The Bois Noir ridge from the Cime de Raton

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A beautiful hike that will allow you to discover a lovely forest and a superb 360° panorama from the Cime de Raton. The ridge line that follows offers a succession of sweeping views with picture-postcard scenery. The route is not very busy.

Details

n°37451121
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 12.91 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 5h 40 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Difficult
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 704 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 713 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 2,064 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 1,475 m
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Photos

on the ridge
Crête du Bois Noir
End of the trail
Final metres of the Crête du Bois Noir trail

Description of the walk

Park in the car park at the Éguilles chairlift in Valberg.

(S/E) Follow the path northwards towards Valberg and you will soon reach marker 16. Turn left and begin the climb to reach the Col des Atres at marker 14.

(1) Turn left onto the track, which quickly becomes a path running down the centre of a ski slope. Continue on to reach the left bank of the Ruisseau du Vallon de Pinguiller.

(2) Continue on to reach a ski run at marker 22.

(3) Take it to the left, then quickly leave it to the right, before a winter sports facility, to follow the edge of the woods. Follow a circular loop to reach the Col des Anguillers and the lake of the same name at marker 24.

(4) Go round the lake, follow the track towards the Cime du Raton and reach a crossroads of paths.

(5) Take the left-hand path and continue the climb up a grassy slope. Cross the track and then reach the Adrech de Forche antennas.

(6) Go round the antennas. Then continue in the same direction along the track and reach the Cime du Faux Raton.

(7) Pass beneath the Cime du Faux Raton and continue along this track to reach the Cime du Raton.

(8) Descend a few metres to reach the start of the Crête du Bois Noir.

(9) Take care from here: follow the ridge line as closely as possible where a path is present, whilst remaining cautious. The rocky outcrops of the Illion are strangely shaped. Reach the end of this ridge at a large 4 x 4 m boulder blocking the path.

(10) Turn left. Head left into the woods, which descend steeply but along a very good path.
You will come to an old, overgrown track that has fallen into disrepair, littered with stones and branches. At this point, turn left and follow this descending track. You will then reach the forest track known as the Route du Bois Noir.

(11) Take it to the left. Follow this pleasant track through a forest of fir and spruce trees, cross the Ruisseau du Vallon de Cabane Vieille and pass the Margoulins chalets to reach the junction at marker 19 further down.

(12) Continue straight on towards Les Launes and, at marker 18, reach the Ruisseau du Vallon de Challandre.

(13) Follow the left bank of the stream along the track to return to the car park at the Éguilles chairlift (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 1,505 m - Car park at the Éguilles chairlift
  2. 1 : km 1.7 - alt. 1,672 m - Marker 14 - Col des Atres (1670m)
  3. 2 : km 2.78 - alt. 1,776 m - Pinguiller Valley
  4. 3 : km 3.01 - alt. 1,818 m - Marker 22
  5. 4 : km 3.81 - alt. 1,862 m - Marker 24 - Lac des Anguillers
  6. 5 : km 4.33 - alt. 1,881 m - Start of the trail
  7. 6 : km 4.89 - alt. 2,006 m - Adrech de Forch antennas
  8. 7 : km 5.55 - alt. 2,011 m - Cime du Faux Raton (2024m)
  9. 8 : km 6.52 - alt. 2,061 m - Cime de Raton (2066m)
  10. 9 : km 6.85 - alt. 2,013 m - Ridge line
  11. 10 : km 8 - alt. 1,931 m - End of the ridge line
  12. 11 : km 9.1 - alt. 1,610 m - Crossroads of trails
  13. 12 : km 10.67 - alt. 1,571 m - Marker 19
  14. 13 : km 12.1 - alt. 1,475 m - Marker 18
  15. S/E : km 12.91 - alt. 1,504 m - Car park at the Éguilles chairlift

Notes

Hike available from May to October depending on snow conditions.
A GPS or the Visorando app is useful. The mobile app will be a great asset.
Hiking boots and walking poles recommended. Stony terrain.
The area is used for grazing and farming. Please exercise caution and behave appropriately to avoid any incidents and do not trample on hayfields.

Worth a visit

Between (3) and (4), the path on the right forms part of the Valberg Planetary Trail, a pleasant and informative route featuring stops on the theme of astronomy.
(8) Cime du Raton: an exceptional 360° view allows you to see numerous peaks and the start of the Crête du Bois Noir.
Between (10) and (11) The Bois Noir forest you are crossing lies at the heart of the Natura 2000 site, one of whose objectives is to promote the ageing of forests, a prime habitat for many endangered species

Reviews and comments

4.2 / 5
Based on 6 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.2 / 5
Ease of following the route
3.5 / 5
Route interest
4.8 / 5
bernard bb
bernard bb

Thank you, Nico, for this constructive feedback
Best regards, B.

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Nico0758
Nico0758

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 03, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Thank you for the route, we enjoyed this hike.
The climb up to Le Raton is average due to the excessive presence of ski runs, snow cannons and antennas, which detract too much from the mountain's natural beauty.
However, the second part along the ridge is magnificent, with sublime 360° views... a real treat.
The descent through this beautiful forest is quite feasible with the help of Visorando.

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bernard bb
bernard bb

Thanks, Fred, for your review
It’s true that this ridge is very interesting,
and that the return leg is a completely different story

Best regards, B.

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Frédéric Fred
Frédéric Fred

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 09, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely hike up to the summit of Le Raton, where we were lucky enough to watch the vultures in flight. The route is very well signposted all the way to the end of the ridge. It’s true that the descent route is less clearly marked, with animal tracks and hikers’ paths criss-crossing. After descending straight down for about fifty metres, if you keep to the right whilst keeping the ridge line in sight, you’ll easily find the tracks marked on the route. An easy descent through the woods, with soft ground and no scree.
Beautiful views from the ridges over the Cians valley and the Raton gorge. For those familiar with the FFR grading system: Ibp 88 E4/R3/T3.

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bernard bb
bernard bb

Thanks, Antoine, for this review
The ending isn’t obvious, but as mentioned, the first part is really enjoyable
Best wishes, B.

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Marlou du Jura
Marlou du Jura

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 29, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Hello everyone
A nice little hike to start with, through the ski runs and woods, leading to a magnificent ridge line at point 10.
That’s where things get tricky: there’s actually NO visible path from point 10 onwards, so you have to make your own way through the woods down a steep slope for quite a while! Frankly, it’s quite dangerous and very exhausting!
I’d advise turning back instead. But the rest of the hike is brilliant!

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Nathjm
Nathjm

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 07, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A hike undertaken in early November. Quite a challenging walk, offering a variety of stunning 360° views of the surrounding peaks.

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bernard bb
bernard bb

Thank you, Roby06, for your constructive feedback
Best regards, b.

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Roby06
Roby06

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 31, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hello,
I gave it 3 stars for how easy the route is to follow for those without a satnav.
It’s true that after point 10 it’s hard to find a path; I hit my head on a low branch
on the way down (just a small scratch but it bled quite a lot; luckily I always carry a first-aid kit with me when I’m out hiking, and it came in very handy. In fact, I strongly advise fellow hikers to keep one in their rucksack).
Apart from that, this hike is nevertheless very enjoyable.

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bernard bb
bernard bb

Hello Lantoine, thank you for your constructive feedback. If you enjoyed this hike, that’s what matters most
Best wishes, Rando B.

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L'Antoine
L'Antoine

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 17, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hello,
A lovely hike, but older people without a GPS will struggle towards the end. From the summit of Le Raton to point No. 10 (the 4x4 rock), there are no cairns, but with a map it’s doable (allow 40 minutes’ walking time). The trouble starts after that, as there is no “very good path” as indicated. At best, it’s a narrow track that quickly disappears. So we went straight down until we found the first track, then the second at point 11. It’s a shame; it spoils the end of the hike.
LANTOINE

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