Beaume waterfall

From Aspres-sur-Buëch, take the road to Valence via the D 993, until you reach the village of La Beaume.

Park at the southern entrance to the village, in the car park for motorhomes (there are only a few spaces, which can fill up quickly in summer).

(S/E) Cross the D 993 road and take either the alley opposite or the main street, turning at the small fountain. You will see the remains of the fortified village: a pointed archway.

(1) Go under the medieval gate to enter the old village and go up the first alley on the right, Place du Lavoir. On the right, cross the bridge leading to the village church.

(2) Pass to the left of the church and continue along a steep path.

(3) Pass by the old hermitage, which appears to be in a state of disrepair. Continue along the steep path uphill. Do not take the path that branches off to the right (Malatière) and continue along the path towards the cross.

(4) The slope levels out. Continue along a narrow path with beautiful views of the village of La Beaume and the limestone cliff overlooking the village that gave it its name.

(5) Leave the balcony path and take the one that descends to the left. Be careful: this descent is steep and tricky. You will remain in the forest for a while before reaching an open area. Continue towards the electricity pylon, which is right next to the waterfall.
From the electricity pole, climb up the stream bed via a small path that runs alongside it and crosses it. Numerous small pools appear in the torrent. Take the opportunity to take a refreshing break with your feet in the water (see more).

(6) At the crossroads, leave the path that crosses the stream on your left (it leads to the cross above the cliff) and continue straight ahead, then turn right away from the stream (follow the yellow markings). Be careful, the overhanging path is narrow in places.
Fork left at the crossroads and follow the path to the left, passing a small bridge and reaching the village of Haute Beaume.

(7) At Haute-Beaume, pass to the left of the first house, then take the tarmac road on the right. Leave the Chemin du 19 Mars 1962 and take the one-way road opposite, which slopes slightly downhill.
At the end of the road, in the hamlet of Les Boissets, take the path on the left at the dry stone building, then immediately right. The path gives way to a pretty balcony trail that climbs to the ridge before beginning a steep descent to the D 28 road.

(8) Take the end of the road on the right, leading to La Haute Beaume, until you reach the Col de Cabre D 993 road. Descend on the left for about 300 metres. Be careful as this road is used by lorries. Finally, take the first hairpin bend on the right. Then leave the path that branches off to the left and continue straight ahead. Go through two fords and continue up this forest track through the pine and beech forest.
Finally, take the first signposted path downhill on the left (wooden signposts). Cross the railway line. Turn right carefully onto the D 993 and continue to the village of La Beaume until you reach the car park (S/E).

(2) There are several water sources in the village (fountains).

The Beaume waterfall may be dry during the summer.

(3) Château de l'Ermitage:
Around 1865, Élise Marie Bouthevin, originally from the Sarthe region, had the Château de l'Ermitage built in an oriental Romanesque style according to the instructions of the Lyon architect Guillemot. However, built on marl, the building gradually collapsed: the dome fell in 1996, followed by sections of the walls.
It is worth noting that this south-facing slope is marked by Mediterranean influences: Montpellier aphyllanthes, lavender, thyme and Montpellier soapwort. Bonelli's warblers and common chiffchaffs, small insectivorous and sub-Saharan migratory birds, can be heard in the summer.

(4) The trail is dotted with wild orchids in spring, particularly Ophrys. This area is frequented by many wild ungulates (deer, wild boar, roe deer and chamois).

(5) Beaume Waterfall
This cliff offers a magnificent view of the Chauranne valley and the Aujour mountain in the distance. The cliff you are overlooking is home to a beautiful colony of rock swallows and pairs of kestrels.

(6) The short-toed eagle nests in this area. You may be lucky enough to spot one.
A large bird of prey (wingspan 170 cm to 190 cm) with a silhouette similar to that of an eagle. The underside of this eagle is white except for its dark head, making it easily recognisable in flight when viewed from below. The "Jean le Blanc" arrives from its African wintering grounds between late February and April and leaves in September. It often nests in old conifers. Its diet is what makes it unique, as it feeds almost exclusively on reptiles (lizards and snakes). It is sometimes seen flying with a snake hanging from its beak, half swallowed.

(7) Haute-Beaume is the least populated commune in the Hautes-Alpes (8 inhabitants in the "municipal" population in 2018).

(8) Nearby, on the road to the Col de Cabre (just after the first tunnel, shortly after the junction with the D 993): a sundial carved into the rock.
It is about fifty metres above the road. It is engraved on a 35^m² slab and is 7 m high.
The sundial was built in 1807 in honour of Charles-François de Ladoucette, Baron of the Empire and Prefect of the Hautes-Alpes, who created many roads in the department, including the one linking Gap to Valence via the Col de Cabre. The sundial is listed as a historic monument.

(E) Follow Rue du Lavoir to discover a beautiful information panel about the heritage of La Beaume:
Formerly known as Mutatio Combonum, this village was already a Roman stopover on the road from Montseleucus (Montsaléon) to Vologatis (Bouglions near Beaurières in the Drôme). It was also a fortified village in the 14th century, of which a pointed arch porch remains, a vestige of a former entrance, and a castle with a square keep with bossed cornerstones. Source: [https://labeaume-05.fr]