be marked with dots on the IGN map.
Follow the yellow, white and green markings.

From (6) to (9) Blue difficulty
Good paths are followed throughout.
Finding your way is not a problem thanks to the regular presence of various markings (Yellow and Green, Yellow, and White-Red^GR®®) and signposts.

From (9) to (10) Green difficulty
The route is straightforward, following wide paths.
White-red^GR®® markings

From (10) to (11) Orange difficulty
The route follows a path with steady but not excessive gradients to join the GR®® route higher up^. Only the first few metres are steep (with the aid of a rope); the rest of the ascent is along sustained, continuous slopes. In my view, the route marking with IGN waypoints does not seem justified (unlike the one seen after the Grotte à l’Ours).
Signposts but no trail markings (though there are no problems with finding your way)

From (11) to (13) Green difficulty
Once you reach the track, the rest of the route is fairly easy.
White-red GR®® markings^.

From (13) to (14) Green difficulty
On an unmarked section, the path is fairly well-maintained at the start.
After passing through a gap in the fence, you should follow a well-defined path running alongside a fence.
Near the Bourdettes spring, the path becomes moderately passable and you should proceed without losing significant altitude.
Signposts but no markings.

From (14) to (15) Blue difficulty
Whilst the start of the route is almost entirely off-trail (follow the yellow and green markings), including a short, slightly steep descent through a small meadow, it then continues along a well-marked path and a small road to reach the hamlet of Dancia.
No markings.
From (15) to (S/E) Green difficulty
The route along small roads (mostly tarmac) presents no difficulties. At most, it is worth noting that there are few markings or signposts.
Yellow-red^GR®® de Pays markings from Dancia onwards + signposts.

Le Signal de Nivigne: a summit marked by a geodetic benchmark, it is the highest point in the Revermont (768 m). To find out more, read the article here.

Mont Myon: this 662-metre-high peak is situated within a designated nature reserve: to find out more, read here and here.

Notre-Dame de Monfort Chapel: built at an unknown date (estimated to be between the 12th and 14th centuries), it appears to have been closely linked to Montfort Castle (ruins of which can be seen nearby).
The building was restored in 2009. To find out more, read the article here.

Saint-Jean-Baptiste Chapel – Pouillat: to find out more, read here.