Roussiveau Plateau (Western Perthus Peak)

A lovely walk in the Esterel, best done in spring to enjoy the flowers, whilst avoiding the summer.
A few easy climbing sections on the final ascent. Beautiful views of the massif, sometimes stretching as far as the sea.
Warning! The route may seem difficult to some (requires a good sense of direction and some easy climbing).

Details

2199841
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 6.35 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 35 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Difficult

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 257 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 256 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 285 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 62 m

Photos

Description of the walk

From Saint-Raphaël, head up the Route du Roussivaou from Avenue des Golfs and park at the end of the track in the forest house car park (at the barriers).

(S/E) At the end of the car park, take the track on the right which runs alongside the forest house and its fences.

(1) On the ridge, take the path that climbs to the left under the trees along a fence. Follow this path uphill and join a track that is not suitable for vehicles but is fairly wide; take it to the right.

(2) Return to the track and continue to the left. Walk for about 650m until you reach the start of a path on the left.

(3) Follow this path, which climbs gently to the left and is clearly visible. At the next fork, continue to the left, pass two hairpin bends and reach a crossroads where four paths meet.

(4) Continue straight ahead, staying on the main path.

(5) At the end of the path, continue by climbing the rocks; the route is fairly clear (well-maintained, with branches cleared) and leads out onto the plateau. Caution: the climb is easy but should be avoided by those who are not confident or prone to vertigo.
To the west, you can see the Pic du Perthus Occidental, a rather grand name for a large rock that rises only a few metres above the plateau (but forms a cliff on the downstream side).
Start by heading left over large rock slabs, then take the track that begins a little further on to the right. Follow this track, which descends at first, then climbs again, skirting a small, unnamed peak and becoming a proper, passable track.

(6) At the junction of tracks and paths, take the gully-like path that descends to the left.

(7) At the fork, take the path on the right, reach a track and continue left to reach the forest house car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 89 m - Car park at the forest house
  2. 1 : km 0.29 - alt. 99 m - Track/path junction
  3. 2 : km 1.43 - alt. 83 m - Track
  4. 3 : km 2.08 - alt. 62 m - Steep climb - Perthus (cours d'eau) - Affluent du Vallon de la Cabre
  5. 4 : km 2.53 - alt. 136 m - Crossroads of four paths
  6. 5 : km 2.75 - alt. 223 m - Foot of the cliff
  7. 6 : km 4.28 - alt. 253 m - Edge of the plateau - Baisse Andoulette (254 m)
  8. 7 : km 5.71 - alt. 130 m - Fork in the path
  9. S/E : km 6.35 - alt. 89 m - Car park at the forest house

Notes

This route requires climbing large boulders along the cliff to reach the plateau. However, the climb is easy and safe. It can be done without any problems by children aged 10 and over (without assistance, we have tested it). Be careful, though, even if the climbing is easy and safe, it does require you to use your hands and therefore requires a certain level of physical fitness. Take the time to identify the path (human tracks and pruned vegetation). There are also quite a few trails that cross each other and it is very easy to get lost.

Therefore, avoid this walk if you are not comfortable with GPS, if you are afraid of heights, or if you do not want to squeeze through the vegetation while climbing over rocks.

Reviews and comments

3.8 / 5
Based on 12 reviews

Reliability of the description
3.5 / 5
Ease of following the route
3.5 / 5
Route interest
4.3 / 5
User 23220350

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 15, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

I am a regular hiker. I have read the advice and difficulties carefully.
I set off on my own.
I think it's essential to follow the GPS route once you reach the foot of the rocky ridge.
I think the vegetation has grown since the description was written. There are lots of brambles on the ground, which can be dangerous as they catch on your trousers and increase the risk of falling.
Staying right on the trail, I found myself facing a rock that I had to climb, with no obvious handholds and no idea what was behind it.
I might have gone for it if I hadn't been alone.
So I tried to find another access point nearby, but the brambles cover rocky areas and a few cavities.
So I turned back.
I do not recommend doing this alone.
I'm going back this afternoon, starting at the end, without the circular, for a round trip.
I hope I can make it to the top!

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Aquariel
Aquariel

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 16, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We chose this hike because we were attracted by the climbing section! We did climb some rocks, but definitely not the right ones (in fact, it didn't look like the photo) because we had to give up. It seems that it's not difficult to miss a trailhead; we spent a while making several attempts.
Finally, we went back down to go around the peak and catch up with the rest of the very nice hike. In the end, it was a great outing, and we still got our fill of climbing!

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JFGHA
JFGHA

Thank you for this lovely review! The walk is actually quite easy, but I took great care in the description for people who are not comfortable with GPS or climbing, even if it is safe. I'm glad you found everything you needed in this walk.

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JoG
JoG
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 16, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant hike with lots of variety in the views and surroundings. Perhaps a little short, I want more!

The path itself was fairly easy to find as the GPS points were very accurate. I only had to search once for a few minutes and everything else was very easy to find. So if you look a little, it's very easy to find in the end.

Did it with my son (8 years old) and daughter (3 years old) without any problems. My daughter did some climbing herself with a little help here and there, but it was perfectly doable. Indeed, there was no danger.

PS: I did it with my wife, who normally gets a bit dizzy, but it was perfectly doable for her too!

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JFGHA
JFGHA

And also:
Please note, however, that even though the climb is easy and safe, it does require you to use your hands and therefore demands a certain level of physical fitness. Take the time to identify the route (human tracks and pruned vegetation). There are also quite a few paths that cross each other and it is very easy to get lost.

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JFGHA
JFGHA

Are you sure you read the practical information? Otherwise, you might not have gone on this trip or left such a poor review.

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bernard montes
bernard montes

If I have read the description correctly, starting from point number 5: "At the end of the path, to continue climbing the rocks, the passage is quite visible (maintained, the branches are trimmed) and leads to the plateau", I am sorry but the passage is not visible at all, or else the passage was not maintained when I passed by...

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JFGHA
JFGHA

Apparently you haven't read the description...

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bernard montes
bernard montes
• Edited:

Overall rating : 2.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 16, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Very busy route : No

The route is easy to follow at first, but becomes more difficult when you take the trails that lead to the rocks you have to climb. After that, it is impossible to continue along the trail, so I turned back.

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Aeggir83
Aeggir83

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 02, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

The most beautiful hike I've ever done. The route is a bit unpredictable, with some rocky climbing that's a little tricky (if you haven't read the descriptions), but the beauty of the landscape after the climb is incredible. The view is breathtaking, with unparalleled views of the entire area. I highly recommend it.

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Armand36
Armand36

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 28, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

It's not easy to follow the trail, there aren't many markings and it's easy to stray from the route.

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Poonca
Poonca

Overall rating : 3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 22, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hello,

Nice hike, but when we got to the climbing section, we climbed a few metres before giving up: it was too dangerous and impossible to see where the path continued... and impossible to get around.
It was frustrating, so we turned back and returned via an alternative route just above the path we had taken on the way there.

Thank you nevertheless for helping us discover this area.

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Johnny-43
Johnny-43

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 17, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

I had to look for the path to take on the first trail. I didn't complete the walk because it was late.

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GGPOLICE
GGPOLICE

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 31, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

It's true that the path at the foot of the cliff isn't the easiest to follow without a GPS, especially the last 100 metres. But you'll get there if you pay close attention and follow the most obvious route. The advantage of this route is that it takes you directly to the summit without having to go back and forth. The other advantage is that you hardly meet anyone once you leave the road and take the ramp to the summit. However, towards the end, you will need to use your hands to climb and hold on several times. I loved the whole route.
Thank you for this route.

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Sandrinetauty
Sandrinetauty

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 07, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Impossible to find the passage at the foot of the cliff.
Is the vegetation different?
Otherwise, it's a nice hike.

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