La Sainte-Victoire from the Deux Aiguilles car park

A magnificent and very challenging route in the Sainte-Victoire massif from the Deux Aiguilles car park, via La Marbrerie to access the Pas du Clapier, then on to the Pic des Mouches, descending via the La Tine trail and then climbing back up to the Baudino Refuge via the Chapelle de Saint-Ser.

Details

n°1088586

Creation:
21 Apr 2018

Last update:
17 Nov 2023

Last review:
09 Sep 2025

Activity: Walking
Distance: 15.77 km
Duration according to the author: 6 hrs
Difficulty: Very difficult
Back to start: Yes
Ascent: + 1,288 m
Descent: - 1,285 m
Highest point: 1,010 m
Lowest point: 438 m

Country: France
Area: Sainte-Victoire (Massif)
City: Saint-Antonin-sur-Bayon (13100)
Start/End: N 43.520666° / E 5.588832°
IGN map(s): Ref. 3244ET, 3344OT
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Description of the walk

Park in the Deux Aiguilles car park.
(S/E) Head towards the trails by crossing the departmental road to reach the multitude of trails leading to Sainte Victoire.
Caution: road crossing
Turn left at the picnic table and follow the path, keeping to the right for 100 metres, making sure you keep Oppidum Untinos in sight on your left without heading in that direction. The path is wide and climbs straight up towards Sainte-Victoire.

Blue marker
At the end of the trail, the terrain is rough rock. Follow the markings for about ten minutes to pass this section and join the trail with the brown markings.

Brown markings
(1) Turn right towards the east.
Follow it continuously until you reach the start of the Pas du Clapier. Continue to the Deux Aiguilles crossroads.

(2) Continue straight ahead on the brown trail. On this section, you can take a detour to visit a small cave that is clearly visible on your right and easy to access.
Continue on and you will reach the crossroads marked by a cairn.

(3) (Altitude 555m). Follow the brown trail to the left to reach the foot of the steep Sainte-Victoire cliff. Pass the altitude 736m.
On this section, you can visit the Marbrière.

Green markings

(4) From here, follow the green markings to the Pas du Clapier, which branches off to your left towards the cliff. This is also where you will rejoin the brown-marked trail on your return, which is directly in front of you.
Please note: This is a very challenging and demanding trail where you must not be afraid of heights in order to complete the climb safely.
Be sure to follow the green markings on the cliff. You do not need to know how to climb for this section, but you do need good hiking or trail shoes. You will reach the summit in less than a kilometre.

^GR® red and white markings

(5) Turn right, heading east on the^GR®9along the Sainte-Victoire ridge for about 4 km to the Pic des Mouches with its orientation table. Leave a path on the left.
Caution: There are two passages with chains for your safety. Keep your footing steady along the^GR® as the ground is very rocky.

(6) (Altitude 1011m). Continue to follow the^GR® until you reach the Garagaï de Cagoloup ridge, where the crossroads is marked by cairns and then the Sentier de la Tine sign on the ground, which descends to your right.

Green markings

(7) Crossroads (altitude 971m). Turn right onto the Sentier de la Tine trail, which is marked with green markings all along the way.
Caution: Take care and keep your footing steady, as the descent is challenging due to its length and numerous scree slopes. This path was closed for some time due to rockfalls. Follow the markings towards Saint-Ser until you reach the junction with the red markings.

Red markings

(8) Fork (altitude 464m). Follow the red markings on the right towards the cliffs, which will take you to the junction for the Saint-Ser hermitage.

Brown markings

(9) Fork (altitude 629m). Before the Saint-Ser Chapel, the red trail ends. Take the brown trail on the left (the trail leading to the Saint-Ser Chapel begins on the right).
Continue your ascent for 2 km along the foot of the cliff, which will take you to a large rockfall that is easy to cross, leading you straight to the Baudino Refuge.

(10) Refuge (altitude 797 m). From the refuge, you can finally begin the final descent to the Pas du Clapier crossroads, still following the brown trail.
When you reach the intersection leading to Pas du Clapier, turn right.

(4) Continue straight ahead, then turn left to follow the brown markings, passing La Marbrière and then the cave as on the way up.

Black markings

(2) You will normally have a choice of several paths, so it makes sense to return to the car park on your left by following the black markings, which is actually a very wide path that will take you directly to the picnic tables below and then back to the car park (DA).

Waypoints

S/E : km 0 - alt. 438 m - Les 2 Aiguilles car park
1 : km 0.6 - alt. 525 m - Brown Trail
2 : km 0.85 - alt. 492 m - Crossroads A/R - Cave
3 : km 1.64 - alt. 556 m - Marbrière
4 : km 2.53 - alt. 752 m - Carrefour A/R - Pas du Clapier
5 : km 2.87 - alt. 989 m - Ridge towards Pic des Mouches
6 : km 6.77 - alt. 1,009 m - Pic des Mouches
7 : km 7.16 - alt. 968 m - Sentier de la Tine trail
8 : km 8.87 - alt. 464 m - Saint-Ser
9 : km 9.73 - alt. 609 m - Ermitage Saint-Ser
10 : km 11.67 - alt. 791 m - Refuge Barthélémy Baudino
S/E : km 15.77 - alt. 438 m - Les 2 Aiguilles car park

Notes

It is essential to take at least 2 litres of water as the hike is long and challenging if you set a steady pace.
Your hiking boots must be in good condition as the rock can sometimes be slippery due to the numerous passages, especially the cliff passages (light climbing) and scree slopes.
At the top, the wind can be refreshing. Bring appropriate clothing.
Be sure to check the weather conditions, especially the wind, which can be very strong in this region.

Reviews and comments

4.5 / 5

Based on 8 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.4 / 5

Ease of following the route
4.3 / 5

Route interest
4.8 / 5

climbingpoussin

09 Sep 2025 at 12:24 7200

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

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

A very beautiful hike, for several reasons:
- very technical both on the ascent (easy climbing passages) and on the descent (technical scree slopes)
- physically demanding
- With superb scenery

My girlfriend and I (both climbers, so fairly sure-footed) completed the loop in 7 hours. Including a lunch break, that makes it a 7.5-hour day.

I strongly advise against this hike for those who are not comfortable descending scree slopes (it's slippery) and those who are afraid of small climbing steps (even easy ones) that require a certain amount of confidence.

Note: we had approach walking shoes (with toe caps for climbing), which helped...

Note 2: at the end of the hike, my watch (which is fairly accurate) showed 1,421 metres of elevation gain and 20 kilometres.

Céline and Bruno.

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Matt P.

15 Jul 2024 at 08:50 7200

Thanks for the little update. It's been six years since I created this route, and it has inevitably been subject to environmental changes.

At that time, I was in pretty good shape and therefore faster, which is probably why the time is a little shorter.

Thanks again.

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jean millot

15 Jul 2024 at 08:44 7200

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 15, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Thank you for the description of the hike.

It is indeed a very difficult hike that should not be taken lightly, in my opinion. I think you should be wary of the time indicated. We started at 10:00 a.m. at the car park and returned at 8:30 p.m., which makes it 10 hours and 30 minutes. We didn't stop for a particularly long lunch break. I wouldn't say that we are in the best physical condition, but we are used to "long" hikes in the calanques.

One small note: the Tine trail between 7 and 8 was closed, so we had to take a red dotted trail that descends quite steeply down the south face. It's a bit like the climb up the Pas du Clapier. You arrive at the Saint Sert chapel to pick up the trail again.

This does not detract from the beauty of the hike, and I still recommend it, but I think you need to allow more time to do it.

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Yul83

13 May 2024 at 11:58 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 11, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very technical route, especially between 3 and 5, which requires excellent physical condition. People of short stature will be at a disadvantage compared to others on this route.
We didn't follow the entire programme because at 7, we continued on the GR9 eastwards to the village of Puyloubier (which is very pretty, by the way). Then we returned by road (the road is long...). However, we have already planned to do it again, and this time we will follow the planned route.
At the top of the plateau, the view is truly superb, provided the sky is clear.
A very beautiful route, but you need to be in very good physical condition and have very good footwear.

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pschit69610

23 May 2022 at 11:14 7200

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 23, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A very demanding route, where certain sections require extreme caution and concentration. This route is very technical and, in my opinion, requires a minimum level of physical fitness. I would not recommend it for inexperienced hikers who are not comfortable with technical sections.
Otherwise, it is a magnificent route with exceptional views. I recommend it to those who enjoy challenging climbs.

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Princesse1845

01 Feb 2022 at 08:45 3600

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 30, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A challenging hike, but well worth it!

The path isn't always easy to find, so you have to look for the markings.

Be careful on the climb, which sometimes resembles rock climbing; it's best not to be afraid of heights.
The same goes for the descent, which sometimes resembles sliding down scree.
Hiking or trail shoes with large studs are highly recommended.

I returned via the GR, continuing straight down the descent. I was exhausted!

Thank you for sharing.

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Sala13

04 Oct 2021 at 08:55 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 02, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : Not used / Not applicable
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful route with quite a bit of elevation gain, but that's to be expected on the Sainte massif! It's great to walk along the ridge from west to east. The views are splendid.

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Matt P.

18 Aug 2019 at 18:17 7200

Hello, thank you, I hope you enjoyed the hike, which you apparently did.

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loran05

18 Aug 2019 at 17:28 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 18, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Having done it in reverse due to apprehension about the descent, I was served well by the Pas du Clapier descent... so I recommend doing it in the suggested direction.
The descent is not a "wall" as I had read, nor is it long (about 10 metres), but you do need to be careful with the handholds.
Otherwise, it's a very good hike, physically demanding and beautiful, and for the record, I even got a tour, coffee and biscuits at the priory, all offered by two kind volunteers (the advantage of walking alone and being among the first to arrive ).
Thank you for the route and the information.

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Matt P.

15 Jul 2019 at 09:39 7200

Thank you for your comment. Writing this guide was quite a challenge.

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Dgers1970

15 Jul 2019 at 09:29 7200

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 14, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

This hike requires good physical condition but is very beautiful. Be sure to bring plenty of water. Thanks to the miraculous water bottle in the Baudino refuge, I found a telephone a little further down.

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Author

Matt P.
1 Route

Visorando Member

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