L'Escale walks

A lovely, not too long walk with beautiful views of the Durance and Bléone valleys.

The upper trail offers a completely different view from the valley. The Pénitents show their heads and draperies, which is almost more surprising than from below! And then there is a lovely view of the nearby Durance valley. The trail is easy, but there is often a drop on at least one side. Take care with children.

This is a short loop, suitable for horse riding, which follows part of the Trail des Cathelières de Mallemoisson route. There is a quick alternative route to climb up to Vieil Aiglun and then return to the loop.

Discover the Ganagobie plateau covered with oak and pine trees and its monastery. Beautiful view of the Durance valley and the Croix de l'Allée des Moines.

A short walk with lots to discover: the priory, of course, as well as an old millstone quarry and the oppidum known as Villevieille.

This hike takes you to the top of La Baume. Magnificent views of Sisteron, the surrounding valleys and the Alps. You then cross to the other side of the mountain, revealing yet another landscape. But first, you will need to pass through the Grotte du Trou de l'Argent, which adds a touch of adventure to the route. During your journey, you will also use handrails, small ladders and cross a balcony.

This impressive rocky ridge is visible from Sisteron and the surrounding area. If you dream of climbing it, here is one of the possible routes. It's a fairly easy hike but offers exceptional views of the mountains, the Sasse valley and the Durance river.

The view from the summit is spectacular, with a 360° panorama where only the Monges mountains hide the Oisans. You can see south all the way to the Basse-Provence, passing by the Lure mountain, Mont Ventoux, Dévoluy with the Pic de Bure, the Blanche valley near Digne, and more. Contrast between the Mediterranean climb facing south and the colder ridge.

The hike quickly reaches a superb viewpoint offering a clear view of the mountains of south-eastern France:- Sainte-Baume and Sainte-Victoire (Bouches-du-Rhône)- Le Lubéron or Mont Ventoux (Vaucluse)- Le Verdon (Var/Alpes de Haute Provence)- Les Trois Becs (Drôme)- Le Dévoluy or Les Écrins (Hautes Alpes)- Mont Aiguille and Grand Veymont (Isère).Then we set off to explore the resort's old ski lifts, finally returning via the old coal mines.

A rich and varied route with a climb through the forest followed by a summit offering a magnificent panoramic view stretching from Montagne Sainte-Victoire to the Massif des Écrins, taking in all the foothills of the Digne Pre-Alps and Mont Ventoux.

Very beautiful hike to do between April and October.

Magnificent gorges, especially in autumn. The climb up to the Chapelle Saint-André is a 2km round trip, but the view from the top is well worth the diversions. You will pass through the remains of the hamlet of Valbonnette. A little further on, another detour of around a hundred metres, to see the ruins of a house, where a large round pillar has remained in its centre, still with the notches used to fix the wooden beams on two levels.

This loop goes around a rock (La Roche Amère), which will be visible for much of the hike. A quarter of the way round, I suggest a detour to the Chapelle de la Roche. If you wish, continue past the chapel (not marked on the map) and follow the path that leads to the top of the rock (ruin), where you will have a beautiful view of the Durance valley.

The ascent and descent from this peak are through forest, with the link between the two via a beautiful ridge trail.

A walk through gorges is always pleasant, and in those of Méouge it's a real joy.