Trou du Furet, plateaus, horses and Grotte de l'Ermite starting from Eyzahut

A beautiful and varied hike, best done in dry weather by experienced hikers, with magnificent panoramic views. The GPX track will be very useful, especially on the plateau.
Allow at least 6 hours, including a lunch break, to fully enjoy this hike, which seems shorter than it actually is.

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 10.75 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 40 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Difficult

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 550 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 550 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 905 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 523 m

Photos

Description of the walk

The start is on the D263 south of Eyzahut, at the edge of a path, just opposite the trail you need to take.

(S/E) Head south on this path, tackling a fairly steep climb straight away.

(1) At the T-junction, turn left and then right a good hundred metres further on to continue the climb.

(2) Slip under a large rock: this is a fairly tricky and slippery passage, and in some parts you will need to use your hands to help you. Then pass under the Trou du Furet.

(3) Head left, then keep left at the next intersection to reach the plateaus and admire the horses roaming free.

(4) Keep left at the fork to stay on an easterly course, continue straight on towards Montagne du Poët and you will come to an inverted Y-shaped crossroads.

(5) Turn left, then left again about 150 metres further on, and continue to an open area above Bisquerle: an ideal spot for a snack break if it is sunny and there is no wind.

(6) Retrace your steps to the crossroads after Trou du Furet.

(3) Go down to the left on a path (yellow markings). Continue straight ahead, then turn right at the T-junction. You will soon reach another junction.

(7) Turn right again and continue along the quarry.

(8) At the crossroads, continue straight ahead towards the Grotte de l'Ermite. Reach the latter.

(9) Then climb up to the ruins of Le Châtelard: this is a fairly tricky and slippery section; in some places, you will need to use your hands to help you.

(10) Admire the superb panorama. Then turn back to the quarry junction.

(8) Turn left onto a wide track leading directly back to the starting point (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 525 m - D263 south of Eyzahut
  2. 1 : km 0.25 - alt. 593 m - Crossroads, on the left
  3. 2 : km 0.63 - alt. 734 m - Passage under rock
  4. 3 : km 0.69 - alt. 786 m - Crossroads
  5. 4 : km 1.15 - alt. 873 m - Junction, on the left
  6. 5 : km 2.72 - alt. 845 m - Fork, left
  7. 6 : km 3.61 - alt. 905 m - Bisquerle
  8. 7 : km 7.98 - alt. 580 m - Crossroads, on the right
  9. 8 : km 8.18 - alt. 586 m - At the quarry junction, go straight ahead.
  10. 9 : km 8.62 - alt. 655 m - Grotte de l'Ermite (Eyzahut)
  11. 10 : km 8.72 - alt. 677 m - Ruins of Le Châtelard
  12. S/E : km 10.75 - alt. 523 m - D263 south of Eyzahut

Notes

There is no water on the route, so make sure you have good shoes for the climb to Trou du Furet.
Follow the yellow markings on the ground.
Follow the direction of the hike and do not walk in the opposite direction.
Rated difficult just to warn of two tricky and slippery sections: on the climb to Trou du Furet and the climb to the ruins of Châtelard.

Worth a visit

Visit the village of Poët-Laval. You can get there by car. A car park is available for your use.

Reviews and comments

4.7 / 5
Based on 11 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.8 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.6 / 5
Route interest
4.7 / 5
User 15741021

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 06, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Not many visitors, but we were there in early December 2025.

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Kwiss07
Kwiss07

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 11, 2025
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A magnificent walk with splendid views. The prohibition on passing beyond point 5 seems to apply only to motor vehicles.
Thank you for this route!

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User 16530446
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 18, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The first part is quite a climb and rather fun to do, with passages between rocks.
There's a lovely view when you reach the plateau.
We went early and saw horses, unlike the other hikers who arrived later. We even saw ibex!
The end of the hike, the descent to the ruins, is not very interesting.
A nice hike with minimal physical fitness required.

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Beni54co
Beni54co

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 30, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Walk taken today.
The climb up to the Trouble du Furet (signpost) is quite exceptional. It sometimes feels like rock climbing, but it's definitely worth it, with a beautiful arch near the top.
Some details are missing for good orientation, especially when you are next to the signposts. Unfortunately for me, I didn't see any wild horses, only traces of their presence.
At the bottom of the descent from the Ferret Hole (position 7), if you turn left, there is a pretty spring to see (Font la Molle).
Point 9 is interesting (the cave), but the castle ruins are uninteresting (in my opinion).
Apparently, it is not possible to add photos to the message for this hike. What a shame!

NB: Double message, I forgot to add the notes and I don't know how to delete the first message

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User 3619114

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 09, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hello everyone,
We did this hike as a pair (we're regulars, so to speak) and despite the damp ground at the start, we set off cautiously. The climb is certainly difficult, but with two of us and taking great care, we made it up slowly, overcoming each difficulty as we went. Once at the top, after completing this tricky climb, it's a real joy to see the beautiful horses roaming free and the truly superb landscape.
Only the last kilometre is uninteresting, but you have to make your way back to the car, so it doesn't detract from our overall appreciation of the route and the place.
Thank you for sharing.

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Frédéric Combe Laboissière
Frédéric Combe Laboissière
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 29, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Superb hike. The trou du furet is the spice of the day, but not insurmountably difficult! The plateau with the free-roaming horses fills us with happiness! I recommend climbing to the summit of Serre Gros (971 m), the highest point of our hike, which is not, however, on the trail. It wasn't very busy, which didn't bother me - quite the contrary! In short, it was a wonderful day!

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LOCCI
LOCCI

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 18, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

We did go to Trou du Furet, but due to a vehicle problem, we left from Poet Laval and not Eyzahut. On a Sunday, of course, there were lots of people.

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SiobanS
SiobanS

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 08, 2025
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

I agree with the previous comments. Be careful when accessing the ferret hole not to have a bag that is too bulky, as you will need to squeeze through two narrow spaces at one point. I would also add that we ate at the ruins, and to do so, you need to aim for the 1 p.m. break (until 1:30 p.m.), otherwise the noise from the quarry machinery is omnipresent.

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Bertrand1313
Bertrand1313

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 06, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful walk. The climb to the hole is on the north face (beware of slippery areas in winter).
You'll need to use your hands a little to get through the hole. The plateau is a wonderful reward
The descent to the quarry is not very pleasant (very busy).
Grotte de l'Ermite cave and finally a superb viewpoint as you climb up to the ruins.

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Dentav
Dentav

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 27, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The climb up to the Ferret Pass is very steep, rising 350 metres in just 1 kilometre.

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ludi854
ludi854

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 07, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Today's hike took almost six hours, including a one-hour picnic break and the obligatory photo stops. The climb is quite strenuous, often requiring scrambling up the Trou du Furet. Passing under the rock is also challenging, but what a reward! Horses roaming free on the plateau and 360-degree views. Today was perfect. The hermit's cave is also very pretty, and the climb to the ruins finished us off at the end, but there were more beautiful views. The odometer read 13.62 km for us. Thank you for the trail.

This hike is not recommended with dogs due to the difficult start and the tranquillity of the horses on the plateau.

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