The Nesque Gorges

Date of your route : Oct 29, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

I'll start with the negative point: the start of the hike. The trail leads directly to the top of the rocks and is a dead end. It's difficult to find the right path, and in fact you have to follow the small path that seems the most obvious and let yourself go down the slope.
On the plus side: a superb hike with autumn colours and a beautiful blue sky. The arrival at the bottom of the gorges is a real delight and a welcome change of scenery. You really feel like you're "somewhere else" because the landscape is so different from the rest of the hike. You then return to the classic Mediterranean vegetation and heath landscapes, but always with superb views of the gorges.
In conclusion, you have to persevere a little to find the right path at the start (first 500 metres), but after that, it's pure bliss. Allow 2½ to 3 hours for the hike (including the time to find the path and climb the hill).

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Date of your route : Aug 18, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A magnificent route, impressive even in dry weather, refreshing in hot weather except for the last part. The GPS signal on the map loses coverage when you descend into the gorges, and at the same time the trail becomes difficult to find, but fortunately there are blue markers. At point (1), before climbing back up, it is worth walking a few hundred metres up the river bed (if it is dry!), between the very narrow walls. The climb after point (1) is also difficult to find and may require a few trips back and forth through the undergrowth! At point (3), do not completely "ignore the descent path" as indicated, but rather descend one level of the cliff before turning right, without going all the way down.

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Date of your route : Jan 24, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike! A breathtaking natural spectacle, between vertiginous cliffs, deep valleys and Mediterranean vegetation. And some beautiful pictures to bring back...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T65Yboy6...

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Date of your route : Aug 19, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hello,
An absolutely magnificent mini-hike! Many thanks to Christian d'Ottignies for the perfect signposting (we had a slight moment of uncertainty when leaving the woods before joining the GR9, which allowed us to discover a superb panorama )
The stream bed is dry in the middle of summer.
With good shoes, taking your time and avoiding rainy periods, it's a piece of cake!

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Date of your route : Jul 31, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

I agree with the opinion given by "les sem" (09/01/22).
I made the mistake of not reading the description in detail before the hike.
I was accompanying a friend (aged 66) who is used to walking despite having some knee problems. I am a PE teacher. The hike is magnificent, but there are some sections where you have to climb down, as well as scree slopes.
We wandered around the bottom of the gorges for quite some time before finding the path back up. We then came to a simple but exposed climbing section with a climbing rope handrail.
Instead of the two hours announced, it took us 3 hours and 45 minutes, because I had to belay my friend, or climb ahead of her, then climb back down to explain or place her footholds.
In this type of hike, the description is more important than the GPS. So I would like to thank the author for his detailed information. The GPS track for the descent is not the one indicated on the hike track. And the track is no longer reliable when you are at the bottom of the gorges. Fortunately, the markings are very well done, and the blue dots are numerous and close together.
In fact, the main difficulty of the hike lies in the first descent into the gorges (scree and downclimbing) and the first ascent that follows (climbing). The rest of the hike is fairly standard.
I think the author should mention the downclimbing and climbing sections, even if they are protected, in the general description of the hike. This would allow hikers to bring the appropriate equipment for their companions.

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Date of your route : Mar 24, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

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Date of your route : Jan 09, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hello
Thank you very much for this beautiful hike.
In terms of the reliability of the description and the route, we certainly would not have found it if the clearly visible blue trail had not guided us throughout the hike. From the start, the gorges are so deep and the descent so steep that you have to forget about using GPS or Visorando to guide you. No detection! It took us 2½ hours rather than 1 hour 55 minutes.
The difficulty level seemed slightly underestimated to us, even though there are very few areas where this is the case. The descent is magnificent and dizzying, with stones rolling and leaves slipping. My husband crossed the ford at arm's length thanks to the rope (I couldn't do it) and I crossed with my feet in the water (thank goodness for waterproof shoes). Faced with the first rock face on the way up, we hesitated to turn back: it was a difficult area to pass with heavy walking boots (I hesitated to take them off and walk in my socks). There were few footholds. When we reached the second rock face, we couldn't turn back because descending the first rock face was unthinkable. In the end, the second rock face was easier to cross, but it was right above the void. Not very reassuring. Added to this was the fact that, despite the good weather, the area was extremely wet, the rocks were slippery, there were lots of scree slopes and the dead leaves formed a carpet of humus. The site must be safer in spring and summer. If we had known the route, I think we would have taken a rope for safety.
Finally, despite these few scares, we found this hike truly magnificent and very interesting. It would just have been nice if this information had been more visible in the description so that we could have been warned in advance without having to read the comments.

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Date of your route : Oct 08, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

This is our third time on this hike this year.
We took the opportunity to re-mark it in blue from the start to where it meets the GR trail, to make this lovely hike more easily accessible.

The difficulty in navigating this hike was after the first stream crossing.
The GPS is very inaccurate at this point and the scree does not always allow for paint markings.
We therefore marked this section every 5 to 6 metres with blue dots or blue ropes attached to branches and roots (see photo)
In addition, we marked the exit of this cirque – the end of this difficult passage – with a 20 cm (!) blue dot on the wall.

It now seems impossible to get lost there.

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Date of your route : Oct 04, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful route that is not very busy in September. The Nesque tourist office offers it in the opposite direction

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Date of your route : Jun 12, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A magnificent hike with a varied profile, which we really enjoyed.
The trek to point 2 is a unique feature of this charming hike.
A little flexibility is therefore required.
No problem for my partner (aged 60) or me (aged 70), as we are both amateur sports enthusiasts.

However, those who are prone to vertigo and rely heavily on GPS should refrain.
In fact, up to point 2, the GPS location fluctuates wildly (+ or - 50m)
The maps are also of little help, as they are incorrect in the vicinity of the viewpoint; Google Maps' satellite view will confirm the discrepancy of about 50m to the left of the roads and trails.
This includes the Viso Rando trail, which jumps incorrectly to the right at the start, then to the left to reach point 1.
So, what to do?

Go down a few steps from the small car park next to the viewpoint, DIRECTLY downwards, following the blue markings. It starts on the 4th step.
The description says "climb down", which is quite accurate at times.
At the forks, always choose the path that goes downhill, until you reach the two high, narrow gorges (backpack width) that follow one after the other.
Then resist the urge to head towards the river and instead walk along its left bank; a blue mark on top of a rock that you have to cross confirms that you are going in the right direction.
Continue to the end of the path, which leads you to the Nesque; a metal cable crosses it.
You will find another blue mark on one of the rocks in the middle of the stream.
After crossing it, go up a small path to the left.
Note the blue mark at calf height on the right.
About 20 metres further on, there is another fork in the path. Do not take the left fork, which leads back to the river, but look at the cliff in front of you. It looks impassable.
This is where your Boy Scout skills will come in handy.
Numerous small paths lead nowhere in these scree slopes.
It is said that they are maintained by inattentive hikers who have been wandering there for years ;-) .
Don't do as they do. Instead, climb up perpendicular to the Nesque to a rock formation 4 to 5 metres high.
If you look closely, you will find a vertical blue line very close to its crevice, which you can use to climb up.
Then continue climbing straight up, keeping an eye on the cliff on your left.
A gap in the vegetation will allow you to see a blue arrow about 30 metres above you.
Turn a quarter turn to the left to reach it and that is how you can exit this cirque via a small ledge in the rock where you can place your feet and find some good handholds to hold on to.
Behind the rock, you will find a path that leads 50 metres further on to another fork.
Do not take the left fork, but continue to the right until you reach a 3-metre-high stone wall that seems to block your path.
You will find excellent handholds there that will allow you to catch yourself if your feet slip out of the notches, which are a little small for hiking boots. (Be careful in case of rain!)
A minimum of arm strength is therefore recommended to safely overcome this obstacle.
In my opinion, this is the only truly critical section of the route.
The rest of the route, from point 2 onwards, is easy, overlooking the gorge opposite via a charming path that offers several viewpoints and then joins the Chapelles circuit, a beautiful section of the GR9.

After paying your respects at this place of worship, you can do penance by climbing the steps that take you back to the top of these splendid gorges.
A short stretch of the D942 takes you back to your starting point, giving you the opportunity to stretch your legs while admiring the view.

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Date of your route : May 30, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Completed at the end of lockdown, 100 km.
We met a couple who were heading back up to the viewpoint and were unhappy because they had had to turn back, having been unable to find the path leading back up to the cave from the bottom of the gorge.
And we didn't fare any better despite searching for over an hour and a half (the days are long at the end of May)
The descent and crossing of the ford were easy, well marked in blue and not particularly difficult (we are a couple aged 55-60 who are moderately fit).
Once past the ford, it was a different story: we found two blue markers... and then nothing.
We tried every possible trail without success, paying close attention to the route description, but to no avail.
So we turned back, a little frustrated, to the viewpoint (a difficult climb, often in full sun)
It was a shame because the scenery is sublime
We then met another couple in the car park who had managed to do it in the opposite direction without any problems

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

A very beautiful, varied and enjoyable hike!

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Date of your route : May 23, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A very beautiful hike that we did in the opposite direction
with a group of 20 people
Very beautiful scenery, a bit exposed in places but well marked. No major difficulties compared to the description
the return journey is entirely through forest with no views, even though you are walking alongside the Nesque river, which is a shame...
Reliability of the route: very good
Description: very good (even in the opposite direction!)
Interest of the circuit: TTB

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

A very beautiful hike, even though we were unable to reach the bottom of the gorges as my two companions were not fit enough and prone to vertigo.Some sections are quite "airy" for the uninitiated. It is worth noting that a cat accompanied us from the top of the gorges to the lowest point we reached. It seemed to know the trail perfectly, climbing back up with us, always leading the way and following the markings. There were also wild boars in an enclosure opposite the start of the hike...
I would do this again with more experienced people to reach the bottom of the gorges.
The scenery is sublime.

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Date of your route : Sep 10, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Duration: at least 2 hours in optimal conditions
Difficulty: PARISH SPECIFIC TO BRETTAIN, not recommended for most hikers
No markings in the second half

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