The 108 and 122 slag heaps in Leforest and Ostricourt

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This route will first take you through the Offlarde and Phalempin forests. The landscape then becomes more lunar as you skirt around slag heap 108 and climb slag heap 122 (viewpoint over the mining basin).

Details

n°1804148
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 4.12 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 05 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 174 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 171 ft
  • ▲
    Highest point: 272 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 92 ft
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Photos

View from the top of the slag heap
Great!
View from the top of slag heap 122
South side of the Ostricourt slag heap

Description of the walk

Park in the Bois car park located north-west of the Cité du Bois in Leforest.

(S/E) From the car park, take the path on the right that leads into the forest, called Chemin des Bois. You will soon come to a crossroads with a barrier on the left.

(1) Continue straight ahead, crossing a small stream. Keep going, veering slightly to the left. You will come to another crossroads in the Bois du Court Digeau.

(2) Stay on the wide path straight ahead to reach the crossroads with Rue de la Libération further on. Take this street on the left until you reach the Grande Carrière crossroads.

(3) Take the path opposite to enter the Phalempin National Forest.
When you reach the foot of the slag heap, go around it on the right. At the end of the loop, you will find Rue Raquette.

(4) Continue along this street. At the crossroads with Rue Jules Guesde, take Sentier du Court Digeau opposite. Follow this path and turn left into Rue du 19 Mars 1962. Continue until you reach the crossroads at L'Ermitage.

(5) Take the path on the left to return to the woods. Turn 90° right at L'Ermitage, then 90° left. Take this straight path, which leads back to the Bois du Court Digeau crossroads.

(2) Turn right and follow the same route as on the way out to reach the first crossroads.

(1) Turn right and go through the gate. Wind your way through the woods along this small path, which will take you back to the car park where you started.

(S/E) Head towards the slag heap in front of you and climb the stairs to reach the top.

(6) Descend via the path or vice versa to finish the hike at the Bois car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 105 ft - Bois car park
  2. 1 : mi 0.3 - alt. 125 ft - Crossroads barrier
  3. 2 : mi 0.69 - alt. 131 ft - Carrefour Bois
  4. 3 : mi 0.98 - alt. 131 ft - Intersection of the road and the Phalempin State Forest
  5. 4 : mi 1.66 - alt. 105 ft - End of the slag heap tour
  6. 5 : mi 2.16 - alt. 95 ft - Road-wood intersection
  7. 6 : mi 3.75 - alt. 272 ft - Slag heap 122
  8. S/E : mi 4.12 - alt. 108 ft - Bois car park

Notes

There is lots to see in the forest and at the top of the slag heap. Bring your binoculars.
Wear sturdy shoes.

Worth a visit

Viewpoint at the top of slag heap 122
Fauna and flora specific to the slag heap.
Mining town listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Note: If you want to join the "UNESCO Slope Challenge" (51 slopes to climb) or just for fun, you can take a selfie at the top of the slope and share it with #defiterril and @defiterril on Instagram or by emaildefiterril@gmail.com
You can also add a stone to the cairn at the top of the slag heap. But what is a cairn?

Reviews and comments

4.3 / 5
Based on 10 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.2 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.2 / 5
Route interest
4.5 / 5
danicau
danicau

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 11, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

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Caro59
Caro59

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 23, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Great hike. Very beautiful and interesting hike. Beautiful scenery. I would gladly do it again.

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CDuban
CDuban

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 01, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Great!

Perhaps add the exact address of the car park in the description...

Thank you,
Catherine

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krysboy
krysboy

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 16, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

A beautiful hike through forest terrain almost the entire time. A climb up a slag heap as the grand finale. 226 steps down (or up)!

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capauri
capauri

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 27, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

A lovely walk with the children. Very shady and very pleasant.

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Scbou
Scbou

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 20, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

I recommend this route, but do it in reverse. Start with a leisurely stroll and finish with the climb up the slag heap. There are two options: the numerous steps or the steep but more gradual path. The only problem is to avoid the hunting season, as there are many hunters on the route, which is not very reassuring. In wet weather, the route is very muddy. On the slag heap, there is a magnificent view and the possibility of a picnic at the foot of the last slag heap near the football pitch.

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Henry59286
Henry59286

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 07, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

We encountered two problems. Poor signage along the route led to several wrong turns, and civil engineering works were being carried out along the route of the new high-voltage power line.
As a result, we had to make an unplanned detour via Thumeries, which took us through a hunting ground and some very muddy sections of the route.
To be redone under better conditions...

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DidiMEP
DidiMEP

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 04, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Especially enjoyable with children who are having a great time.

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Lulu2014
Lulu2014

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 06, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Very varied
Nice

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Roch JULLLIEN
Roch JULLLIEN

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 25, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

We did this hike this morning. Here are our tips.
First of all, we started at the end. We began at slag heap 122.
Be careful, coming from the car park, just after the tarmac esplanade, there are mountain bike signs (Route 11) that you should not follow. When we reached the foot of the slag heap stairs, we first walked around the bottom (take the path on the left). Then we began the ascent via the path (right-hand hairpin bend before finishing the loop). It's steep! But it's worth it. At the top, there is no refreshment bar, but there are benches to rest on and a superb view. We came back down via the stairs (230 steps). That's why we recommend doing it in this direction.

Once we had warmed up, we continued the hike as indicated.

We took a nice little detour. Before reaching the road at points 2 and 3, we took the path on the right. There is a blue sign from the Département du Nord indicating this. This forms a square that takes us to point 3.

At point 5, we had some difficulty following the route. Here's what we did, which is quite simple. We followed the paved path that turns right before the Département du Nord sign. It becomes a path that runs alongside the large buildings, then turns left to join the long, straight avenue shown on the map. But perhaps there is an even simpler way.

This hike is very nice, especially in hot weather like today, as it is very shady. Thank you!

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