La Valouine

Date of your route : Jul 08, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very pleasant route with beautiful climbs

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Date of your route : Aug 14, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hike with lots of elevation changes and false flats. Completed in 4 hours and 38 minutes. Quite a physically demanding hike, so you need to be well equipped. Not many roads.
Point 2: the start of the Dimont wood section is through wasteland. The paths are then rutted by forestry machinery and extremely muddy. Alternative routes are difficult to find.
Point 8: The path along the edge of the woods and fields is very uneven. Progress is difficult: huge ruts, very low tree branches, brambles, etc.
This hike takes you along some little-used and poorly maintained paths: tall grass, brambles, etc.
However, despite the lack of maintenance, this hike remains varied and generally enjoyable.
Best done when the weather and ground have been dry for several days.

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Date of your route : Sep 13, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful, varied hike with stunning views over the Béthune valley.
We did it in the opposite direction so as not to end up on the road.
The section that runs alongside the Laie Madame woods is a little overgrown with brambles and vegetation.
The Château de la Valouine is surprising and well worth a detour.
In the Dimont woods, we heard a deer, but we didn't manage to see it.

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Date of your route : Nov 05, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Very pleasant hike with no tarmac, brilliant!

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Date of your route : Mar 26, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Superb hike. A good climb at the start, with views of the village where we started. Lots of forest. We saw about twenty deer pass in front of us, magnificent. Lots of traces of wild animals.
Difficult to find the right path just before reaching the farm. Some of the markings are starting to fade. We went as far as the farm, then turned back and took a path, which I don't think was the right one, but better in my opinion.
Lots of hunters' shelters. Probably best not to do this during hunting season.
On the way back, there was a superb view as we descended the valley. However, there was a bit of road with cars towards the end. The only downside, because it was a really beautiful hike, which I had already done three years ago. Oh yes, and on this road we breathed in the chemicals from a farmer working in his field. What a shame.
The forest is superb. Definitely worth doing. Thank you, Visorando.

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Date of your route : Apr 25, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A superb walk without any major difficulties through woods covered with wild hyacinths.

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Date of your route : Jan 10, 2016
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A very pleasant hike despite muddy paths and some tricky descents. But then again, it is January!
I would just like to mention two points, which are the only negative aspects in my opinion.
I regret that the picnic table shown on the IGN map near the Laie Madame forest house has disappeared.
I agree with nicomaud: after the Cheminées path, the path that goes up into the woods quickly disappears into the brambles and you have to turn 90° to the left... to find yourself on private land and... face to face with a hunter who was in fact the owner of the property.
Apart from that, I would gladly do this hike again in the spring.

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Date of your route : Sep 27, 2015
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A really nice walk
Ideal for dogs as they can be off the leash almost the whole time.
In some places, the signposting is poor, but if you look carefully at the map, you can find your way.
Once you reach Chemin des Cheminées, the path through the woods is very poorly maintained.
It's more than 15 km. We found it to be 17 km without going to the Valouine farm.
We will do it again in the spring.

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Date of your route : Dec 04, 2013
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

I only followed part of the route, starting from Ricarville-du-Val and joining it in Bois Dimont.
The Valouine farm is a real gem, and the manager (?) allowed me to tour the buildings.

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