La route des Jas et l'Abbey Church of Notre-Dame de Lure

To reach the car park, take a small road running parallel to the D951; the junction is marked by a large wooden cross. At^{the first} junction branching off to the left (yellow route), head uphill until the end of the tarmac. At the end, continue along the track for about a hundred metres to reach an open area on the left (a former archery range).

(S/E) Continue climbing along the wide, passable track until the^first junction.

(1) Take a hairpin bend to the left, heading towards Jas Neuf and following the yellow markings.

(2) Leave the main track by heading due north to the right, still following the signs for Jas Neuf.
The path is narrower and the climb steeper. Climb far enough to take a few breaks. Looking back, you have an unobstructed view of the Durance. A little further on, you’ll pass two rocks facing each other which mark the entrance to Jas Gay (private property), leading to the Sapey crossroads (triangular in shape)

(3) Continue due north but do not stay on the main track. At the exit of the junction, a path, marked in red and yellow, branches off to the left to follow the main track. Enter a forest.

(4) Cross a track and continue straight ahead

(5) You’ll reach a T-junction; turn right towards Jas Neuf.

(6) Jas Neuf is a sheepfold that was renovated in 1998; you can take a break at the tables provided, in the shade of large lime trees.
Retrace your steps.

(5) Continue straight on towards Jas de Pierrefeu, which you’ll reach after a short climb.
From the jas, there is a stunning view of the valley, where you can clearly make out the Ganagobie Plateau, then further on the Valensole Plateau and finally the entrance to the Gorges du Verdon. Facing south, the Sainte-Beaume and Sainte-Victoire mountains.
A few metres above the Jas de Pierrefeu is a signpost.
Continue along the track, following the signposts, and cut across a hairpin bend to rejoin the track.

(7) You’ll find yourself on a wide, balcony-like track leading into a beech forest.

(8) Pay close attention here as, at a Y-junction, you leave the main track for a path on the right, heading towards Jas Roche. A little further on, you reach a fairly steep descent that plunges down towards Jas Roche.

(9) From the jas, head right, north-westwards, following the direction of Notre-Dame de Lure. You’ll come to a wide track in the Chavalet valley and stay in the forest.

(10) A small path branches off to the left, heading south, allowing you to climb towards the Défends des Bœufs.

(11) This junction is shaped like a trident; the paths on the left and right are marked in yellow. Take the middle track, which is unmarked.
The path is clearly visible and wide, but the climb is steeper. You eventually reach the highest point of the hike (elevation 1269m).

(12) At this Y-junction, turn left, staying on the widest path.
Please note: in this area, you will cross a downhill mountain bike track.

(13) When you see the yellow markings again, continue straight on, following the signs for Notre-Dame de Lure.

(14) At the abbey, you can take a break at the tables in the shade of walnut and lime trees, some of which are several hundred years old.
Naturally, a visit to the church is a must.
Head towards the car park to descend into the Lure valley to Jas le Marguerier.

(15) Walk past the sheepfold to return and head up into the forest. Return to the T-junction at Défends des Bœufs.

(11) Return along the same route as on the way out to Jas Roche.

(9) At the Jas, this time continue straight on, south-east, towards Cruis. Leave the forest to rejoin a wide, winding track.

(16) Follow the yellow markings, descending to the right towards Cruis. The marked path descends to Bas du Défends, where you arrive near some houses.

(17) Head back up, turning left towards the north-east.
A climb of nearly 100m with little of interest. The balcony path suggested in the alternative route avoids this climb.

(18) Take the track on the right heading south-east.

(2) Continue straight on along the path you took on the way out.

(1) Turn right at the hairpin bend to return to the car park (S/E).

There is a spring at the Abbey of Notre-Dame de Lure.

Variations:
(16) You can continue straight on to go directly to (18) by staying on the balcony path.

You can shorten the walk by not going to Notre-Dame de Lure (which would be a shame); this cuts out 6km and just over 2 hours: to do this, go directly from (9) to (16).

Apart from the start, a large part of the route is in the forest, so this hike is suitable for warmer weather.

Notre-Dame de Lure Abbey: this is a former Chalaisian abbey founded in 1165, which at the time was the highest-altitude abbey (1,200m). Today, the abbey church and the hermitage remain.

Montagne de Lure.

The other Jas:
Les Bergeries du Contras.
Les Bergeries du Contadour.