Great crossing of the ridges of Petit and Gros Calan

An aerial hike that includes exposed climbing passages not exceeding 3-.
The ridges are marked in yellow.
The difficulties are in the Petit Calan, but the Gros Calan is easier apart from a short steep final descent.
Do not underestimate this route: +5 hours.
Do not attempt in strong winds.
Warning: this hike includes some very challenging sections and is reserved for experienced mountaineers with some climbing technique and who are not prone to vertigo.
From January to June, please do not use this area.

Details

5064509
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 8.61 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 00 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Difficult

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 553 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 552 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 377 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 117 m

Photos

Description of the walk

In order to respect the nesting period of cliff birds, please do not hike this trail from January to June... Thank you!

The hike starts in the commune of Eygalières at the Roman bridge car park.

(S/E) When leaving the car park, carefully cross the D25 at the metal post topped with a roof-shaped metal sheet. Follow the path that runs alongside the road towards the south. At a second post with a faint yellow paint mark, take the path on the left that leads into the vegetation for about 100 metres. You will arrive at a rocky cirque and see a large yellow mark at the top of the rock on the right. Go back a few metres to take a steep path that joins the yellow mark and follow this marked path to the fort.

(1) A short, easy climb takes you to the ruins of Fort Ancise. This ruined medieval tower served as a lookout post to monitor the narrow passage between the Petit Calan and the Calan de Rousset. Descend and follow the ridge marked in yellow.

(2) You will find yourself facing a steep ridge with good rock and numerous handholds. A yellow paint mark invites you to climb it. The climb is no more than grade III, but it requires agility and determination as there is a drop below. There is no equipment in place, but the rock is excellent. A short 20-metre rope and a strap can reassure the more hesitant, as small shrubs grow in places, making it easy to progress. After this short key passage, the route is easier and you can follow the yellow markings, which are only present at necessary points.

(3) After a small corridor between rocks, you will find a steep but well-marked descent that leads to a good, well-travelled path. Be careful, as this descent is on sloping slabs strewn with stones, requiring caution. Take this path on the left (the yellow markers continue) to descend to the pass separating the two Calans. Starting from the Gros Calan ridge, the yellow markings invite us to continue our adventure.

(4) The start is hidden in the vegetation, but you will soon find a small path and the yellow markings.
Now follow the paths and markers along the entire Gros Calan ridge. The route is long, but the scenery is magnificent. A short steep descent (yellow arrow) requires caution, but a handrail provides reassurance.

(5) We begin a long descent on well-marked sloping slabs, then descend to the right of a large rocky ridge on stony slabs to reach the bottom of a long, damp valley.

(6) Climb back up the valley, then turn left onto a steep, earthy ramp with steps in poor condition.
You easily cross a small rocky outcrop, then the path becomes easier and you reach a good track.

(7) Follow the track that winds along the foot of the cliff until you come to a path.

(8) Turn right onto this excellent path lined with vegetation.

(9) Go back up part of the path you took on the way there. Further on, the path winds its way along the foot of Petit Calan and leads to the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 117 m - Car park
  2. 1 : km 0.46 - alt. 171 m - Ruins of Fort Ancise.
  3. 2 : km 0.53 - alt. 175 m - Beautiful exposed slab in II+.
  4. 3 : km 1.38 - alt. 290 m - Steep descent on the southern slope.
  5. 4 : km 2.06 - alt. 183 m - Yellow marker indicating the climb up to Gros Calan.
  6. 5 : km 3.66 - alt. 370 m - Descent along the rocky ridge.
  7. 6 : km 4.2 - alt. 217 m - Bottom of the valley and ascent
  8. 7 : km 4.82 - alt. 303 m - Follow the track to the right.
  9. 8 : km 6.04 - alt. 234 m - Path on the right.
  10. 9 : km 6.66 - alt. 179 m - Follow the path as it climbs uphill.
  11. S/E : km 8.61 - alt. 117 m - Car park - Gaudre de Romanin (rivière)

Notes

The hike follows a "path" that appears on OpenStreetMap hiking.
The entire route is marked in yellow, but it is not aPR®.
The yellow markings are clearly visible in the photos posted.
The Petit Calan route is exceptional in its diversity.

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.

Reviews and comments

4.6 / 5
Based on 11 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.5 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.3 / 5
Route interest
4.9 / 5
lelorrain30
lelorrain30

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 01, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very beautiful hike

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Thierry.13
Thierry.13

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 21, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful route along the ridges of Calan. Personally, I mainly use Visorando GPS. The descent in section 5 is very steep, but the vegetation is welcome. However, I'm still looking for the climb back up on the dirt track (lost GPS signal): so I followed the path that branches off to the left, then followed the pylons to find the GR6. Then I returned via the Val Aurouso, which I found pleasant. I will definitely do this vertiginous hike again because it is really beautiful. If you have any others like it, I'm interested.

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wantoun
wantoun

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 18, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hiking-Climbing as described in the sports section.

A small omission in the route description: at point 6, when you return to the valley and start climbing the earthy ramp, just mention that the ramp is steep.
But we loved it.
We were a group of 11 people with the GRP.

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vire
vire
• Edited:

Hi Fontenote
At point 5, a yellow arrow indicates the descent, which is impressive but not particularly difficult, as the vegetation helps us at the start and then there are good handholds to help us finish safely and rejoin the rest of the hike.
This difficulty is mentioned at the beginning of the commentary. It is a climbing hike, and when I have children with me, I place a handrail at point 5.
The route along the Gros Calan in the opposite direction is also very beautiful, and I sometimes return via the ridges rather than via the DFCI, which is at the foot.

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Fontenotte
Fontenotte

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 08, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Hello,
Although we are experienced hikers, we found the Gros Calan section much more difficult to navigate than described; and around point 5, the descent is hazardous. We had to give up and turn back. It's a shame because the scenery is magnificent.

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vire
vire
• Edited:

Hi magriz01,
I'm like you, I was tempted to explore these other ridges, but I didn't see any signs of old trails and some passages seem to require climbing equipment.
However, we are in the Alpilles Park, and we must leave areas in their natural state for birds of prey to breed (see the park's comment dated 12 February 2022).
To avoid total bans, please do not use the Calans sector from January to June.
You can enjoy some beautiful ridge walks in the nearby calanques or in the Alps.
Best regards.

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magriz01
magriz01

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 18, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hike done at the end of October.
Great! Just the kind of terrain I like: off the beaten track, route finding, peaceful, sometimes using our hands.
It took us just under 7 hours, including breaks. It took us a long time because we did a few extras: we followed the Petit Calan ridges to the end (one step down) and the mini-ridges south of the Gros Calan trail to get back (be careful at the end: rough terrain).
We just had a slight hesitation at the end of Gros Calan: when we descended towards the bottom of the valley, we had the impression that the GPS track went to the left of "the kidney" while the path went to the right. Anyway, the goal was to descend, so we descended
Quick question: do you know if the ridges on the Calan de Rousset side can also be done? (to the Vallongue pass, or even further?)

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Ephix
Ephix

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 28, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful "alpine" hike offering stunning views of the entire region!
As indicated in the guidebook, don't underestimate the length (5 hours seems about right) or the climbing aspect of the route.

There is not just one climb, the entire first part (a good two hours) is like a ridge climb. It is certainly easy and not complicated for climbers, but hikers who are not used to it may be disappointed. You follow the ridge the whole way. A rope can be used to reassure a second climber on the more impressive sections.

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PNR Alpilles
PNR Alpilles

Hello
This route has been marked out in an uncontrolled manner without the owners' consent and without respect for this area, which is very fragile in terms of biodiversity.
Visiting areas that were once reserved for wildlife can have long-term and sometimes dramatic consequences. Disturbances caused by human activity are cited as one of the main reasons for the failure of cliff-nesting birds to reproduce.
From January to June, please do not use this area.
And to help preserve our Alpilles together, please respect natural areas, which are rich and fragile habitats for many animals, by adopting the right behaviour: stay on clearly marked paths, do not mark trails without authorisation, and do not fly drones close to cliffs and heath. More information is available on the Alpilles Regional Nature Park website.
Thank you all!

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sixseau
sixseau

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 07, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The start of the climb isn't that easy to find. A lovely route, following a slightly challenging path on the first section.

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vire
vire

It's a shame, you've done the hardest part. After descending Petit Calan, continue to follow the yellow markers.
Look carefully at the pass for a large yellow marker to the left of the Gros Calan ridge, head towards it and continue despite the vegetation at the beginning. After that, the path is clear, always to the left of the ridge.

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Marjorie1372
Marjorie1372

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 15, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

I did this hike with two teenagers (aged 15 and 12). The first part is like climbing (though fairly easy) because of the "void" on either side of the ridge. The scenery is magnificent, though, if you're not afraid of heights! The descent into the valley is fairly easy and well marked in yellow. The last part is difficult to find; we followed the GR trail and then retraced our steps.

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nimo34400
nimo34400

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 22, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike, but a bit physically demanding as it involves some climbing. The trail is sometimes difficult to see, so you have to rely on your instincts.
I would not recommend this hike to novice hikers as the trail is sometimes difficult to find.
The hike can be a bit dizzying at times.
The return route was difficult to find, so we took the parallel path back.

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vire
vire
• Edited:

A hike that should remain wild and adventurous, far from the firebreaks for 4x4s.
The markings are old, very well done and unobtrusive.
Visible from close up, it prevents mistakes.
Route proposed in 2021, but I left the wilderness as it was
A little searching is part of the adventure.

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BOUE DE LAPEYRERE Ghislaine
BOUE DE LAPEYRERE Ghislaine

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 09, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Not very busy
So it's difficult to find the route in places because the vegetation is too thick.
It would be good to include the dates of the routes offered on Visorando.

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