The Ferres circular

Date of your route : May 29, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

Quite a complicated route overall.
From the start, you descend for nearly an hour through the forest; not very interesting.
Then you arrive at the banks of the Esteron, where the path along the river is nice, dotted with ancient ruins.
Then it gets complicated between markers 3 and 4. I wasted time looking for the trail, which was very complicated. What's more, in some places there were holes hidden by the vegetation, so you really have to watch where you put your feet.
I wasted a lot of energy finding my way and I hadn't even started the climb yet.
Finally back on the right track, we tackle the climb to Bouyon.
This was the most interesting part of the route.
It was very hot, so we stopped for a drink in the village square.
Then the climb resumed to point 15 (see a little further) before descending to Les Ferres.
I cut across to reach point 18.

Despite everything, I covered more than 18 km and took a little over 6½ hours.
I was a little disappointed with this hike.

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Date of your route : Nov 18, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

The first part of the hike is not very interesting. An hour's descent through the woods between markers 1 and 2. Then, following the closure of the trail in 2018 between markers 2 and 101, the trail has become very faint, even invisible (especially in autumn). However, it is important not to lose the trail as there are a few rocky outcrops to cross (Vallon des Roubines). The map is not sufficient and a GPS is very useful. However, there is a beautiful atmosphere near the river.
The adventurous route ends abruptly at marker 101. The climb from the Esteron is quite long (1,000 m). The most beautiful part of the route is towards the end, with the trail above Bouyon and the descent to Les Ferres.
The entire route (except for the detour to the mill) took 6 hours and 45 minutes, including the initial route problems and short breaks.
The route is estimated by the app to be 19 km long with a 1,250 m elevation gain.

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Date of your route : Feb 16, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A very beautiful hike completed in its entirety (including the three recommended round trips to see some interesting sites: the mill, the Cerise bridge and the Estéron gorge) in about 6½ hours (including breaks) on Sunday 16 February 2020. The section of the trail linking Les Ferres to the Cerise bridge along the Estéron is theoretically closed to the public by municipal decree following the spectacular landslide on part of Mont Saint-Michel in March 2018, but it is possible to pass through without any problems (the landslide in question took place a few hundred metres higher up, but as the blocks that fell weighed between several hundred kilos and several tonnes, some of them rolled down into the Estéron, which gives this section a rather surprising appearance). The section between marker 103 and Bouyon is less interesting than the rest, but the path through the mountains separating Bouyon and Les Ferres offers a very beautiful finale. If you have never been to the Estéron Gorges, I find that the circular starting from Gilette (via the Pont de la Cerise and the Clue hill, with a possible but not necessary detour via Bouyon) is more beautiful, but this hike starting from Les Ferres is very pleasant and allows you to revisit the area in an original way.

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namely that I had given 6.5 hours and that the software gives the hike as 9 hours

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Date of your route : Jan 22, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average

There are significant differences in parameters (length, duration and elevation) compared to the data in this guide. I have just returned, and apart from the descents and ascents, which in my opinion unnecessarily add to the length and elevation: A+R from the route to the Cerise bridge (marker 101) + the descent to the Estéron (marker 103) which I did not do, with my Suunto Ambit GPS I only find 17.7 km (corrected) for 984m of elevation gain (!?). The section that looks easiest on the map (markers 118 to 101) turns out to be quite exhausting and gruelling: very long with endless ups and downs. The most beautiful part is undoubtedly the passage above the Pont de la Cerise bridge, which, along with the Grand Canyon du Verdon, is one of the most beautiful in the region. Another very beautiful part is above Bouyon, after the climb up to the villas overlooking the village, to the highest point of the route before descending towards Les Ferres. In terms of difficulty, I would rate it as Medium++ (including the long stretch through the Grande Auzière forest above the Estéron, up to marker 102). A beautiful hike overall, feasible without great difficulty with regular training (hike completed in 5 hours 45 minutes with all photo stops, refreshment breaks and snacks).

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