Montdenier via the Col de Saint-Jurs

Hello Denis F
Thank you for your comment.
I have updated the hike description.

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Date of your route : Apr 04, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Please note! The car park at the Col de Saint-Jurs is no longer accessible by car. You have to park 900 metres past St-Jurs at the first barrier on the forest track. According to a local, the track has been closed by the local council because it was being used by too many vehicles, which was causing damage.
So, we set off from there, making the ascent via L’Agra and then Montdenier. Over 800 metres of elevation gain and nearly 6 hours’ walk for us. But the views, the vultures and the hundreds of ladybirds among the rocks at the summit were well worth the effort.
Please bear this in mind when planning your trip

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Date of your route : May 23, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

The problem with this hike is that you have to travel 5 km on a bumpy track where you can only drive at 3 km/h, so it takes ages to reach the pass.

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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

Very beautiful 360° view of the Mont Denier ridges. Vultures flew overhead (5), very impressive. The last part of the hike is quite steep; you have to cover 400 metres of elevation gain in 3 kilometres!
I did this hike from the pass with my 4- and 11-year-old daughters in 1.5 hours there and back, not counting the lunch break at the summit.

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Date of your route : May 02, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Excellent fatigue-interest ratio and, above all, sensations. Thank you

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Date of your route : Nov 13, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A superb hike in autumn. Video of the route: https://youtu.be/UswiOhJwP2s
The view from the ridge is extraordinary, with the Prealps to the north and the Valensole plateau and Lake Sainte Croix du Verdon to the south
You can reach 1,750 metres in two hours from the Col de Saint Jurs. Quite steep at the end. Windy, so appropriate equipment is necessary, but the drone was able to fly without any problems. Vultures came to fly over us.

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Date of your route : Oct 11, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A short but beautiful hike accessible from Saint Jurs or the pass of the same name. The track leading to the pass is perfectly passable if you drive slowly. Beautiful panoramic views, from Les Ecrins to Sainte-Victoire. Summit exposed on Mistral days.
François Prévost

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Date of your route : May 24, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Just after lockdown ended, there were quite a few people there.
I can confirm that the access road is passable for a normal car if you drive carefully. But for those who are not used to driving on dirt roads, it can be quite daunting.
There is a magnificent view at the summit and you can picnic a little below the summit, sheltered from the wind (but not the sun).
It's a very beautiful hike that gives you the feeling of being in the mountains.

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Date of your route : Feb 21, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Track as advertised; not ideal but no problem for a "normal" car

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Date of your route : Jan 09, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

''A very beautiful drive with sublime scenery.
the only "slight" difficulty is the last few metres before reaching the summit of Montcenier, and the track is not suitable for all types of cars....

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To reach the St Jurs pass, you have to take an 8 km track that is in very poor condition and very long. With my motorhome, I turned back before the pass because of the state of the track. What a shame.

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

It should be noted that the road to Col Saint-Jurs (by car) is in very poor condition.

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Date of your route : Aug 17, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Hike only to be undertaken in good weather, as "nasty" clouds can roll in very quickly here. Magnificent 360° panorama of the Pre-Alps and the Alps. Daniel and his grandson.

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Date of your route : Mar 11, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Starting directly from Saint-Jurs (car park) via a well-marked trail rather than driving up to the pass is a slightly longer but equally enjoyable alternative...

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Date of your route : Dec 26, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Hello,
On Wednesday, 26 December 2018, we took advantage of the lack of snow to go on this hike. The trail leading to the Col de St JURS is signposted at the entrance to the village. After that, there are no further signs. To reach the pass (which is the starting point for the hike), you have to follow the trail for about 8 km until you finally see the car park.
Let's go! There are a few patches of icy snow here and there, but nothing significant. Then, leaving the track, we set off on the very pleasant forest path. Obviously, it climbs a little (but that's nothing compared to what comes next). When we leave the forest, the serious stuff begins. After a few rocky sections, we arrive at a grassy pasture. The climb is steep.
At the top of the Mt Denier pass (1,751 m), the view is magnificent. To the north, at our feet, lies the village of Majastres with its few houses. The snow-covered Alps, the Pic de Burre.
In front of us is the Asse valley. Further away are other villages, St Auban, Peyruis, whose castle we can see, and the villages of the Lure mountain. Mont Ventoux, the rock of Volx, Manosque, the Luberon massif. Further away, Sainte Victoire and Sainte Baume. A distant cloud bar towards the sea (kept at bay by the presence of our anticyclone). Lake Sainte Croix is there, shining like a mirror. The Valensole plateau. Of course, the list is not exhaustive. As you can see, the landscape is magnificent!
We continue along the ridge for a while. The yellowed grass is very thick, dotted with countless "pétouillers" (bird droppings), evidence of the abundance of animals that must live here. Four beautiful vultures fly over our heads several times.
It is almost 3 p.m., and we must leave these enchanting places and head back down to the car park.
For those who, like me, suffer from knee problems, the descent is quite painful.
But what a beautiful hike!
Highly recommended.

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