Route to Schedule Path

DESCRIPTION OF THE TRAIL

D Car park (GPS: 694 194 – 7 549 237; alt. 165m) (information panel): head south-east, via the access road, to reach, 300m further on, the maintenance track, which climbs to the left towards the heights of the nature reserve of the Yaté dam.

1 Start from the maintenance track (GPS: 694 194 – 7 549 237; alt. 165m): pass the barrier and climb (the view is clear). Reach a hairpin bend to the left (north-east).

2 Lookout (GPS: 694 581 – 7 548 699; alt. 240m) (beautiful view over Lake Yaté): continue the climb towards the plateau. The track progresses on the western edge of a large sink-hole filled with vegetation which is located below. Go past an electricity pylon and continue east to reach the next one (the power line, sometimes to the right, sometimes to the left, is a good guide).

3 Electricity pylon (GPS: 695 419 – 7 549 022; alt. 345m): continue south-east following the power line maintenance track. Bypass a second sink-hole to the north and then the next to the south to reach a high point.

4 Lookout (GPS: 696 267 – 7 549 114; alt. 330m) (it dominates the Yaté power plant and the penstock that feeds it): descend towards the north, following the track (that deteriorates). About 250 m after a hairpin on the right, at the level of a platform, the route plunges towards the valley by taking a steep, rocky, and sometimes slippery path (handrails facilitate the crossing of the most acrobatic passages, water point at altitude 145m: GPS: 696 680 – 7 549 090). Around 120m altitude, the steep descent is interrupted and the path follows approximately the level curve towards the north-north-west. It enters the Yaté valley and joins the penstock access road at a hairpin bend (alt. 108 m)(information panel). Continue towards the north then the north-west following the old road at Horaires which runs along the river.

5 Lookout (GPS: 696 719 – 7 549 451; alt. 105 m)  (overview towards the power station): follow the road to the waterfall located on the left bank of the river.

6 View over the Méina Wâwiâ Waterfall (GPS: 696 170 – 7 550 448; alt. 110 m): continue on the old road.

7 Lookout (GPS: 696 719 – 7 549 451; alt. 110m) : a magnificent blue water hole winks at walkers (Be careful, water releases).
Follow the same route back.

FFrandonnée® grading
* Effort IBP 69 Quite difficult (orange)
* Technical difficulty 4 Quite difficult (4 in places) (orange)
* Risk 3 Quite high (orange) (River forbidden)
* Overall grading: Quite difficult (orange)

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