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Start from the car park at the church in Saint-Laurent-du-Verdon.
(S/E) From the church, follow the road through the village until you reach the crossroads with the oratory, passing in front of the "castle", a large house flanked by four towers and set in the middle of a somewhat bare park. At the crossroads with the oratory, turn left onto the Route de Riez, which climbs up towards the cemetery until you pass it.
(1) About two hundred metres after the cemetery, take the path that climbs straight ahead as the road curves to the left. The path climbs through a wooded landscape until it curves to the left as it reaches a pine forest.
Shortly afterwards, when the slope levels out, you will come to a cultivated clearing that opens onto the vast Valensole Plateau. Continue along the track until you reach a plot planted with lavender and a solitary tree on the right-hand side of the path, at the boundary between two agricultural plots.
(2) At the tree, leave the path on the right and follow the boundary between the fields until you reach the nearby wooded edge. When you reach it, turn right again and follow this edge until it forms a right angle. (As shown on the map, there should be a path slightly below the edge, but it seems to have disappeared due to lack of use).
At the corner of the plot, look for a trail that leads into the vegetation and follow the path on the right that goes most directly into the slope. After 200 metres, you will reach a clearing with three wooden supports holding up the electric cables that cross the landscape. If you have difficulty finding the trail above, look up to locate the cables.
(3) Take the track that starts on the right of the pylons. It winds down a ridge and offers the first views of the village and Lake Montpezat. After 800 metres of descent through sparse woodland, you will reach the D331, the road that connects Montpezat to Saint-Laurent-du-Verdon.
(4) Follow the road for about 350 m until you reach a path that branches off to the right and leads to the lake shore. Follow this path along the shore until you reach the "La Farigoulette" campsite hut and the pontoon that allows you to board the lake.
Go to the campsite entrance and, just before you reach it, take the path on the left, following the fence.
After crossing a ditch, take the track on the left that follows the lake shore as closely as possible until you reach the furthest point, where the lower gorges open up on the right, leading to Lac d'Artignosc, a little further downstream. The spot is ideal for swimming, but the water is not warm!
(5) Go around the point to the right to follow the riverbank. After joining the track coming from the campsite on your right, continue straight ahead, climbing the rocks overlooking the gorges. The path is narrow and steep, but it's hard to go wrong as it's the only one that follows the water's edge. Along the way, you'll discover some beautiful views of the turquoise waters of the Verdon.
After reaching the highest point of the route between the two lakes, the trail becomes steep for a few dozen metres before levelling out as you move towards the lower lake and reach the bank of the second lake.
(6) The landscape widens and the banks lower. Go around the lake on the right to reach the exit, where the banks close in again for another section of gorges.
After passing the road access to the lake, the trail climbs up to the rocky ridge that closes it off. As you climb and move away from the bank, head towards the road that crosses the Verdon bridge, a little further on the left, just at the entrance to the new gorges. Return to the road by turning right just before the pumping station building.
(7) When you reach the road, leave the bridge on your left and continue straight ahead to follow the river downhill. Walk along the top of the cliff for about a kilometre before the trail curves to the right and reaches a ravine where you can see the river below.
(8) Go up the ravine for about 100 metres, then turn left to cross the valley and climb up the opposite slope. After climbing the hill, reach a plot planted with pine trees and follow it on the right.
At the corner, turn left and follow the path that winds between the last rows of trees. A little further down, pass some caravan wrecks as you climb up to the right towards the Chapelle Notre-Dame.
(9) Pass to the left of the building and continue straight ahead, then follow the path as it curves to the right. Shortly afterwards, you will come to a residential area. Cross it before coming to a huge agricultural plot that stretches to the edge of the gorges, which you cannot see from here.
(10) Turn your back to the valley and go up the small road that leads to the first houses of Saint-Laurent-du-Verdon. Pass a long farm building on your right before coming out onto the departmental road. Turn right and go up through the village to the church (S/E).
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