Destel Gorges via Le Broussan

Date of your route : Jul 20, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hike completed on 22 December 2025.
A beautiful, wild, technical and challenging hike.
2 hours 57 minutes without breaks (about 20 minutes)
Bring water and download the map as there is no mobile phone reception for much of the hike.
Thanks for this route, I really enjoyed it even if the gorges are a bit long!

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Thank you for your feedback. It is very comprehensive, and I can see that you had some difficulties, for which I apologise.
At the same time, this route is marked as very difficult in the technical data sheet.
As for the route itself, it is indeed "mariole" (fun) and enjoyable at the same time, but you need to be very careful in the gorges.
My hiking club (I wasn't the leader) has put this hike back on the programme, and the leader didn't encounter any particular problems. It's true that he knew this hike well, having done it several times before.
Personally, I prefer to stick to this route, which makes for a superb and challenging hike.
However, there is nothing to stop you from taking a different route.
Thank you for your feedback, it's always instructive.
All the best

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Date of your route : Apr 20, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

ATTENTION!!!

The start of the hike to point 5 is pleasant and fairly accessible to everyone. Be sure to download the hike in advance, as there is no internet connection everywhere. Next, you will begin a long descent where you must be careful not to slip. After point 6, it gets really difficult. If you are not in good physical shape, or if you are accompanied by children or animals, I strongly advise against continuing along the path after the Dauphin Bleu and recommend taking another trail (or even one a little before).

Once you arrive at the Blue Dolphin, you will notice a memorial plaque in memory of a deceased person (may they rest in peace...). It reminds you that you are not superheroes and that you must remain humble in the face of the mountain. It is precisely from this point that you begin a steep, dizzying climb that can be truly daunting. It is essential to take your time, as some passages are narrow and exposed, and a fall could be fatal. It is quite impressive as you are on the side of a mountain (more impressive and dangerous than physically difficult, although good physical condition is still necessary).

Once you have completed the climb and begun the descent, you will find yourself in the heart of the gorges and will have to go around the large pools by climbing up the mountainsides. Be aware that from point 7 onwards, there is no longer any real trail or markings. It was after this point that my friend and I found ourselves stuck, as there were no longer any tracks or paths, and the vegetation was taking over, in addition to still being on the mountainside. It should be noted that Visio Rando advised us to take a path that was impassable.

In conclusion, I strongly advise taking another path from the Dauphin Bleu, or being accompanied by someone who knows the route well (do not be fooled, some passages can be really risky if you do not know them, and turning back is not really possible once you have climbed up).
Another solution would be to redo the route, with markings, and make a small passage through the vegetation.

Although this hike is not really passable at the end, it is still very beautiful and impressive.

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Date of your route : Mar 07, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We had the map, description and route on our mobile phone with the free app. It seems to me that there is no sign at No. 3, or we didn't see it.
It was a pleasant walk through the woods at the start, then under the road (quite noisy). Luckily, we had eaten at the table at No. 4, which was quiet with a slight breeze, which shortened our stop.
The gorges are magnificent, with some fairly difficult passages. We saw people climbing the higher parts of the gorges in various places.
There is very little water, and when there is, it is green.

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Date of your route : Oct 05, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Route completed this October. At this time of year, it is quite shady.
A lovely balcony path leads to the picnic table at point 4. The descent that follows is quite technical with stones rolling underfoot.

Unlike the Garlaban hike through the grand vallon, the chains are there more to secure certain passages than to pull yourself up with your arms.

As mentioned above, the descent to Destel is well marked, but the path is not very clear: you have to keep your eyes open to avoid getting lost. The climb before it is quite steep but short.
A slight disappointment: the 'impassable' pothole is not that impressive! Otherwise, the water has carved out beautiful cavities of various shapes.

The circular route took 4½ hours, including a 1-hour picnic break. (good walker, leisurely pace)

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It's a superb hike, but only accessible to experienced hikers.
It's been a while since I've taken a group on this hike, but I'll do it again sometime, taking your comments into account.
Take care and all the best.

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Date of your route : Apr 24, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

This is the third time I've done it. I'd rate it as difficult but not very difficult. The route is truly magnificent. Note that the climb to the impassable point can be confusing (you turn right, which would be the eastern slope). Otherwise, there is now a sign at the top of this climb to descend into the Destel and blue markings until you return to the riverbed.
The first part is quite busy, but not the second.

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Date of your route : Nov 01, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

This is a very long and beautiful hike (7 hours with a picnic) for this route.
Half of the route (about 4 km) takes place in the Destel Gorges, scrambling over rocks (no path). Chains are installed to help with the difficult passages.
A challenging hike.

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Mr Estagnol,
Perhaps you have a problem? I have nothing to prove here, and I would ask you to be pleasant.
Start by suggesting some walks, then we can appreciate your chatter.
The matter is closed. I have nothing more to say.

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Date of your route : May 22, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Route interest : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Very busy route : Yes

No chit-chat about the results

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Well done, and what courage to tackle the gorges in rainy weather. I don't recommend it.
The route is indeed a bit challenging, but doable if you're not afraid of a bit of difficulty.
Thank you for your comment. Here's to more wonderful hikes...

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Date of your route : May 13, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A superb hike, but only for technically experienced hikers who are calm when climbing and have no fear of heights. This is not a family Sunday hike.
It's a shame we were in the rain because it's like an ice rink in some parts of the gorges. In some places, chains are welcome to prevent slipping. As for the detour around the pothole at points 7 and 8, it becomes dangerous, especially as the yellow trail is no longer marked when climbing, so you have to rely on the cairns here and there and the GPS track. Further on, we also found ourselves with an impassable pothole, so we had to climb back up the cliff to descend further down a very steep and barely visible path. As for another one with both feet in the water, we had no choice.
In the end, it's technically difficult but not insurmountable, and it's really worth seeing what the water has done to smooth the rocks and create the potholes. It took us 5 hours and we were accompanied (which is better). Thank you for this discovery.

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Date of your route : Jan 22, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The hike is superb, but you need to pay close attention to the trail, which is easy to lose in the Destel Gorges. The descent between points 4 and 5 is steep with small stones and marks the first difficult section of the route. The section between points 6 and 7 is really fun. At point 7, be careful not to miss the blue dolphin trail that climbs up through the rocks. The chain in place helps you progress. The markings disappear regularly, so don't lose sight of the cairns that help you descend into the gorges. Be careful, as the terrain is slippery and rocky. The rest of the hike involves walking along the bed of the Destel, looking for the best passages among the rocks. It took us 5 hours of actual walking. A time of 3 hours 50 minutes is a really good performance for this type of hike.

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Well done! Once you've passed the last pothole, don't miss the path that leads back down to the gorges.
The potholes must have been dry at this time of year, and it's just as well that the route is shaded because the heat makes it more challenging.

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Date of your route : Jul 31, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hello,
A very beautiful hike, but be careful at the marmots' exit (point 8 on the map): there are cairns everywhere and I lost 30 minutes trying to find the path back down to Le Destel. Otherwise, it's perfect and even at this time of year, you're in the shade 75% of the time.
In terms of duration, it took me 3 hours and 50 minutes, including 30 minutes searching for the path and few breaks.
Thank you!

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