Route de Tracastel and Clue de Saint-Auban

Date of your route : Nov 25, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very picturesque route

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Date of your route : Nov 20, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant walk with beautiful views, especially of the castle.
The route has a few tricky sections, especially if it is raining (or has rained).
A few details: marker 476 is located after the passage between the two houses, further on there is a fork where a marker indicates Castellar: turn right (not indicated).Marker 463 is located after an open gate (with letterboxes), which may cause some hesitation (confirmed by two people we met). Finally, the clearing mentioned at the waterfall is located after crossing the Borrigo: there may be a lot of water. The cairn indicated for the return route no longer exists.
You can do the walk in reverse: park near the waterfall and do the route starting with the waterfall and the hamlet of La Virette (recommended). You start with an ascent and finish with a descent, which is more pleasant.

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Date of your route : Sep 24, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike with lots of varied landscapes. Quite a steep climb at the start above the village (the walking sticks really helped!). A refreshing stretch through the woods. An impressive and majestic route through the gorges. At point 4, there is an opening in the barrier that allows access to the water's edge for canyoning departures (then climb back up through the same opening to continue on the road). In addition to a torch for crossing the tunnels, we wore fluorescent vests because there is road traffic on this small road through the gorge.

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Date of your route : Sep 23, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

The first half of the forest crossing (towards the west) is a bit monotonous, as the forest cover on the slope obscures the landscape. However, as soon as you start descending (at point 2), you are rewarded with a beautiful view of the other side of the valley.
Please note: once we reached the road and passed the tunnels, we encountered a problem related to point 4 of the description. It instructs you to "reach the edge of the Clue" by passing through an "opening in the safety barrier". Once you have done this, you follow the stream from rock to rock until, after about a hundred metres, you reach a point that cannot be crossed on dry land. Having turned back to return to the road, we then discovered, from the road, once we reached the obstacle, the existence of a knotted rope facilitating direct access to the tarmac by climbing through two grassy banks. Was this the only way to "then resume the route", as indicated in point 4 of the description? It remains a mystery.

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Date of your route : Jun 30, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

I really enjoyed this hike, which we did in the morning to make the most of the cool air...
The climb, although quite steep, offers a beautiful view of the village of Saint Auban and its surroundings to the south.
I enjoyed the long walk through the forest towards Soleilhas and the gentle descent to the Saint Martin valley. The view to the north is very clear.
As indicated in the hike description, you need to be careful when you reach the road through the gorge, which is very busy in summer, especially when going through the two tunnels (it's a shame that the old road that bypasses the second tunnel has been closed to pedestrians).
The shortcut back to the village is pleasant.

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Date of your route : Jun 20, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

At first, the cliffside path above the village may dampen our enthusiasm, but the old rampart beyond the plateau is quickly reached. The route then continues through the woods, which is very pleasant in hot weather. The descent from the plateau is steady for 2 km to reach the road that runs alongside the gorge. Here, the views of the canyon are spectacular and much more enjoyable on foot than by car. But be sure to walk on the left (facing the vehicles) and in the two tunnels, don't hesitate to turn on your phone's torch to be more visible. Once you reach the entrance to the gorge, a slightly steep path followed by steps leads to the church car park where your car is parked.

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Date of your route : May 14, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk, the starting village is charming. The passage through the gorge is very beautiful, even if it is via the road. We were lucky that it wasn't too busy at this time of year. Easy, very good for getting back into it!

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Date of your route : Oct 25, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

a very beautiful, easy, fairly short and varied hike, climbing southwards past the ruins of Tracastel, with a lovely stretch through the forest offering views of the hinterland, and returning via the gorge. You have to take the road, so it's best to avoid this route in summer and during the tourist season, but the scenery is impressive.

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Date of your route : Jun 02, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

No particular difficulties. Shaded route that can be done even in high temperatures. Ideal for getting back into shape

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Date of your route : Aug 24, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A moderate-length hike with no major difficulties; there is a slightly steep climb at the very beginning to the Tracastel gate, but it is short. The rest of the route is easy going. Please note that the end of the route follows a departmental road along the Saint-Auban gorge, with a short but real crossing of two tunnels (about 50 metres each): it is advisable to carry a torch to signal to vehicles just in case. Do not cross the field until you reach the last marker, again at the side of the road.

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Date of your route : Nov 02, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

We modified the end of the hike by climbing between points 3 and 4 on the path that returns to point 1.

A pleasant hike, with some fairly steep climbs but easily manageable.
Just after point 3, when you go back up the road, you need to be careful because you have to go through a tunnel (not very long - about 100 metres) and there is no pavement, so watch out for cars and lorries.

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Date of your route : Sep 25, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A pleasant hike, although a bit steep for me at the start. La Clue is very beautiful
However, I don't think point 4 is in the right place. It's a little further than it appears on the map.

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Date of your route : Sep 03, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Generally speaking, we don't like walking on (fairly) busy tarmac roads, but the beauty of the site and the spectacle of groups practising canyoning made us (almost) forget this inconvenience...
All in all, it was a very interesting hike.
Two minor issues with the description: firstly, it took us a while to realise that "marker 2" did not refer to the round numbered mark added to the IGN map, but to the number of a signpost installed by the local authorities; secondly, it would be good to point out that you have to go under two road tunnels (dangerous if cars are coming in both directions!)

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Date of your route : Jul 15, 2015
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Hiking in the cool air, surrounded by trees and water

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Date of your route : Aug 13, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A beautiful hike in silence and magnificent surroundings.
Nature has created a stunning landscape.
Caution for those who are sensitive to heights, as the section on the road
is quite impressive.
You may want to bring your swimsuit in hot weather.

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