Col de Rabou via the Sentier des Bans

A varied hike offering beautiful views of the Pic de Bure, or from the Col de Rabou, as well as a walk through an old hamlet with the Chapel of La Crotte. Not to mention the spectacular Sentier des Bans, which you will have the chance to walk along twice.

Please note: see the comments on the cliff-top path in the ‘Practical information’ section.

Details

n°2371358

Creation:
05 Aug 2019

Last update:
28 Dec 2023

Last review:
05 Nov 2022

Activity: Walking
Distance: 11.71 mi
Duration according to the author: 10 hrs
Difficulty: Very difficult
Back to start: Yes
Ascent: + 4,580 ft
Descent: - 4,570 ft
Highest point: 6,198 ft
Lowest point: 3,658 ft

Country: France
Areas: Alps, Dévoluy, Dauphiné
City: Rabou (05400)
Start/End: N 44.594851° / E 6.006953°
IGN map(s): Ref. 3337OT, 3337OTR, 3338ET
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Description of the walk

Park 500 m after the Rabou exit (car park before the barrier).

(S/E) Follow the^GR®93(Sentier des Bans) which continues straight ahead, due north.

(1) At the oratory, continue on the^GR® to the left, follow the sign for “Sentier des Bans” and start climbing.
The Sentier des Bans is an old mule track winding its way for 3.3 km through the cliffs overlooking the Petit Buëch gorges.
After the tricky section in the cliff, the path descends towards the Petit Buëch.
Comment by BLT DJM 25/05/2021:
- The ravine section has been made safer and stabilised with wire mesh, creating a relatively wide path, all held in place by numerous sturdy stakes

(2) Leave the^GR® and head left towards the Col de Conode, then descend to the Petit Buëch. Cross it and then head right.
Comment by BLT DJM 25/05/2021:
- Two footbridges have been reinstalled, allowing you to cross the Buech even after heavy rain without any particular difficulty and in complete safety
Shortly after the^first cairn, head up to the left through the woods to reach a flat area with a clearing.

(3) Turn left as you arrive to enjoy an unobstructed view directly opposite the Pic de Bure. Return to the path and pass through some ruins. Keep to the left to eventually descend towards the stream, cross it and follow the cattle track. Climb back up in zigzags along a damp path (with a flowing spring).

(4) This junction is not very visible, but if you turn round you can see two old wooden signs. Walk past the Crotte chapel.

(5) Head right towards the Col de Rabou, following the red and yellow^GRP® markings, then further on red and white (^GR®), ...then yellow. However, the markings are not essential as the path is clearly defined.

Cross the Torrent de la Crotte (during the snowmelt, the crossing can be quite tricky), then the path, sheltered by a beech forest, becomes steep again and climbs across the Montagne de Barges.

As you approach the pass, the path disappears; in fact, it winds its way through the rocks and emerges onto a ledge, less well-known than the Sentier des Bans but longer in terms of exposure (fortunately there is a cable to hold on to)

(6) Once at the pass, carry on a little further to enjoy a clearer view of the Petit and Grand Ferrand... as well as the buildings of the Superdévoluy resort.

For the return journey, there are three options:

1) Return via the same route, which means you’ll have the sun on the Sentier des Bans all the way to the car park (S/E). This is the route described in this hike.

2) Return to point 4, turn right towards Moissière, and from Le Rabou turn left towards the car park (S/E). This section is also quite steep.

3) Return to point 2 to climb up the opposite slope and, at an altitude of 1385m, turn right to return via the Route Forestière de l'Escout to the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

S/E : mi 0 - alt. 3,885 ft - Parking before the barrier. Exit at Rabou.
1 : mi 0.11 - alt. 3,921 ft - Sentier des Bans. Oratory
2 : mi 2.05 - alt. 3,793 ft - Heading towards the Col de Conode - Petit Buëch (rivière)
3 : mi 2.64 - alt. 4,091 ft - Flat clearing
4 : mi 3.12 - alt. 4,213 ft - Sentier des Bans (Moissiere alternative on the return leg)
5 : mi 3.28 - alt. 4,301 ft - Heading towards the Col de Rabou
6 : mi 6.01 - alt. 6,198 ft - Col de Rabou
S/E : mi 11.71 - alt. 3,888 ft - Parking before the barrier. Exit at Rabou.

Notes

Warning: cliff-edge path carved into the rock face: not suitable for those prone to vertigo
No water sources.

You can swim in the Petit Buëch, just to cool off before heading back up the Sentier des Bans.

The path is much more beautiful at sunset

Worth a visit

The abandoned village of Chaudun. (not to be confused with the old hamlet with the Chapel of La Crotte featured in this hike)

Reviews and comments

4.8 / 5

Based on 3 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.5 / 5

Ease of following the route
5 / 5

Route interest
5 / 5

JODIDO

05 Nov 2022 at 20:05 3600 • Edited: 06 Nov 2022 at 16:27 3600

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 05, 2022
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : Not used / Not applicable
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

I had already done this wonderful hike in July 2020.
So I went back there today, despite the 340 km drive there and back from Le Pontet (Vaucluse).
I could never have hoped for such weather in November: a deep blue sky, very few clouds and majestic autumnal colours. But there was also an icy wind blowing intermittently, which left my hands purple at the top of the pass.
Changes since 2020: the path descending from the Vire des Bans has been re-routed, and new footbridges have been installed to cross the torrents. However, nothing has been done about the ford just after the Chapelle de la Crotte. In 2020, there wasn’t even a sign pointing to the Col, and I carried on following the stream for 15 minutes before retracing my steps, realising I was on the wrong track! To find the path on the other side of the stream, simply follow the stream on the left to spot suitable crossings. But it’s nothing complicated. It took me 1 hour 40 minutes from La Chapelle to reach the summit of the Col, but just before I got there, I got a nasty cramp in my right calf, which kept coming back several times on the descent. I think I haven’t drunk enough water over the last few days and I’ve paid the price! There was a 5–7 cm layer of snow at the summit, and a magnificent, unobstructed view of the SuperDévoluy resort, the Grand Ferrand ( 2,757 m ) and the Grande Tête de l’Obiou ( 2,789 m).
I didn’t stay there long, as I didn’t have any gloves and my hands quickly turned purple in the icy wind, so I couldn’t move my fingers! It certainly wasn’t warm at 1,888 metres!
Apart from a couple I passed in the morning after setting off, and a group heading up the Sentier des Bans on my way back, I didn’t see anyone else going up to or coming down from the Col du Rabou. I just spotted a female hiker near the signposts at the top of the pass.
It took me 6 hours and 25 minutes in total, with very few breaks (less than 40 minutes) so as not to end up walking in the dark, bearing in mind I’d started the hike at 9.25 am. But by 3.50 pm, I was back at the car park!
I was in awe all day long, and I have absolutely no regrets about driving for five hours – I thoroughly enjoyed myself!

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BLT DJM

25 May 2021 at 23:43 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 25, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hike completed on 17 May 2021:
- the eroded section has been made safer and stabilised with wire mesh forming a relatively wide path, all held in place by numerous sturdy stakes
- Two footbridges have been reinstalled, allowing the Buech to be crossed safely and without particular difficulty even after heavy rain
- the lower crossing of the Crotte stream can be made using a sturdy fallen tree trunk (50 to 60 cm in diameter)
However, to cross the stream after the chapel, you must look carefully for a safe passage, as the heavy rain of recent weeks has severely eroded the banks of the stream, making access difficult.

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JODIDO

22 Jul 2020 at 21:28 7200 • Edited: 22 Jul 2020 at 21:37 7200

Yes, that’s right, Chaudun isn’t a hamlet, but there’s no sign of it as you climb up to the Col de Rabou.
Just a few ruins just before the Chapelle de la Crotte.
I still maintain that the elevation gain calculation is incorrect.
As I’ve already mentioned, there are only 708 metres between the car park and the Col de Rabou (1180 to 1888)
You can add about 300 metres if you take into account the short climbs after the various crossings of the Petit-Buech. It’s not possible for me to reach more than 1,000 metres.
You state 1,120 m as the lowest point. But given the descent after the section through the cliffs, I think we are much lower than that.
Despite this, I can’t see how you’ve calculated a vertical ascent of over 1,350 metres...!
The estimated time of 9 hours 20 minutes also seems exaggerated to me!
Because it only took me 6 hours 45 minutes, including a break of nearly an hour at the pass... Admittedly, I keep up a fairly brisk pace, but I think a maximum of 8 hours would be a much more accurate estimate!

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Franck D

20 Jul 2020 at 19:42 7200 • Edited: 20 Jul 2020 at 19:43 7200

Hello Jodido

I’ve updated the hike, specifying

the exact distance for the cliff section
and added a clarification about the hamlet. (But note that Chaudun wasn’t a hamlet: it was a village with a church, a town hall...)

As for the elevation gain, I’ve recalculated it based on the map: I’ve arrived at the same result.
Incidentally, on Visorando there is another route with an alternative return route which indicates 1532m.

As for the difficulty, it’s more down to the two tricky sections; without them, Visorando classifies it as ‘difficult’ by default.

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JODIDO

18 Jul 2020 at 12:23 7200 • Edited: 22 Jul 2020 at 21:20 7200

Overall rating : 4.5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 17, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : Not used / Not applicable
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A magnificent hike with unbroken views of the Pic de Bure.
It took me 3 hours 15 minutes from the car park to climb to the top of the Col and 2 hours 30 minutes to get back.
The path allowing you to cross the Petit Buech after the Chapelle de la Crotte does not exist. You must not continue along the path, but instead head towards the stream and look for the path on the other bank. Do not go more than 200 metres from the chapel.
Someone I met at the summit told me there was a path that followed the Petit Buëch just before crossing it to climb back up the Sentier des Bans and return to Rabou. But I turned back after 10 minutes, as I couldn’t find it.

There are a few errors in the original description. The section along the cliffs is only 3.3 km long, not 4. There is a signpost near the Petit Buëch indicating this distance.
You do not pass through a hamlet (the hike to Chaudin is a different one) but just a few stone ruins before reaching the Chapel.
The elevation gain given is incorrect; it is not 1,300 m, but around 1,000 m. As the car park is at 1,180 m and the Col at 1,888 m, this gives 705 metres plus around 300 metres, taking into account the descents and ascents when crossing the Petit Buëch.
The “Very difficult” rating seems somewhat excessive to me. Apart from the two tricky sections on the cliffs, the rest of the hike presents no other difficulties.

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