On the heights of Escot

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

The views along the climb are varied and very pleasant.

Admittedly, numerous fallen or lying trees do make the route a little tricky, but in most cases you can easily go round or over them. As the maintenance and signposting of the paths are the responsibility of the local council, we must be understanding ;-)

To avoid returning via the main road, you should try, from point 8, to follow the “Chemin de Bourdalot” (a small tarmac road) and then the “Cami Coig” – see OpenStreetMap. Perhaps this old path is still passable, but nothing is certain until you’ve gone to check!

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Date of your route : Nov 01, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Hike undertaken in early November in fine weather; a stunning view of the valley from the 700m viewpoint at the end of the route.
A difficult hike due to the yellow markings being almost non-existent, or even completely absent in places.
Unfortunately, there were lots of branches and, in particular, uprooted trees along the route. We had to go round them or, at times, had no choice but to go through them... a few grazes, minor injuries and, by the end, it was discouraging having to constantly check the route, fortunately with the help of Visiorando... So we avoided the final section through the undergrowth and took the road instead.
It’s a shame about the final few kilometres on the road, as they ultimately make up almost 30% of the route… a bit too much after a difficult hike, as the route needs updating in terms of markings and clearing.

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Date of your route : Aug 14, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant, easy mid-mountain hike. Along the way, you sometimes have to search for the right path (as the markings are either missing or faded), but you soon find your bearings. The only downside is that the last three kilometres are along a fairly busy and narrow country road, which is quite stressful and makes you want to get it over with as quickly as possible.
The circular hike takes just over 3 hours.

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Date of your route : May 06, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

(S/E) Continue straight on until you reach Chemin du Bugala (marked by an Escot Town Hall signpost on the corner and a sign for the Bilboquet route) and follow it uphill. The pelota court, which is not visible, is on the opposite side of this path.
(3) Developments have been carried out above the Bourdieu lodge, which no longer serves this purpose; the metal gate can be bypassed on the left via a wooden chicane.
(5) ...until you reach a barbed wire fence. Go over it, and you’ll find yourself at the bend of a wide farm track which you must follow uphill; it goes round hill 695.
(7) You are now at the “Panorama du Bilboquet 708m” signpost. There is NO NEED to retrace your steps. A yellow circle on the ground unfortunately suggests continuing towards “Escot via Barescou 1h50 5.3km”. A very good path descends and joins (8) the small road (signpost and signs) on which traffic is only occasional.
(9) On reaching the road, there is a new signpost: “Soum de Guiche Estives 4h”. The house with the blue shutters is called “Lodge des Cols”.
(10) It’s a real shame that the end of the route consists of 3.1 km of tarmac, but there doesn’t seem to be any other alternative.
Although it goes without saying, a refresh of the signposting and a bit of a clean wouldn’t go amiss.

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Very good

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Date of your route : May 08, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

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