The shortest trail to climb Mont Ventoux
Half-day
This half-day guided hike leads you up to the summit of bald-headed Mont Ventoux (1,911m/6,270ft). And this is one of the mountain’s most beautiful ascents. You start from the Mont Serein ski resort: this place is situated on the north-facing slopes of the Giant of Provence, at an elevation of 4,600 feet. The hike is only 3 miles long, for sure! But with an elevation gain of 1,730 feet. 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 full day 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 Lure mountains (1,826m/5,990ft). 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 the south of France mountain tops located east of the Rhône river!
And if lucky, you may enjoy seeing some alpine goats called chamois. They live on the steep stony 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, 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 are made of dramatically steep cliffs and spikes. About 1,000 feet high, they tower over vineyards that carpet hillsides all around, especially these of the renowned Gigondas appellation. During this walk you first enjoy roaming among the terraced vineyards ; then, you hike 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: they are so typical of Provence’s wineries. You will taste there 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, in the Lure mountains, the chapel of Notre-Dame de Lure (1,236m) is a beautiful spot. The church is the remaining part of a 12th century abbey. Just opposite its entrance, four majestic trees, three linden and one walnut, have been guarding the place for centuries.
You reach this peaceful site from the small town set at the foot of the south mountainside. 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, you penetrate the last vegetation level: a beech grove, where the ambiance delightfully varies. This change occurs as the Mediterranean climate influence is tempered by elevation.
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 Vaucluse Mountains & Albion plateau
Half-day or Full Day
The vast landscapes of the Vaucluse Mountains and Albion plateau are bounded north by Mont Ventoux and the Lure mountains; and south, they are close to the valley situated north of the Luberon mountains. However, those arid highlands don’t look like its neighbors: neither the Luberon range nor any other ones 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 Montagne de Lure nearby; and further east, 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)
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: a real alpine atmosphere, mainly through a mixed forest of pines, firs, larches and beech trees. However, the last kilometer is very different: you move forward across an endless scree up to the top ridge: a lunar ambience, this time!
In the afternoon, on your descent, you follow the same trail the other way back.
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 on the horizon, please stop here! 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 mountain peak from morning till evening! Nor should you go when wind gusts reach 100 mph or more (holds a Provence’s record of 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 high south-facing side of the Lure mountains nourished the famous Provençal writer Jean Giono‘s dreams. He described these wide-open uplands as “uninhabited lands that are real deserts”; they are a vast area of sheep and shepherds, of dry stone walls, and of barrenness and wind; lands of uncountable starry nights, where winters are harsh and soils stubborn. Your local guide will of course tell you memorable stories about Giono‘s works; but another key event will probably remain engraved on your mind from this hike: the sight of several dry stone sheepfolds on different sites, each one built of half a million stones or so. 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 the small town which lies at its foot. This hike offers numerous highlights including Notre-Dame de Lure Chapel and the 360° panorama 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 elevation increases, a beech forest where firs are more and more numerous; finally, the wide-open beauty of grasslands that are typical of the subalpine zone. And if coming at the bloom season, you can learn the names of the flowers from your local guide.
Lastly, one of the best things of this trail in the heart of Provence is the coolness of the site: even in hot summer periods, you can go for a full-day hike.
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 longer-duration physical activities. 6 hours are required because you entirely climb the north side of Mont Ventoux, from the bottom to the top. 90% of this ascent takes place in the middle of forests.
First, you walk among oak and pine trees, then mostly under beech trees and firs; and finally, you trek through the highest forest zone: under mountains pines. And it is only during the last half-hour of your climbing that trees disappear; you then climb among stones, millions of stones everywhere, and you can watch a vast scenery.
After a few hours of loneliness and silence, you meet many people, cyclists or other excursionists: you have finally reached the top! At last, you can enjoy contemplating the south-facing slopes and foothills of the mountain.
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)