The Sainte-Victoire

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

A very nice route, a bit sporty but very pleasant.
There are a few places where it is not easy to find the trail, particularly in the many scree slopes.

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Date of your route : May 28, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

More difficult than average hike, all the way to Baou des Vespres. Done in 7h30.
After the Cézanne hut (point 4), I advise good walkers to continue along the Pas du Moine path (marked on the spot as "difficult" access), which involves some very slight climbing. However, beware of the really slippery rocks along the way.
The walk along the ridge after the cross is rather chaotic and therefore demanding. Lots of rock to climb up and down.
A very pleasant return on the Imoucha trail.

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Date of your route : May 06, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A beautiful circuit, access to the priory is not easy but it is well worth the effort. It's a particularly pleasant spot and is very popular. The descent was less difficult than expected. The descent along the ridge line was very interesting. I'd recommend this hike if you have any training.

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Date of your route : May 17, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

First hike on Sainte-Victoire! And I really enjoyed it!
Given the duration and topography, I would have classed it as "Difficult".
After the Cézanne refuge, we followed the yellow signs. It's a steep path, and we had to use our hands a few times. A hiker we came across told us that the passage with the chain could be a little complicated, so we preferred to descend a little to find the red markings again.
We took a short break at the Pas de l'Escalette (686 m) before starting the steep climb to the Prieuré de la Sainte-Victoire. Break for a snack in the courtyard, surrounded by goats and billy goats, before climbing to the Croix-de-Provence at 948 m. Magnificent views of the surrounding area and as far as the snow-capped peaks of the Alps.
It's a 45-minute walk to the Bau des Vespres, the highest point of the hike at 1,010 m. We were tempted to continue to the Pic des Mouches (1011 m), the highest point of Sainte-Victoire, but there wasn't enough time.
Return by the same route to the Pas de l'Escalette and down to the Bimont dam on the Sentier Imoucha.
20 km, almost 900 metres of ascent, and a total time of 8 hours for this hike, which is really worth it! The weather was pleasant, varying from grey in the morning to sunny in the afternoon.

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Date of your route : Apr 09, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Avoid Whitsun Monday because of the pilgrimage and therefore the crowds. We spent the night at the refuge, but unfortunately there were also some young revellers there who didn't respect the rules of the place. The refuge is a victim of its own success, so it's best to hike there during the week. The sunset and sunrise from the top are magnificent.
The work of the volunteers from Les Amis de Ste Victoire in maintaining the site is particularly noteworthy.

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

Super hike

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Date of your route : Jun 11, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

An excellent hike on the Sainte Victoire. A first for me.
I took the route in the opposite direction... a wrong turn on my part.
I turned back shortly after the Sainte Victoire cross. The path along the ridge seemed more technical and too exposed to the sun, which was starting to get a bit strong.
The route was reliable and the loop varied: many thanks to its author.
An early start (6:30) to avoid the heat and the crowds at this time of year.
There were crowds on the way up from 10:00 onwards... just as I was starting my descent.
I found the descent difficult at times, particularly because the stones were completely polished and therefore very slippery...
All in all, it was a superb walk that I'll be doing again!

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Date of your route : Mar 26, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Very nice walk. Magnificent views.
Avoid in very hot weather.
The stones are polished by frequent walkers. Watch out for slips.

Do it, do it again and recommend it.

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Date of your route : Jan 17, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

we didn't follow the "retour en arrière" (going backwards) to get back down, we took a path that goes by the grottes aux champignons (mushroom caves), which is quite a pain in the arse and very steep, with stones that roll under your feet and chains, and we ended up at the chapel of saint ser, then we went back down the path that goes to the car park of the chapel of saint ser, and we came back down the road and into the fields to avoid being on the tarmac. The descent to the chapel was a bit strenuous, but we saw some very impressive rock masses, and we had to go down on our bums because the rocks were slippery and had a very large surface area. However, it's still a great memory - I'd already done it along this path, but it was worse when it came to slipping. We didn't go and see the mushroom cave because we didn't have any equipment and our legs were tired.
super rando merci

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Date of your route : May 29, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : Yes

Pleasant 1st part of the walk. Shaded, great for warming up. The rest of the route is sunny. The only shady spot is the priory (still closed at this date). We took the difficult section (on the right). Apart from a short section where you have to use your hands, there's nothing really serious except that it's a steep climb straight up. In my opinion, it's more interesting than the easy route. Otherwise, once at the priory, it's the motorway. Lots of people. Nice view from the Cross. Best done in the morning. Be careful on the descent, which is not difficult but the stones are slippery.
For us, the return journey took 5? hours, including photo stops and a snack.

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Date of your route : Oct 02, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

In autumn it's perfect for climbing to the summit of Ste Victoire.

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Date of your route : Oct 11, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

We did this walk on Sunday, with a strong mistral wind! Start at Bimont dam, Cézanne hut, red route, difficult version. I'd like to take issue with the description, which seemed to cast doubt on the "difficult" title given. I really enjoyed this trail, but the Pas du Berger can pose a few problems for people unfamiliar with climbing, or unbalanced, like me, by their rucksack, and a fall can be serious. The rest of the route, although easier, is steep. Having rejoined the blue route and the crowd, the next section is not difficult despite a rocky path that requires vigilance. We also regret that the description does not indicate the different routes (GR, blue) (I saw the comment by the administrator...), which would make the route much easier.

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montagnardu30, the pas de la savonnette isn't as bad as all that... I took someone there who had never climbed before, if you can call it climbing, there must not even be a III passage, that's saying something! I wouldn't have taken him to Forcioli, for example!
It's so simple that I can see kids doing introductory climbing with their parents.
Come on, the only thing that's a bit complicated is actually climbing the first chain by hand, but quite frankly, the rest is a breeze!

On the other hand, I'm quite surprised, because normally there's a municipal by-law banning access to the Pas de la Savonnette because the rocks are threatening to fall... And it's still there, according to the Friends of the Ste Victoire website.

WARNING, risk of falling rocks on the yellow path! Given the potentially dangerous nature of the remaining boulder, a municipal order has been issued by the Mayor of Saint-Antonin-sur-Bayon, formally prohibiting access to the path until further notice.

Now, I'm against this kind of ban, but for your information, it does exist.

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Date of your route : Jun 29, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A great hike! A steep section that made me sweat in the heat. Make sure you drink plenty of water. The last part after the cross is a bit monotonous but very little used and it allows you not to stop at the cross like everyone else.
On the other hand, you've gone a bit far for the duration, it took me 5 hours with an hour's break... well, I'm 30 and sporty lol all I need is to be able to take a dip in the Lac du Bimont and that's perfect.

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Hello,

It's a shame you didn't take on board VIsorando's recommendations.

Important: Due to containment obligations, all forms of hiking are currently banned in France. More information on the government website.

The aim is not only to avoid contact between people, but also to avoid having to mobilise emergency services in the event of an accident.
EVERYONE has a responsibility to stop the epidemic spreading.

Thank you for taking this into account.

Sincerely

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