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The hike starts at a place called "Le Jas des Melettes". It is about ten kilometres from Bedoin towards Mont Ventoux on the D974. The car park is on the right-hand side of the road (see photo so you don't miss it).
SignpostingGR®91B(white and red)
(S/E) With your back to the road, ignore the track that branches off to the right (which you will take on the way back) and take the path opposite that climbs into the forest. At the end of the path, in a small clearing, leave a faint path on your right, which you can see through the gap. Continue straight ahead until you reach a track.
(1) Turn right (the left path leads back to the road). Continue straight ahead, ignoring the paths on the left and right, until the track turns almost at a right angle
(2) Turn left, leaving the path that descends to the right, then a few metres further on, take the path that also descends to the right at Font d'Angiou (signposted "Perrache").
Unmarked
Continue climbing on this good track, keeping to the right. Ignore a track on the left (altitude 1295 on the map). Further on, in an open area, the track turns left and then back again, forming a "V". A well-marked path (cairn) allows you to cut across this bend and rejoin the track.
(3) Shortly afterwards, at the top of the climb, ignore the track that climbs to the left and take a path opposite for 820 m. The path descends along a ledge to Combe Brune. Continue to the end of this path (cairn) at an altitude of 1,363 m, without attempting to reach the end of the valley, as you will miss the path that will allow you to climb back up. It is not shown on the IGN map (I discovered its starting point by chance during a previous hike in the area).
Markings: "Vert Fluo" or "AM" or "CM" (Collège André Malraux)
Note: These markings are unusual in that they are not in the direction of travel on this part of the route, but in the opposite direction. You will therefore have your back to it. When you reach the valley, be careful to find the path that will take you out of it. Turn around to see if the signpost is still there and, above all, look out for the cairn (I reinforced it a little).
(4) Almost opposite the large cairn, a path starts behind the trees (see comments in the section "During the hike or nearby"). Cross the Combe Brune to take it. Apart from a few red marks on the trees, I didn't find much of this signposting, at least until the valley described below. Continue along this path, which is somewhat parallel to the one taken to descend to the Combe Brune. Higher up, it passes a few metres below the road and then, at a small cairn, descends into the valley below (note that the fluorescent green markings are behind the tree at the point where you descend).
In the combe (more of a valley if you look at the map: blue dotted lines), turn left to climb up it. Towards the end of the combe, climb up it on the right at a cairn. See my "Note" above. The path is not very well marked but the climb is easy through the fir trees.
(5) Come out onto a good track, turn left, go through a gate and reach the road (D164).
Unmarked
Take the road to the right for about 150 metres until you reach a hairpin bend.
(6) Leave the road and descend into the valley on the right (the path is poorly marked in places). Take the first path on the left that climbs slightly through small black pines (about 500m from the road). At the end of this path, turn right and continue to a clearing.
(7) Take the track on the left. Stay on this main track, which after a few bends leads to another larger track.
SignpostingGR®4-GR®9thenGR®91B(white and red)
(8) Turn right and, after about 300m, leave this track and take the one on the right (GR®91B). Continue along this track. Further on, in an open area, ignore the track that branches off to the left. You will arrive at the Maison forestières du Rat. A few metres further on, ignore the track on the left. After about 250m, you will come to a hairpin bend.
(9) Leave the track and take a path on the right (signpost). You will be overlooking the abandoned track. Keep to this well-marked path which, after a short flat section, descends towards Combe Brune and Font d'Angiou (captured spring).
PR® signposting (yellow) (except for the section from (11) to (12), marked with a fluorescent green "P")
(10) Facing the spring, turn left and immediately after the bend in the track, take the right-hand branch which remains flat. Ignore theGR® on the right of this track.
Note a small iron pipe emerging from the ground in places. It used to carry water from the Angiou spring to the Hôtel de la Forêt.
Ignore a path on the right that is marked on the map but not very visible on the ground and stay on this good track.
(11) Further on, leave it and take a track on the right (marked "P") until you reach a junction with several tracks.
(12) Continue straight ahead (signposted "Direction Jas des Mélettes" - yellow sign and "P"). Stay on this main track, ignoring a small path climbing up to the right that is not shown on the map, then another on the left. Return to the car park after passing through a barrier (S/E).
Beautiful hike, didn't see a single hiker along the entire route despite the intense heat. When we arrived at the Combe de Brune, we had trouble finding the path through the wood with its tangled trees, so we followed the sound of cars and motorcycles passing on the road. We took a look at the memorial stone (for Anne-Marie Pélissier). Otherwise, we had no trouble finding our way. When we arrived at the spring, all the signposts had been broken, unfortunately by idiots who have no connection with the mountains. Beautiful view of the summit of Mont Ventoux.
Visorando member
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