Mont Ventoux and the Lure mountains
Provence wide-open highlands, rich in scents and flavours, under France’s clearest sky

 

 

 

 

 

 

Half-Day Hikes                                                                                       Full Day Hikes

 

 

In northwestern Provence, Mont Ventoux and the Lure mountains form a 70-km long natural barrier. They run in an east-west direction, with heights from 1,200 to 1,910 meters (6,266ft). The mountain range hosts an exceptional biodiversity that can be explained by 3 main reasons: the elevation of the highest summits, exceeding 1,600 m, the extent of areas facing north and the Mediterranean climate of the region.  
Lying between this limestone range and the southern plains, the Vaucluse Mountains and Albion plateau form a large, scenic transition zone around 1,000 m.
         climate

 

 

 

MONT VENTOUX AND THE LURE MOUNTAINS HALF-DAY WALKING TOURS

 

 

 

The shortest trail to climb Mont Ventoux
Half-day

This guided hike up to the summit of bald-headed Mont Ventoux (1,911m/6,270ft) is one of the mountain’s most beautiful ascents. You start from the Mont Serein ski resort, located on the north-facing slopes of the Giant of Provence, at 1,400 m. The hike is only 3 miles long, for sure! But with an elevation gain of 1,730 ft. So, you walk constantly uphill, under the leadership of your local guide; and mainly through a mixed forest of pines, firs, larches and beech trees: a real alpine atmosphere!
However, the last kilometer is very different: you move forward across an endless scree up to the top ridge: a lunar ambiance, this time!

Walking time : 2.5 hours (ascent only ; for the peak ascent and descent, please see the hike “Climbing the north face of Mont Ventoux” )
Rating : challenging (significant elevation gain and scree hiking)
Season calendar : from May to November

Point-to-point hike.

 Breathtaking viewpoints over Haute Provence
and the southern Alps
Half-day

This alpine ambient hike starts from a mini ski resort located on the south-facing side of the Lure mountains (1,826m/5,990ft). Near the Lure summit, east to Mont Ventoux, this walking route takes you through a mixed beech and fir forest, up to the ridge.
From up there, the landscape opens up onto the opposite valley and a large number of Alpine peaks, much farer: on the horizon, northward, from the left to the right, the Vercors, the Bure and the Ecrins peaks; eastward: the Estrop peak and the mountains above the Verdon canyon; and southward: Mont Sainte Victoire and the Luberon mountains; in one word, most of south of France heights located east of the Rhône river!
And if lucky, you may enjoy seeing some chamois: they are the alpine goats that live on the steep and stoney north-facing slopes of the mountain range.

Walking time : 2.5 hours
Rating : moderate
Season calendar : year-round (on snow-covered ground, choice of a shortened route and use of snowshoes)

Through the vineyards of Gigondas
in the heart of the Dentelles de Montmirail
Half-day or Full Day

Hiking in the Mont Ventoux region includes a detour via the Dentelles de Montmirail. Those four jagged limestone ridges, 2-3 miles long, owe their name to the unique outline of their crags: dentelle means lace.
Just a 40-minute drive from Avignon, these needle-thin crests, about 1,000 feet high, are made of dramatically steep cliffs and spikes. They tower over vineyards that carpet hillsides all around, especially the ones of the famous Gigondas appellation. During this walk you enjoy roaming among the terraced vineyards before hiking up to the top of the Dentelles de Montmirail ridgelines. And if you are a wine lover, your guide can set up a visit to one of the châteaux nearby, so typical of Provence’s wineries: you will taste the outcome of their last harvest.

Walking time : 3.5 or 4.5 hours depending on pace and route
Rating : moderate (rugged terrain)
Season calendar : year-round (summer : 8am – 11am only, not allowed on fire risk days)

A medieval chapel in Haute Provence
Half-day or Full Day

Located in Haute Provence, on the south-facing slopes of the Lure mountains, is to be found the chapel of Notre-Dame de Lure (1,236m). It is the remaining part of a 12th century abbey. In front of the church, four majestic trees, three linden and one walnut, have been guarding the place for centuries.
You reach this peaceful site from the small town of St-Etienne les Orgues, set at the foot of the mountain. To do so, you have to climb up through different areas of vegetation: some with native shrubs and trees, others with plantations, as your local guide can show you. Just before destination, as the Mediterranean climate influence is tempered by the altitude, you penetrate the last vegetation level: a beech grove, where the ambiance delightfully changes.

Walking time : 3 hours (5 hours if you walk down back to the village)
Rating : challenging (significant elevation gain)
Season calendar : year-round

Point-to-point or circular hike.

Wide-open Monts de Vaucluse & Albion plateau
Half-day or Full Day

The vast landscapes of Monts de Vaucluse and Albion plateau, extended north by Mont Ventoux and the Lure mountains, are close to the valley north of the Luberon. However, they do not look like the Luberon or anywhere else in Provence. When you are going for a walk up there, you have the feeling of being closer to the sky. Each season can bring you a particular kind of beauty: the views of blossoming lavender fields in early summer are the most famous ones. But, on sunny winter days, when air is colder and definitely clearer, what an amazing scenery opens up to you! Beyond the rolling hills and surrounding wide-open lands, are visible: the summits of Mont Ventoux and of Lure nearby; and further, the beautiful Alps, covered in snow, at a distance exceeding 80 km (50 mi).

Walking time : 3 hours (or 5 hours depending on route)
Rating : moderate
Season calendar : year-round (summer: morning only and not allowed on fire risk days)

 

Full Day Hikes

 

 

MONT VENTOUX AND THE LURE MOUNTAINS  FULL DAY WALKING TOURS

 

 

 

Climbing the north face of Mont Ventoux
Full Day

The morning hike up to the top of Mont Ventoux (1,911m/6,270ft) is one of the most beautiful ascents. You first leave a ski resort, located on the north-facing slopes of the Giant of Provence, at 1,400 m: Mont Serein. The hike is 6 miles long, but with a 1,730 ft elevation change up and the same down. In the morning, under the leadership of your local guide, you walk constantly uphill, mainly through a mixed forest of pines, firs, larches and beech trees: a real alpine atmosphere. However, the last kilometer is very different: you move forward across an endless scree up to the top ridge: a lunar ambience, this time!
For the descent back to Mont Serein ski resort in the afternoon, you use the same trail.

Walking time : 4.5 hours (out-and-back trail)
Rating : challenging (significant elevation gain and scree hiking)
Season calendar : from mid-April to December (except on snow-covered ground)

 Hiking an alternate trail up
to the “Giant of Provence”
Full Day

If you enjoy taking in a panoramic view and catching sight of the mountains visible on the horizon, this day hike up to the summit of Mont Ventoux is for you. But, please don’t choose a day when stationary clouds cover the peak of the mountain from morning till evening! Nor should you go when wind gusts reach 100 mph or more (Provence’s record with 200 mph) !
Along this trail you spend one hour and a half following the ridge up to the top. You come upon a mere few pines during the first part, and only some dwarf junipers during the last one. And if Mont Ventoux looks like snow-capped from the distance even during warmest months, you will see why today: a huge limestone scree covers the ground up there.

Walking time : 5 hours
Rating : challenging
Season calendar : year-round (on snow-covered ground, choice of a shortened route and use of snowshoes). Not allowed on fire risk days.

Walking in the footsteps of Haute Provence’s writer, Jean Giono
Full Day

This guided hike takes place in a part of Provence out of the tourist way. And yet, the south-facing side of the Lure mountains nourished the famous writer Jean Giono‘s dreams. These wide-open uplands “where deserts are really desert lands”, as he wrote, are a vast area of shepherds, dry stone walls, barrenness and wind; a land of uncountable starry nights, where winters are harsh and soils stubborn. From this hike, in addition to the tales about Giono‘s works by your local guide, another key event will probably remain engraved in your memories: the sight of several dry stone sheepfolds on different sites, each one built of half a million stones. Truly a world apart.

Walking time : 6 hours
Rating : challenging
Season calendar : year-round

Climbing the Lure mountains
Full Day

The ascent of the Lure mountains (1,826m/5,990ft) starts from St Etienne Les Orgues, the small town which lies at its foot. This top hike offers numerous highlights including the chapel of Notre-Dame de Lure and the vast scenery from the top ridge!
Moreover, another interesting feature of this south-facing trail is the variety of vegetation types you walk through: first, lavender fields and wild thyme moorlands around the village; then, downy oak woods and black pine groves; and as altitude increases, a beech forest where firs are more and more numerous; finally the wide-open beauty of grasslands in the subalpine zone. And if coming at the right season, you can learn the names of the flowers from your local guide.
Lastly, one of the significant advantages of this trail in the heart of Haute Provence is its coolness, even in hot summer periods.

Walking time : 6 hours (point-to-point hike)
Rating : challenging (high elevation gain)
Season calendar : year-round (on snow-covered ground, choice of a shortened route and use of snowshoes)

 The full ascent of Mont Ventoux
Full Day

This hike is the great adventure to live in the area if you like long-term physical efforts. That’s due to the fact that you climb the north-facing side of Mont Ventoux, from the bottom to the top. 90% of this ascent takes place in the middle of forests: first, among oaks and pines, then mostly under beech trees and firs, and finally through the highest forest zone, under mountains pines. It is only during the last half-hour of your climbing that trees disappear; you then walk among stones, millions of stones everywhere and can watch an immense panorama when you turn around.
After several hours of loneliness and silence, you finally reach the top and meet dozens of cyclists and other excursionists. At last, you have the right to contemplate the south-facing slopes and foothills of the mountain and to enjoy the view all around.

Walking time : 6 hours (point-to-point hike)
Rating : difficult (very high elevation gain: 1,525m / 5,000ft)
Season calendar : year-round (on snow-covered ground, choice of a shortened route and use of snowshoes)