Slag heap 115 (known as "Téléphérique" - “The Cable Car”)

The route begins in the forest, with birdwatching available from observation posts. Then the landscape becomes more undulous as you climb Slag heap 115 (viewpoint over the coalfield) and return via the miners' cottages.

Technical sheet

1104543
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 5.82 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 1h 45 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Return to departure point: Yes
  • ↗
    Vertical gain: + 34 m
  • ↘
    Vertical drop: - 40 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 57 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 21 m

Photos

Description of the walk

At the entrance to Libercourt, opposite the petrol station, is a small, gravelly car park. Park here.

(S/E) Go through the wooden access gate and down the path.

(1) Turn right at this first intersection, continue to the end and turn left. At the end of this path, you'll come to the first observation point on the bird sanctuary.

(2) Return to the left. Continue for a few hundred metres, following along the bird sanctuary to reach the second observation point. Turn right at this junction and return to the first crossroads.

(1) Leave the path at the start of the walk on your left and continue straight ahead. The forest gradually lightens up until you reach the foot of the slag heap.

(3) Turn right. Go through another access gate. The slag heap is gently ascended on an S-shaped path. Make 4 switchbacks along this path, which slopes gently down to the slag heap plateau, reaching the observation point at 50m above sea level.

(4) Follow the same path down to the foot of the slag heap.

(3) Turn right this time, crossing a marshy landscape on duckboards.

(5) Turn left out of the wood. Turn left into Rue de Faisanderie and join Allée des Grives.

(6) Turn left into this street and continue along Allée des Tourterelles. The car park is on your left (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 31 m - Car park at the entrance to Libercourt
  2. 1 : km 0.36 - alt. 27 m - Intersection
  3. 2 : km 0.97 - alt. 22 m - Ornithological reserve
  4. 3 : km 2.18 - alt. 25 m - Ascent to the slag heap
  5. 4 : km 3.33 - alt. 56 m - Terril 115
  6. 5 : km 4.72 - alt. 26 m - Mining town
  7. 6 : km 5.23 - alt. 29 m - Allée des Grives
  8. S/E : km 5.82 - alt. 31 m - Car park at the entrance to Libercourt

Practical information

There's plenty to see in the reserve and at the top of the slag heap. Grab your binoculars!

The passage through the woods at the reserve is sometimes flooded. Take good shoes or use the bypass paths suggested on the map.

In the nearby area

Bird sanctuary.

Viewpoint at the top of the slag heap.

You can make a detour to the top of the slag heap to enjoy this undulous landscape for longer.

The mining town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. If you want to join the "Défi Terril Unesco" (51 slag heaps to climb - 'Terril' is French for 'slag heap') or just for fun, you can take a selfie at the top of the slag heap and share it with #defiterril and @defiterril on Instagram or by e-mail defiterril@gmail.com

Reviews and comments

4.6 / 5
Based on 18 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.6 / 5
Clarity of route map
4.7 / 5
Route interest
4.5 / 5
Michel D2.
Michel D2.

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Aug 25, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

Well signposted walk, pleasant although a little noisy as it borders the A1

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Ellzup
Ellzup

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : May 04, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Beautiful walk, very nice view of the 2nd part at the slag heap, at point 2 the path was flooded, I turned back and took a second path to catch up with the route.

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Dimiffany
Dimiffany

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of walk : Aug 14, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : N/A
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

Nice little family hike. Note that it is possible to come back down from the slag heap via another path (which seems to have been recently laid out), but the hike is a little shorter and there is no passage through the pheasantry (unless you return to the foot of the slag heap and repeat the explanation of the hike).

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Jonhy Bigoudi
Jonhy Bigoudi

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of walk : Apr 20, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

The passage through the wood and the area around the reserve were flooded.
A pleasant walk from various points of view, but don't forget the Kies balls, as the motorway nearby is omnipresent.
An orientation table at the top of the slag heap would be a welcome addition.

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AnneCas
AnneCas

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Feb 18, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

A very pleasant little hike. The site is still under construction, but it's very pleasant. It's clean, well maintained and you're not bothered by the motorway, which is quite close.
I'd recommend it.

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dvd59
dvd59

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Dec 31, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

A pleasant little walk, first through a small wood and then up the slag heap. When it's wet, it's a bit noisy in the wood because of the nearby motorway. There are 2 bird-watching huts on the pond. After the wood, it's very quiet, and the climb up to the slag heap is great. There is now a staircase leading down from viewpoint 4 to the signposted circuit, halfway between viewpoints 1 and 2.

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Christoblog
Christoblog

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Oct 24, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

It was a cloudy Sunday in October. Nice little varied walk, with a beautiful slag heap (superb view) and a pleasant passage through the forest (signpost identifying the main tree species). 1h30 for us, without a break.

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Zazarando
Zazarando

Overall rating : 3.5 / 5

Date of walk : Aug 22, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Clarity of route map : N/A
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

A really nice walk, but we went round in circles to find the path up to the slag heap. There's a boulder at the entrance to the slag heap that seems to prevent access... But it didn't! What a shame!
The combination of forest, slag heap and marshland is very pleasant.

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PaulZoe
PaulZoe

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Jul 24, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Very pleasant forest walk (with a few signs describing the trees) - You can hear the motorway a little at the start of the walk, but it's not a nuisance.
The ascent to the slag heap is very easy.
The return is certainly "urban" but in a pleasant area.
Thank you for this lovely route.

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Nibovsky
Nibovsky

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : May 31, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

A very pleasant little walk. Pleasant forest and a short section on the slag heap, which has its own charm.
The ascent to the slag heap is very easy.
Recommended for a leisurely stroll of 1 to 2 hours in fine weather.

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Milou59000
Milou59000

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : May 05, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

I did this walk with my 4.5 year old son. Given his young age, it took us longer than indicated, but it was a very pleasant walk, where we met robins, herons, frogs, coots, a squirrel and heard a woodpecker. Another hiker even told us that it was sometimes possible to come across deer.

The climb up the slag heap is S-shaped, so it's easy, and the view from the top means you can see for miles around.

If you want to shorten the walk, you can do just the forest walk or just the slag heap.

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virton
virton

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Feb 08, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : N/A
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

I chose this walk for my children, aged 7 and 11. They loved it: 1 hour 30 minutes of fun. They saw a squirrel, rabbits and birds, and signs indicating the names of the trees. At the top of the slag heap, the view is unobstructed, which is refreshing. The climb up the S slag heap is easy.

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Améka Nara
Améka Nara

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Jan 18, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

It's a great walk to do again at any time of year, to enjoy nature to the full.
The only downside (for people aged 60 and over and a bit corpulent) is the lack of benches to rest on... but I don't regret this adventure with my two little sons (aged 7 and 5).

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lamallevolante
lamallevolante

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Nov 03, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A very pleasant walk with a unique view. The climb up the slag heap is intense but the result is very beautiful.
We recommend this rather easy hike for the site.

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dujardinolivier
dujardinolivier

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Oct 19, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

a good walk that we enjoyed, easy and with good discoveries to recommend

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