From Vitrolles-en-Lubéron to Oppedette

This fourth stage begins with a route halfway up the wooded slope of the Vallat de Pissaire before entering the Ravin du Gancet and then crossing the Aiguebelle valley to reach the hilltop village of Montjustin. The route follows the ridge of the hill separating this valley from that of the Encrême and descends to reach Céreste, situated at their confluence. It crosses the remarkable Pont de la Baou before revealing, nestled in the woods, the medieval Priory of Carluc. It climbs the side of the valley and swings over to that of the Grand Vallat, then ascends its sunny slope towards Sainte-Croix-à-Lauze, from where it reaches the top of the Cavalon valley before descending it to reach the village of Oppedette.

This walk is part of a multi-day hike: Tour of the Luberon

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 16.74 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 9h 50 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Very difficult

  • ⚐
    Back to start: No
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 2,434 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 2,405 ft

  • ▲
    Highest point: 2,470 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 1,181 ft

Photos

Description of the walk

(S) On leaving the stopover lodge, turn left twice and take the Route de Céreste (D33) to leave the village.

(1) Continue straight on along the road following the GRP®.

(2) After a hairpin bend to the left, turn right against the flow of traffic onto the Piste de Roumagaou (no vehicles). You will come to a junction (signpost).

(3) Stay on the track straight ahead. At a Fork in the road, continue straight ahead and at the next one, turn right.

(4) At a barrier, leave the track and take a path on the left towards Jacquas (GRP®). Cross a stream then stay on the main track. Cross a path and rejoin the Piste de Roumagaou.

(5) Follow it up to the right. At its hairpin bend to the right, cross a torrent and ignore the path climbing up to the left into the Vallon de Jacquas. On almost level ground, go round the Grand Garbeyron to the right. Then head east-northeast halfway up the Vallat de Pissaire. Reach a junction at a hairpin bend (signpost).

(6) Leave the track and turn left onto a overgrown path that climbs up the Ravin du Gancet. Ignore the side tracks. You’ll come out at a large crossroads and turn right to reach the “Luzerne” sign.

(7) Head down to the left (north-west) along the GRP® towards Montjustin. Then head north until you reach a junction.

(8) Turn onto the wide path on the right. Pass under a high-voltage power line and emerge at a bend in the Route du Colombier.

(9) Cross the road and go over a small bridge. Pass through the hamlet of Le Colombier and follow the road uphill to the entrance to the village of Montjustin.

(10) Leave the village on your right and take the Chemin des Crêtes (West), signposted GR®4, straight ahead.

(11) At a junction, turn right and head down a gentle slope. Join the Chemin de Montjustin.

(12) Follow the path as it continues and reach a junction (signpost).

(13) Cross a small concrete bridge over the Ruisseau d'Aiguebelle and reach a junction just before the D31.

(14) Continue to the right along the Chemin de l'Hubac. You will reach the D4100 at the entrance to the village of Céreste (chapel opposite).

(15) Follow the road to the right for about fifty metres. Then turn left onto Avenue du Dr. Borty (GR®4 signposted). Cross an old stone bridge and you will immediately come to a fork.

(16) Turn right onto Route des Prés. Continue straight ahead, ignoring the side paths. Walk past an SNCF holiday centre and reach a junction.

(17) Continue straight ahead and, at the Fork in the road that appears shortly, turn left onto Chemin de la Combe. At the Fork in the road that appears immediately, ignore the track on the left and stay on the same path straight ahead. After 400 m, ignore the path on the left (elevation 394 m) and pass under a high-voltage power line. At the next Fork in the road, flanked by a pillar, keep left. Join the Route du Prieuré at a bend.

(18) Follow this road as it continues. Ignore the side dirt tracks. At the junction marked by the Carluc sign, continue straight ahead down the Ravin de Carluc valley; just before the bend to the right, take the path on the left through the scrub and rejoin the road further down. Pass in front of the Prieuré de Carluc and reach a crossroads.

(19) Turn left onto the GR®4 and follow a stream to a Fork in the road (signpost).

(20) Turn left onto the GR®4 and head uphill.

(21) Join the Chemin des Épinettes and follow it to the right. Head north, ignoring the side paths. Cross a stream and come out onto the Route du Grand Vallat.

(22) Head straight up it (north-east).

(23) At a junction near the Mas de Criquet, leave the road before it bends to the right and follow the track opposite, the Chemin du Tombereau. Further on, pass in front of the Château de la Ferrage and reach a crossroads at the entrance to the village of Sainte-Croix-à-Lauze.

(24) Take the second road on the left, the Chemin d'Apt. After about a hundred metres, turn right onto the ascending track, the Pas d'Oppedette. A kilometre further on, you’ll come to a Fork in the road (signposted).

(25) Take the path opposite (ignore the one on the right).

(26) Pass the hamlet of Le Grand Blanc on your left and head down the Route de Sainte-Croix-à-Lauze. Pass a hairpin bend and, further on, reach a junction in its right-hand bend.

(27) Leave the road and take the path straight ahead. You’ll reach a junction on the edge of the Route des Vachères.

(28) Turn left onto the path running parallel to the road. Join the road and follow it straight on to the Oppedette town hall (ignore the D201 on the right just before the town hall).

(29) Turn right onto Rue de la Fontaine; after passing the town hall, you will reach the stopover lodge (E).

Waypoints

  1. S : mi 0 - alt. 1,657 ft - Stopover lodge, Rue de la Mairie - Église Saint-Étienne (Vitrolles-en-Luberon)
  2. 1 : mi 0.22 - alt. 1,663 ft - Junction
  3. 2 : mi 0.78 - alt. 1,804 ft - Roumagaou track
  4. 3 : mi 1.01 - alt. 1,850 ft - Intersection - Carbonnel
  5. 4 : mi 1.55 - alt. 1,827 ft - Start of the trail
  6. 5 : mi 2.16 - alt. 1,762 ft - Crossroads - Jasquas Valley
  7. 6 : mi 3.95 - alt. 1,860 ft - Crossroads - Vallon du Gancet
  8. 7 : mi 4.6 - alt. 2,054 ft - Carrefour - Luzerne
  9. 8 : mi 5.14 - alt. 1,847 ft - Junction
  10. 9 : mi 5.8 - alt. 1,463 ft - Intersection - Le Colombier
  11. 10 : mi 6.48 - alt. 1,811 ft - Montjustin
  12. 11 : mi 7.4 - alt. 1,617 ft - Junction
  13. 12 : mi 7.85 - alt. 1,385 ft - Intersection - Longroux
  14. 13 : mi 8.36 - alt. 1,214 ft - Junction - Ravin d'Aiguebelle
  15. 14 : mi 8.44 - alt. 1,247 ft - Crossroads - Chemin des Aires
  16. 15 : mi 8.84 - alt. 1,224 ft - D4100 road - Chapelle Notre-Dame de Pitié (Céreste)
  17. 16 : mi 9.05 - alt. 1,191 ft - Junction – Route des Prés
  18. 17 : mi 9.45 - alt. 1,211 ft - Intersection - The Station
  19. 18 : mi 10.15 - alt. 1,385 ft - Intersection - Route du Prieuré
  20. 19 : mi 10.88 - alt. 1,447 ft - Crossroads - Prieuré de Carluc
  21. 20 : mi 11.12 - alt. 1,506 ft - Fork in the road - Carluc Ravine
  22. 21 : mi 11.42 - alt. 1,598 ft - Junction
  23. 22 : mi 12.3 - alt. 1,325 ft - Intersection - Route du Grand Vallat
  24. 23 : mi 12.66 - alt. 1,493 ft - Crossroads - Criquet
  25. 24 : mi 13.82 - alt. 2,028 ft - Carrefour - Sainte-Croix-à-Lauze
  26. 25 : mi 14.59 - alt. 2,467 ft - Fork in the road - Les Fourcoussens
  27. 26 : mi 15.23 - alt. 2,201 ft - Le Grand Banc
  28. 27 : mi 16 - alt. 1,900 ft - Crossroads – Route de Sainte-Croix-à-Lauze
  29. 28 : mi 16.4 - alt. 1,781 ft - Junction
  30. 29 : mi 16.65 - alt. 1,667 ft - Crossroads - Oppedette Town Hall
  31. E : mi 16.74 - alt. 1,660 ft - Oppedette municipal stopover lodge

Notes

Always be cautious and plan ahead when you're outdoors. Visorando and the author of this route cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurring on this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

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