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From La Chapelle-en-Valgaudemar, take the road towards the Accro-branche site, continue on and reach the hamlet of Les Portes. Cross the hamlet and reach the Fouronnière car park located 1.5 km away.
(S/E) Head to the left of the car park to find a bridge over the Tempier torrent. Cross the torrent and leave the path on the left to continue on the right towards "Le Chapeau".
(1) Just before the second bridge, turn left, still heading towards Le Chapeau. Immediately, the climb through the forest will put your calves to the test!
After numerous hairpin bends, the forest becomes sparser and the path continues through the mountain pastures. As you climb, enjoy the views of the waterfall on your right whenever possible.
Continue climbing until you reach a small pass offering a new panorama of the Valgaudemar valley.
(2) Turn right north-east then east to continue the climb along the ridges with some tricky but not too steep sections.
(3) When you reach a narrow ridge, cross it carefully and continue climbing, this time on a slightly steeper slope. When the trail reaches a grassy area, turn right towards the south to reach the summit of Chapeau. Enjoy the 360° view.
(4) Descend towards the Cabane des Pales below until you reach a sign. Leave the path on the left that descends to Rif du Sap and take the one on the right that leads to the Cabane des Pales (slightly off the map).
In the mountain pastures, the path sometimes disappears into the grass, so you need to be careful. In any case, you need to descend towards the hut.
(5) Just before the Cabane des Pales, at a crossroads, a sign saying "c'est par là !" (this way!) points to the right. Be careful not to take the path furthest to the right, which goes along the mountainside, but the one that descends to the small stream.
Cross the stream and continue opposite on a path along the mountainside. Further on, descend towards the Parée stream (which feeds the Cascade de la Buffe waterfall).
(6) Reach a flat section just above the stream and turn right towards the west into the meadow (invisible trail) to reach the water's edge and the ford.
Cross the stream and take the path opposite, which climbs steeply.
At the top, ignore the path on the left (not shown on the map) which leads to the hut and continue straight ahead to begin the descent. The path starts off gently sloping, then becomes a series of very tight hairpin bends which descend towards the Tempier stream, veering northwards.
(7) When you reach the stream, join a path. Turn right to go to the foot of the Cascade de la Buffe waterfall.
(8) Turn around and go back past the trail junction.
(7) Continue straight ahead to complete the descent.
(9) At the Church of Navette, turn right in front of it to cross the ruins of the hamlet. When the path joins a wider path, turn right and pass between a house on your right and a fountain until you reach the bridge you left on the way there.
(1) Turn left to reach the other bridge and the car park (S/E).
Visorando member
Easy 
Moderate 
Difficult 
