Country:
District:
Access to the start: The road arrives at the centre of Archail on the square. From there, by car, take the small road heading north. After 120 m, you will reach the fork in the track that goes to Draix (on the left). Continue to the right, the road turns and heads south-east. Go to the end of the tarmac section (1.4 km) where you can park (or a little before).
Route: The climb follows yellow markings from Place d'Archail to the summit of Couard.
(S/E) Take the path that continues along the road and passes under the earth mound of the Tourounet water catchment reservoir. After 100 m, the path turns right and then quickly left, beginning an ascent that will only end at the Sommet de Couard.
(1) After 800 metres from the start, the path crosses a track. Continue along the path (almost opposite) and, after 300 metres, you will come to a fork in the tracks.
(2) Take the one that climbs to the right and follow it for 300 metres. You will arrive at another fork. Leave the tracks and take the path on the left that leads into the forest.
(3) After an initial 500 m stretch along the hillside, the path climbs in steeper but pleasant switchbacks. At an altitude of around 1,550 m, the landscape changes. You cross an area of scree, then at 1,620 m the climb continues under cover and becomes less steep. You reach an area with numerous drinking troughs and a water catchment, then you come out at the Pas d'Archail, marked by a sign near a shelter.
(4) A little further on is the mountain chalet, which is occupied during the summer grazing season. A track branches off to the right (signposted towards Le Couard), passing above the mountain chalet, and after 150 metres the trail continues to the right.
(5) It first winds its way up through the mountain pastures, then after two traverses along the hillside, the path becomes rockier. At an altitude of around 1,850 m, you reach a rocky passage along the edge of the ridge (not difficult but tricky).
(6) The trail continues along the hillside and ends with switchbacks at the Sommet de Couard at 1,989 metres (boundary marker and cairn).
(7) The descent follows the same route as the ascent; it is steep at the start from the summit (caution) and then at the end you can cut across the gentler slopes via the sheep tracks to reach the Pas de l'Archail.
(4) The ascent to the summit of Cucuyon (direction - opposite the descent - indicated on the sign) has no path or trail. Cross the mountain pastures towards the pass (1,758 m) that separates the Pré de l'Évêque ridge from Cucuyon.
(8) Once you reach this pass, climb up to the left via the easier eastern ridge. If you follow my GPS track, avoid the western ridge that I took on the way up, as it is too difficult to negotiate. You will reach a first summit, but you will need to cross the summit ridge (a few metres) to reach the true summit at 1886 metres (cairn).
(9) For the descent, head back to Pas de l'Archail.
(4) Then, take the same route to the right to reach the tarmac road where you parked (S/E).
Visorando member
Moderate 
Easy 
