The Coquibus Massif and the Hundred Steps

This route goes around the Coquibus Massif, in a little-known and little-used area that is generally shaded. There are some beautiful views of the Courance Plain to the north and the forest to the south. The Vanne Aqueduct and the Cent Marches are the main points of interest.

Details

129658
Creation:
Last update:
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 11.23 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 35 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 146 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 146 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 127 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 70 m

Photos

Description of the walk

GR®11signposting (red and white)

(S/E) Park before the barrier on the Milly à Coquibus path (GR®11). Picnic tables are available.
Continue along the Milly à Coquibus path to the Coquibus farm.

(1) After the farm, turn right onto theGR®11heading north-east and follow the signs to the Aqueduc de la Vanne. Then turn left onto the aqueduct embankment.

(2) Turn right onto Chemin de la Roche-qui-tourne and follow it for 2 km.

(3) At the Carrefour du Petit Montrouget, turn right onto the Chemin de Coquibus, which is uphill, wide and gravelly.

(4) Then take a small path on the left that continues uphill.
From the ridge, the path is less well marked and a little overgrown in an area that burned a few years ago. Nevertheless, it offers beautiful views of the surrounding area. Be careful to stay on the ridge line.
Continue along this small path until you reach the wide Chemin de la Passée aux Moutons, which you take to the right towards the south.

End of the signposts

(5) Leave theGR®11and take the Chemin de la Vieille Grange on the right, which you follow straight ahead for 700 m.

(6) Take a path on the left.

(7) Turn onto the path on the left, then after a few dozen metres, turn right.

(8) You will come to the Chemin des Cent Marches, which you take westwards. Stay on this path until you reach the foot of the famous Cent Marches (100 steps), which are actually 113... and which you have to climb. There is a beautiful view from the top.
Then continue along the path that joins the Chemin du Nid d'Aigle

(9) After about a hundred metres, turn left as indicated on the sign. Leave the Coquibus farm on your right.

(10) 80 metres after the farm track, turn left onto the Chemin des Grands Longs Vaux until you reach the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 78 m - Park before the barrier on Chemin de Milly
  2. 1 : km 1.55 - alt. 124 m - Ferme du Coquibus
  3. 2 : km 2.28 - alt. 86 m - Vanne Aqueduct
  4. 3 : km 4.25 - alt. 70 m - Carrefour du Petit Montrouget
  5. 4 : km 4.54 - alt. 102 m - Small path on the left
  6. 5 : km 6.01 - alt. 73 m - Chemin de la Vieille Grange, on the right
  7. 6 : km 6.69 - alt. 72 m - Path on the left
  8. 7 : km 6.86 - alt. 72 m - Path on the left
  9. 8 : km 7.06 - alt. 73 m - Chemin des Cent Marches
  10. 9 : km 8.72 - alt. 122 m - Chemin du Nid d'Aigle
  11. 10 : km 9.47 - alt. 124 m - On the left, Chemin des Grands Longs Vaux
  12. S/E : km 11.23 - alt. 78 m - Parking

Notes

If the gate is not closed at the start, you can park at the Coquibus farm.
There is no water outside the start and finish points at Coquibus Farm.

Worth a visit

Always be cautious and plan ahead when you're outdoors. Visorando and the author of this route cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurring on this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

Reviews and comments

4.2 / 5
Based on 38 reviews

Reliability of the description
3.9 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.1 / 5
Route interest
4.5 / 5
User 25974581

Overall rating : 3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 02, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Signposts missing or erased, luckily we had our forest map and met a family with a GPS watch.

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Moineau 91
Moineau 91

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 26, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very well signposted hike. The views are absolutely superb. Of moderate difficulty, good physical condition is required, particularly for climbing the 121 steps

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alain vialon
alain vialon

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 02, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

The access route was in poor condition and difficult to understand ; one of us spent half an hour trying to find it... :-). The route itself was pleasant and easy. The map is accurate and easy to follow. We did the hike in stormy weather with intermittent rain.
At the Petit MontRouget crossroads, with the storm approaching, we cut across the plateau and passed behind the Rochers aux Voleurs to reach point 7. What a nice surprise! Very pleasant, even in the rain.
We picked up the pace and continued the route. Even wet, it's a beautiful hike.

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DIDINANA
DIDINANA

Overall rating : 5 / 5

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

An easy, shaded and very pleasant hike. However, the path (provided by Waze) to get there is very damaged

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auriole
auriole

Overall rating : 3 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 06, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

a pleasant hike with varied landscapes.
A map is essential for this hike.

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Ledesmafrank
Ledesmafrank

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 02, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

a pleasant, uncrowded hike through the woods. The 113 steps at the end are a surprise that will knock you off your feet.
worth doing again

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lydmarjon
lydmarjon

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 28, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike, varied and very quiet despite it being a sunny Ascension Day weekend. We had a few doubts about the route but with the help of our phone's GPS we were able to find our way easily. We are Sunday hikers and didn't encounter any particular difficulties in completing this hike; worth noting though: it was 16 km in the end!

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GUILLIN
GUILLIN

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 07, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Everything was perfect, the route was well marked, the forest is beautiful, and the steps at the end really put your legs to the test.

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likaro
likaro
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 15, 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 from the ridge trail. The trails remain clean throughout, even after heavy rain. The only downside is that the access road to the starting point is very bumpy for about 500 metres from the D837 to the edge of the forest. You might want to try starting from the Courances road (68 or 69 on the IGN map)

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Mirna
Mirna

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 10, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very beautiful hike. The first half follows the GR11, which has just been re-marked, and the rest is straightforward.
Not many people, very pleasant.

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barytonlambda
barytonlambda

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

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

A pleasant hike on a little-used trail. Doable even in hot weather as the vegetation provides shade along the entire route.
I imagine that the GR trail markings must have been redone recently because they are clear and everywhere. For the unmarked section, the directions in the description are perfectly adequate if you have a map.

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sandra1234
sandra1234

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 07, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

the first part of the hike is very pretty, high up and surrounded by rocks. Really very pleasant.
The second part of the hike, mostly on flat ground, is a little less interesting, except for the short section along the 100-step path.
Overall, it's a very nice, very accessible short hike (not very steep) in the forest!

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Tinadel
Tinadel

Overall rating : 3 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 26, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant and varied hike. We had some trouble finding points 4 and 5 on the Coquibus trail, which wasn't very well marked. We reached the 100 Steps trail via another route across the plateau and the Thieves' Rock. However, we'll try again now that we've got a better sense of where everything is.

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fanfan007
fanfan007

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 10, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike to enjoy on a lovely autumn day.
There is a great variety of tree species and, ultimately, a very different view of the Fontainebleau forest: chestnut trees, oaks, birches, firs...
We enjoyed the beautiful green colours with moss and tree ferns.
However, the route is difficult between points 4 and 5, with almost no signposting.
It's worth noting the curious sight of the aqueduct that suddenly appears during the walk.
I highly recommend this lovely walk.

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zebulon1961
zebulon1961

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 11, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Luckily, I have a GPS, which explains why, unlike other reviews, the hike went smoothly. Without it, I think some sections after the GR would have been problematic. In any case, the hike is nice and the route is very popular with chestnut lovers at this time of year.
The ridge section is the prettiest part, and then you find yourself in a peaceful setting with very few people on wide forest paths and tracks. You come across a tennis court, which is incongruous and surprising as it appears out of nowhere, before reaching the hundred steps.
After the hike, we tried in vain to find the mouse cave, which is normally nearby, but this allowed us to find an old quarry and some interesting rocks.

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