Discovering the mountains of Provence

Description

Based near Aix-en-Provence, we will discover three massifs of Provence with strong character and very different atmospheres. Two days on the Sainte-Victoire mountain, its large cliffs with thousand shades painted by the greatest, a day to discover the Sainte-Baume, mysterious and sacred mountain since always where nestles the last primary forest of Provence and two days in the Lubéron massif, the big one and the small one. We will visit the amazing gorges of the Régalon, the cedar forest and its majestic trees, the charming villages of the north face and the peak crest in flowers of Mourre Nègre.

Three massifs at more than one thousand meters of altitude where the view is from the Alps to the Mediterranean Sea, three areas for a very rich fauna and flora. A week full of surprises and curiosities!

Discovery level: you do not necessarily have any hiking or mountain experience but you're in decent physical shape and would like a holiday with some great hikes that may require a little effort. Hiking days from 4 and a half to 6 hours of walking with a maximum of positive altitude difference of 700 meters. The pace is continuous and good breaks are planned during the day. The routes are on good mountain trails often stony but without difficulties.

If you feel like other beautiful stays in the south of France, you can follow me to go hiking in the Baronnies, to discover the Calanques of Marseille and Cassis or on the trails of the gorges and summits of Verdon.

Program

D1: The Mourre Nègre, summit of the Grand Lubéron.
From the charming villages of the north face, we climb through a beautiful coniferous forest to the summit ridge of Grand Lubéron and its flowering meadows. A beautiful grassy ridge awaits us to reach the Mourre Nègre, the highest point of the massif. From above, the view is superb all over Provence, the Ventoux, theLure mountain, Sainte-Victoire and Sainte-Baume, our goals of the week.
Positive and negative altitude differences: 550 meters, 4 hours and a half of walking.

D2: The Croix de Provence, summit of Sainte-Victoire.
The climb to the cross of Provence by the Imoucha trail is an exceptional and emblematic route of the region. From the south face and in a typically Mediterranean scrubland, the landscape is discovered little by little while climbing on the crest. The white limestone that  follows us all week long is more and more present and, once out of the forest, are on one side the turquoise waters of Lake Bimont, on the other all the Provence which appears gradually. We have a short walk to the priory, former hermitage, before reaching the summit where the view is amazing from the Alps to the Mediterranean. We do not miss the descent to Cézanne refuge and the view of the cliff at a time when the setting sun begins to ignite it.
D+ / D-: 700m, 5 hours and a half of walking.

D3: The Petit Lubéron and its cedar forest through the Régalon gorges.
A little further north, you live a very varied day to discover the small Lubéron massif. First the Régalon gorges, a surprising dry canyon where the hiker sneaks, then small trails that zigzag on rocky ridges to finally lead to the crests and the famous cedar forest. Throughout, we see many traces of forestry and pastoral activities. The fauna and flora is also there with many birds of prey.
D+ / D-: 600m, 5 hours and a half of walking.

D4: Sainte-Baume, its peaks, its cave and its primary forest.
The day hike go to thediscovery of the most unusual and mysterious mountain of Provence. From Plan d'Aups we climb the north face of Sainte-Baume through the last primary forest of Provence to access the peaks at nearly 1000 meters of altitude. The Mediterranean is only 20 kilometers away and the view is superb all along the coast. A beautiful crest trail brings us to Sainte-Marie Madeleine cave who gave its name to the massif, one of the most important sacred place of Christian Provence. As in Sainte-Victoire, the vegetation is strong in contrasts, Mediterranean in the south, mountainous at the top but always reserve beautiful surprises!
D+ / D-: 550m, 5 hours of walking.

D5: The Saint-Ser Hermitage and the southern face of Sainte-Victoire.
We end the week with an immersion in the immense south face of Sainte-Victoire. We go to the Saint-Ser Hermitage perched on a rocky terrace and beautiful crossing on a side slope that winds skilfully and without difficulty between the cliffs of the south face. Picnic in a suspended oasis of coolness from where, if we are lucky, we can see the eagle Bonelli, one of the rarest raptors in France.
D+ / D-: 650m, 4.5 hours of walking.

NB: the program is given as an indication. The guide remains the only judge of the program that he can modify at any time, for security reasons or according to weather conditions, or in relation to the physical and technical level of hikers. The indications for the rise times and stages are given as an indication

The price includes

• Supervision by the mountain leader.
• Full board accommodation and reservation in lodge (picnic for lunch).
• Bearing of meals and overnight stays of the mountain leader.
• Roundtrip transfers to hiking departures.

The price does not include

• Transport to and from the meeting place.
• Snacks.
• Personal expenses: drinks, aperitif, etc.
• Liability, repatriation and cancellation insurance.
• Anything not mentioned in "The price includes".

Accommodation

• Accommodation in a private cottage between Lubéron and Sainte-Victoire.
• Garden and Provençal atmosphere.
• Home cooking made with local products. Picnic for lunch.

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