Fort de Réalon and Cascades de la Pisse

A great walk which incorporates historical and geographical wonders.

START: Réalon
FINISH: Réalon
TIME: 1 hour 45 mins

Up above the small village of Réalon sits a ruined fort. Built in the fourteenth century, you can see why the French military at the time built it - the land it sits on has great views up and down the valley and beyond; what was once a great military outpost is now a fantastic viewpoint.

This walk begins at Réalon itself. It is a quaint little alpine village, with a church whose bells ring out on the hour and home to the Réalon and les Gourniers bread festival, held this year on the 4th of August. Park in one of the several car parks in the village (they are tiered up the hillside) and then ascend up through the village until you leave the houses behind and come into the shadow of the gorge in front of you.

This shadow acts as a nice break from the sunshine - ascend up through the trees passed the large water barrier to your right, until you come to a junction. To the right is the Cascades de la Pisse; to the left the fort. For now, take the left-hand path: the cascades are definitely best saved until last.

The path winds up through the shade of the forest, before levelling off into a terrace as you come out into the sunshine. The Aigilles the Chabrières sit pointed as always to your left, with views even further down the valley giving hints of the mountains above the village of les Gourniers at the head of the valley.

Soon the path becomes a lot steeper as it winds round the southern side of the knoll, but after a couple of short switchbacks you will find yourself in a high alpine field of lush green. There is a signpost here: to the left is the path to les Gourniers; to the right the fort. Indeed, a quick glimpse right indicates you are only steps away from the fort: head up the slight incline and you are there.

The main fort itself is not particularly spectacular. The eastern tower, however (which was under renovation at time of writing, with hulking scaffolding around it) is shaping up to be well worth a visit. What are also worth seeing are the views: not only do you gain the valley views mentioned above, you also get to see the mountains on the other side of Serre-Ponçon. These include the ever-present Pic de Morgon to the south-east, while at the head of the Dormilouse valley sits the formidable peak of La Pouzenc.

The Aigilles de Chabrieres from the Fort de Realon

I also recommend you climb a little higher up the hillside to get a view of the fort from above.

Once you have taken in the views, descend the way you came back to the first junction. Time for something truly special.

Take the right-hand path now. This path continues up through the valley's forest, with pine needles strewn across the path. The path begins fairly gradually but becomes a lot steeper as the path hits the adjacent river, and a lot of effort is required for what is little more than a 500 metre stretch.

It is absolutely worth it though. Every single step. At the head of the gorge is the Cascades de la Pisse, a magnificent white waterfall which launches from the brown rocks into a pool below. This waterfall has a somewhat magical quality to it: stand and watch it for a while and you soon become transfixed not only by its power but also its beauty, as the water droplets catch the light before they fall into the pool, creating a wall of light. Stand even a metre away from it and you will also get caught by it to a certain degree. A hidden gem.

The Cascades de la Pisse

Depart the way you came and back into Réalon. As the bell chimes on the hour, you really value the history of the place but also the intense beauty. The fort on the hill is a great symbol of human ingenuity in mountain areas, while the cascades offer a hidden beauty that only nature can offer.

A great walk.