Tourris and the Cassini Pyramid

The Cassini pyramid is the highest point in the Toulon region. This peak was used by the astronomer Cassini to establish cartography using the triangulation method. You will hike on spectacular sharp limestone pavement glaciers in a mineral world. Splendid 360° panorama.

Details

87035
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 9.04 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 45 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 395 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 394 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 782 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 409 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Parking is available on Chemin de Tourris at the Revest quarry, near the Turcots trail.

(S/E) Walk up this wide track until you reach a fork.

(1) Take the left fork. Continue climbing steadily, ignoring the paths on the right and left, first heading north-west, then north and finally north-west again. You will reach theGR®99(red and white markings).

(2) Once you reach theGR®99, turn right. Continue on theGR®, ignoring the path on the left.

(3) About 50 metres further on, turn onto the path on the right. Leave theGR® and follow the path eastwards, which passes close to the karstic cave du Sarcophage. The latter is on the right-hand side and you will need to look for it in the undergrowth.

(4) Retrace your steps and continue through the undergrowth on the path that bends to the right, runs alongside the high-voltage line and then continues straight below it, crossing several sharp limestone pavements, heading south-west. Be careful, as there are no markings... However, a few cairns mark a rough route. Then turn left at a 90° angle and then right to join a path marked in blue.

(5) Take this blue trail on the left, which crosses the famous "stone glaciers" dotted with spectacular crevasses and leads to the summit of the Pyramide de Cassini and its antennas.
Be careful, as the going is difficult and strenuous in places.

(6) With your back to the pyramid, take the path on the left to return. This path descends through the undergrowth to the Turcots trail.

(1) Turn left and follow this track downhill to return to your vehicles at the starting point (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 409 m - Turcots and FFI tracks
  2. 1 : km 0.83 - alt. 516 m - Crossroads of the circular
  3. 2 : km 2.63 - alt. 667 m - GR99 junction, on the right
  4. 3 : km 3 - alt. 685 m - On the right, path to the karstic cave du Sarcophage
  5. 4 : km 3.19 - alt. 687 m - Aven du Sarcophage
  6. 5 : km 4.9 - alt. 720 m - Blue trail, on the left.
  7. 6 : km 5.95 - alt. 782 m - Au somet la pyramide de Cassini
  8. S/E : km 9.04 - alt. 410 m - Turcots and FFI tracks

Notes

No water sources. Walking sticks are strongly recommended. This route is not suitable for dogs. Good hiking boots are required.

 Always be cautious and plan ahead when you're outdoors. Visorando and the author of this route cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurring on this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

Reviews and comments

4.4 / 5
Based on 16 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.2 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.4 / 5
Route interest
4.5 / 5
stjo
stjo

Since my previous review, we have made a few variations to this route in this area.
I would particularly like to mention that just west of point 2, about 150 metres into the thalweg, you will discover the magnificent Impluvium d'Orves, a superb megalithic structure which is in fact a cistern capable of holding 50,000 litres of water (and even more in my opinion), dating back to the early Middle Ages or even earlier. It is a must-see: just a short detour for a complete change of scenery!

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Denis8361@
Denis8361@

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 04, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The first part is not particularly interesting.
However, the rock glacier is worth a visit and the 360° view from the pyramid is the ultimate reward
Worth doing again

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JeanVar
JeanVar

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 30, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A challenging hike (including a one-hour climb at the start), designed for those who enjoy rocky terrain. As there is little shade along the route, it is best to avoid this hike in summer. It is recommended that you download the route to your smartphone while you are "down below" (in La Valette or Le Revest) as reception is poor at the end of the road. The "stone glaciers" are well worth the effort!

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lbianc
lbianc

Overall rating : 5 / 5

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

The start of the route is not particularly interesting and quite steep, but crossing the stone glacier and the view from the summit are well worth the effort of the climb!

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Mhutes
Mhutes

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 13, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hello,
A really lovely ride, not your everyday kind of trip! I got a bit lost in the forest (and couldn't find the karstic cave 😒), but what the heck, I loved it!
The only downside was finding my lovely motorbike covered in dust from the lorries at the starting point...

For those who know where it is or would like to find out, I'll tell you all about it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wy5OPZoh...
Thank you for this discovery just a stone's throw from my home!

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Effer83
Effer83
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 14, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

If only for the view from Cassini's pyramid, this hike is well worth it!
The sharp limestone pavement is truly an impressive landscape. We missed the Sarcophagus... Never mind: we'll be back!
We always walk without GPS (except for a phone app, if we have network coverage, in case we get lost by straying from the "straight and narrow", which is our speciality!)
Well, this time we didn't get lost! Just pay a little attention to the sharp limestone pavement: try to spot the next marker before leaving the one you're on, and everything will be fine.
For those who might be a little tired when they arrive at the pyramid (psychologically, you can see the antennas from far away, so it feels like you're not making any progress!), rest assured: the descent is easy, except for a few passages with stones that roll underfoot.

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stjo
stjo
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 30, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

I would like to add to my previous review: however, we did not see the Sarcophagus karstic cave, because after Adam's Cairo, we couldn't find our way and got lost. So we turned back and took the path between these two points (5) and (2).
All the more reason to go back as soon as possible.

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stjo
stjo
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 30, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

What a superb hike!
My wife and I did exactly the same route, but in the opposite direction, in March 2019. It's a magnificent landscape and very striking for its unique feature, which you didn't fail to notice: the sharp limestone pavement.
As you so aptly put it, it sometimes feels like you're on a glacier... made of stone! And be careful of crevasses there too.
This sharp limestone pavement is truly a model of its kind, with all stages of surface karst erosion represented, starting with the micro-sharp limestone pavement that sculpts the rock into sharp, jagged ridges. I never tire of admiring this type of landscape, and I can tell you that when I was there, I was completely blown away.
I wanted to go back this year, but the lockdown prevented me from doing so. It will have to wait until next year.

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henri57
henri57 ★

Hello,

@JM-Epinard

Thank you for your feedback.

Suggestion for a pleasant hike:

There is nothing stopping you from suggesting your pleasant hike to the moderators, you just need to follow a few basic rules:

1. Selection of hikes

https://www.visorando.com/article-selecti...

And above all

2. Detailed recommendations for selecting hikes

https://www.visorando.com/article-recomma...

See you soon

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JM-Epinard
JM-Epinard

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 04, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Suggestion for a pleasant hike:
Start from the Baumettes car park near the sports grounds, climb up the GR 99 trail with beautiful views of Mont Caume, go around the quarry.
When you reach point 2, ignore points 3 and 4 (which are of no interest) and head for points 5 and 6. Descend to the Turcots trail and return to the car park via the quarry road, which ends in a wide sandy track.
You will have walked an extra 2 km, but the walk will be more enjoyable.

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michsylrandon
michsylrandon

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 18, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

At this time of year, excessive gunfire disturbs the peace and quiet of the walk. Hunting is permitted every day except Sundays during this period.

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Aquariel
Aquariel

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 24, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

The start of the walk to the karstic cave and the return are easy. The middle section is more challenging (navigation, undergrowth). Like others, I recommend GPS and long trousers. I really enjoyed:

- discovering the karstic cave, especially when you know how deep it is (362m)
- Crossing the sharp limestone pavement, which look like an alien landscape
- The solitude of the place (no encounters)
- The view all along the Toulon mountains and from the Cassini pyramid
- The orienteering (thank you, power line!)

For the return journey, it's behind the pyramid slab, and on the left is the entrance to the descent: between two large cairns with blue markings (I'll add a photo).

What I liked less:
The descent, which is very long. Fortunately, nature always offers something to look at to keep our eyes occupied.

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gazok54
gazok54 ★

Thank you, mmedudu
Please feel free to send us any suggestions you may have for improving the description.

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mmedudu
mmedudu

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 10, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

The trail is a little difficult to follow and without GPS it is impossible to find your way. The vegetation is quite dense and low in some places, which sometimes makes the route a little complicated.

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solja
solja
• Edited:

I couldn't go hiking.
So no opinion

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