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Coming from Toulon via the Route du Revest, in the Dardennes district, just after passing the Roma community village (white houses and caravans, visible on the right), turn left towards the dam and then immediately right at the fountain. Pass a pharmacy and continue along Chemin de la Ripelle until you reach a small car park at the end of the street. It is best to park there (angle parking) or along the street (parallel parking).
(S/E) Head east, first following Chemin de la Danillone and then Chemin de la Ripelle which, as its name suggests, follows the Ripelle stream on the left bank.
Turn left onto a metal footbridge (preceded by a small dirt car park) and climb a stairway path towards the Château de la Ripelle. Turn right in front of the château and follow a path that leads straight to the end of the olive tree terraces.
(1) Cut left to join the track that leads to the castle entrance, and in front of it, turn right. Pass in front of an old shed and then climb a path on the left, passing in front of a circular threshing area.
After about 150 metres, take a path on the right, which runs eastwards for a long way, following the walls of the terraces. At the first crossroads, turn left, heading due east, and climb a forest path with rocky sections.
When you reach a crossroads with four paths, leave the path that climbs to the left and take the one opposite that descends towards the bottom of the valley.
(2) At the bottom of the valley, you will find the Ripelle Spring on your left as you climb up. The spring itself is protected by a catchment at the bottom of a groove in the rocks. There was no water at all when we visited.
Head back towards the south-east, first passing along a completely dilapidated basin, then near another catchment visible on the right.
(3) Leave the track that extends the path and take another path on the left that continues through the scrub, then soon into a more open forest. This path runs for a long time, almost in a straight line, towards the east-southeast, and soon crosses less wooded areas, in a terraced environment.
(4) Leave a path that climbs to the left on a terrace and turn right below it. The path, which is not always very well marked, descends overall, crossing several ruined terraces. The low wall of the last of these terraces has five steps. You can either go down these steps or climb down the wall a little further on. The path then descends to the bottom of the valley before climbing back up to a wide path coming from the east.
(5) Take this path on the right. It descends steadily, winds around and then joins the bottom of the Ruisseau de la Ripelle valley.
(6) Cross the stream bed (which is probably dry most of the time) and take the track opposite that runs along the right bank. This easy track soon joins the access track to the Château de la Ripelle, which you follow until you reach the terraced olive grove where you started.
(1) Then retrace your steps to return to Chemin de la Ripelle and the car park where you started (S/E).
Visorando member
Difficult 
Easy 
