The Bluye Mountain

Straddling the Drôme and its Ouvèze valley and the Vaucluse and its Toulourenc valley, the Montagne de Bluye offers magnificent views from its ridges.

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 17.50 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 7h 20 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Difficult

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 816 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 824 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 1,063 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 367 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Park in the car park after the bridge, on the edge of the D40, 400m after Saint-Léger-du-Ventoux.

Yellow signposts
(S/E) From the car park, with your back to Mont Ventoux, take the small road on the left (north-west). After following the Toulourenc, the road comes to a footbridge on the right.

Red and white markings
(1) Continue left through a right-angle bend. After almost two kilometres, the road crosses the stream via a beautiful little stone bridge and turns left to pass in front of a car park.

(2) Turn right and look for the signpost 10 metres further on the left on the rock. Leave the road and take the path that climbs up the rocks at the start (at this point, the signpost on the map is no longer valid as it crosses private property).
At the first crossroads, turn left to descend towards the stream. When you reach the banks of the Toulourenc, take the path on the right which runs alongside it for a while.
About 600m further on at the fork (not shown on the map), turn right to begin the climb above the Gorges du Toulourenc. The trail climbs gradually for about two kilometres to reach the Gorges du Toulourenc signpost. Continue straight ahead for another 10m.

No signposts
(3) Leave the trail and take the track on the right that continues uphill. This track is not marked but is clearly visible on the ground and has no forks, contrary to what can be seen on the map. Join the D40, cross it with caution and head slightly to the right.

Yellow markings
(4) Continue for 50 m and turn right or left (both paths join up) then continue to the next junction. Leave the main path and take the path on the left. Further up, the path gives way to a trail cut through the vegetation but not clearly marked on the ground. When you reach a wide path, turn left and continue for 50 m.

(5) Leave the path and take the trail on the right, which will start to climb steeply. The markings are less visible, but the trail is very clear on the ground. After crossing the Vallat du Pas du Loup, the trail climbs steeply for the last 300 metres to reach the ridges.

(6) Continue to the right, but be careful of the cliffs, which are not secured. The trail alternates between open sections and sections in the forest, sometimes uphill, flat or downhill for about 4 km.
At times, you will be able to see the Ouvèze Valley and the Baronnies to the north and Mont Ventoux to the south.
Ignore any tracks that leave the main trail and are not marked.
At one point, the trail will veer slightly away from the ridges and appear to begin the descent, but it will rejoin them further on at a crossroads.

(7) Continue to the right and after 700 m you will come to a crossroads. Leave the path on your right at a water reservoir and shortly afterwards leave the path on your left.

(8) A few metres further on, the signposts indicate that you should turn left onto a very steep section that joins a path. When you reach this path, continue to the right for a little over 200 m, then turn left heading north.
When you reach a crossroads, turn right and continue a little further until you reach a crossroads with signposts.

Red and white signposts
(9) Turn sharply right to rejoin theGR®91and gradually begin the descent.
The path is not particularly difficult, but there are lots of stones, and it leads back to the starting point.

(10) When you reach the cemetery, go down the small tarmac road that joins the D40. Turn left onto the road and follow it for 200m to cross the bridge (be careful) and reach the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 402 m - Parking is available along the D40. Follow the - Toulourenc (rivière) - Affluent de l'Ouvèze
  2. 1 : km 0.6 - alt. 392 m - Turn left onto the road
  3. 2 : km 2.47 - alt. 378 m - Turn left off the road
  4. 3 : km 5.64 - alt. 507 m - Leave the GR - Gorges du Toulourenc
  5. 4 : km 6.1 - alt. 578 m - Cross the D40
  6. 5 : km 6.81 - alt. 687 m - Turn right onto the path
  7. 6 : km 8.08 - alt. 1,002 m - Arrival on the ridges
  8. 7 : km 12.93 - alt. 843 m - Follow the signs
  9. 8 : km 13.76 - alt. 790 m - Turn left
  10. 9 : km 14.51 - alt. 679 m - Turn right onto the GR - Col de Chaussène (690m)
  11. 10 : km 17.15 - alt. 429 m - Cemetery
  12. S/E : km 17.5 - alt. 402 m - Parking at the side of the D40

Notes

There are lots of stones: high-top shoes and walking sticks are recommended.

Worth a visit

You can cool off in the Toulourenc river during the summer months.

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

4.7 / 5
Based on 34 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.7 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.8 / 5
Route interest
4.8 / 5
User 16088133

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 28, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hello fellow hikers, I lost a gold coffee bean bracelet of great sentimental value on the route. If anyone is lucky enough to find it, please contact me on 06 19 75 18 88. Thank you.

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RANDPED50
RANDPED50

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 28, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

An interesting and fairly challenging hike.
However, there are lots and lots of stones!!!

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boscpierre12@laposte.net
boscpierre12@laposte.net

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 16, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hike done in good weather with clear skies in the afternoon.
The climb is steep before reaching the ridge path.
But what a pleasure to walk along this ridge path for 5 km with magnificent views: to the north over the Drôme Provençale and the Alps, and to the south over Mont Ventoux.
We completed the loop in 6½ hours.
Thank you.

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JODIDO
JODIDO

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 21, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : Not used / Not applicable
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

This is the third time I've done this magnificent hike!
I posted it on the "Toutes Mes Sorties" website and seven other people joined me.
The weather was splendid: sunshine, blue skies, no clouds and mild temperatures.
We added 6.5 km to the hike because we descended via the trail leading to Oullans-sur-Ouvèze, and it took us a good hour and 500 metres of elevation gain to reach the cross at the top of Montagne de Bluye...
We took a quick 30-minute break to eat, walked along the ridges, descended a slightly rocky path, and returned to our vehicles around 5:15 p.m.
A little less than 8 hours in total, with a very friendly group of walkers, 24 km and 1,100 metres of elevation gain, according to the route data recorded by one of the participants.

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joelbis
joelbis

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 01, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful and varied route through the countryside. The final climb is very steep, with an elevation gain of 450 metres.
The route has themed information panels on the way back once you rejoin the GRP du Pays du Ventoux (about the geology and ancient occupation of the area).

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Lau Deotto
Lau Deotto
• Edited:

Hike done yesterday. We've been wanting to do this mountain for a while... We thought we'd give it a "Difficult" rating because of the length and the steep climb to reach the ridge. But we are experienced hikers, used to long walks, elevation gains and steep climbs. In fact, we suffered more from the kilometres of ridge walking on stony ground with ascents and descents, followed by the long, very gradual and slow descent due to the even stonier terrain.
There were beautiful views of the Toulourenc Gorges, Mont Ventoux and the Alps, but it was a difficult hike.
For us, it was 18.5 km with 878 metres of elevation gain. No problems with the Visorando route.

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JODIDO
JODIDO
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 11, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

I had already done this hike in November 2019. I went back with a friend who hadn't been there before.
The weather was beautiful: sunshine, blue skies and magnificent views from the top of the ridges. It was a long hike and not easy, as there were virtually no signposts along the entire route. To reach the trail along the Toulourenc, we descended from a crossroads marked by cairns. We had to cross a passage with iron steps and a rope. Nothing complicated, but you still need to be fairly sure-footed. After crossing the departmental road, the climb up to the ridges is gradual at first, before becoming quite steep in the final section.
We stopped for a snack at the summit (superb views of the snow-capped peaks of the Dévoluy) where there is a cross, before following the ridges for about 4 kilometres. And then it gets a bit complicated. There are several crossroads, each with yellow markings but no signposts. We went a bit at random, trying to walk facing the Ventoux. We finally found a junction with signs indicating "Brantes" and "Les Crêtes de Bluye par Mollans", but no mention of Saint-Léger-Du-Ventoux! We decided to take this path and were able to return to the car park where we had left the car in the morning.
In the end, the hike took us 7½ hours, but we probably took a few detours! In any case, it was a beautiful hike that we'll definitely do again!

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jpvls
jpvls

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 08, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

In fact, there are two types of hike in one: from points 1 to 5, it's a fairly easy family walk
; but from 5 to the top of the ridge, "phew" we were happy
to finally reach the summit! However, the exceptional view made all the effort worthwhile...
On the ridge, you have to watch out for the many rocks along the route. I think it's essential to wear good
and equipped with walking sticks seems essential to me.
Be aware of the length of the trail, which is quite significant

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Thithirando
Thithirando

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 14, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Very pleasant route

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Aleng
Aleng

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 25, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hello
Hike completed on Sunday, 24 October 2021. We had already done this hike a few years ago and were delighted to revisit this route.
Thank you for the route description, which was the only thing that helped me, as the app's position signal kept coming and going, making it useless. It took us seven hours to complete the loop, as we didn't want to leave the summit with such a magnificent view... Thank you

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quito84
quito84

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 10, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Thanks again for the suggestion. A very pleasant and varied hike. The trails were very nice, despite a short stretch of road at the beginning and a track between 8 and 9. The last 200 metres of the climb up Montagne de Bluye are indeed steep... but the view from the top is well worth the effort. GR markings from the start to point 3, then yellow markings to point 9 and GR markings to the end. No major difficulties, but be aware of the length! It took us 6 hours in total.

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JODIDO
JODIDO
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 02, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Hike completed on 2 November 2019.
A few showers in the morning, a bit of fog in the afternoon, but beautiful views of the summit of Mont Ventoux. Temperatures were fairly mild.
No particular difficulties, apart from the final part of the climb, which is quite steep before reaching the large wooden cross.
It took us a little less than 3 hours, and after a 30-minute lunch break, we began the descent through the woods. The trail was well marked and frequent throughout the route, so it was impossible to get lost!
We got back to the car park 6 hours after setting off.
Personally, I would classify this hike as "moderate", even though it is quite long in terms of distance.

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batacchi
batacchi

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 02, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

superb viewpoint at the ridge line. However, sturdy footwear is a must due to the structure of the trail (stony) over much of the hike

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GMGALD
GMGALD

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 24, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A very beautiful hike in good weather, with no wind. I am used to long hikes without any particular problems. The signposting is well done, between 3 and 4, and the yellow markings are recent. On the ridge, the view is superb. You can see the north face of Mont Ventoux, still with a little snow, and the slopes of Mont Serein.
A pleasant hike.

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bea84510
bea84510

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 23, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

very beautiful hike, quite physically demanding, especially in the last part of the climb.
there are recent yellow markings, so be careful when you reach the track during the climb and don't be misled by the yellow markings that continue along the track
follow the direction of the hike carefully in rainy weather, as going in the opposite direction could result in serious slips on the descent.

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