The Tour de l'Oulle with return via the Combe de Sauve

From the hamlet of Novézan in the commune of Venterol, a circular at the western end of the Baronnies Provençales Regional Park. Nestled between the mountains, almost entirely sheltered from the Mistral wind, this route offers a beautiful hike with varied landscapes: vineyards, pine and oak woods, mountains and rocky faults, lavender and olive groves, not to mention La Sauve and its water holes where you can cool off.
The use of the app's GPS is recommended on this route.

Details

17229604
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 8.94 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 25 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 306 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 302 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 701 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 425 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Park on the left-hand side of Route de Rousset, in a lay-by. Please note: parking is not permitted in the campsite car park further up.

(S/E) Go up to the campsite entrance and continue straight ahead on Chemin de Chapelus. Ignore the return path on the right and make a wide left turn to pass above a house (beware of the dog running loose).
The tarmac road becomes stony and climbs straight up between the mountainsides and faults. Stay on this main road, which zigzags at the confluence of the four valleys. Start to enter the one opposite.

(1) After the last right-hand bend, descend on the right between the grasses to ford a stream and climb back up the path opposite. Continue climbing through the pine forest until you reach a crossroads on the flat section of a small pass (altitude 654). Turn left and continue to a fork in the road a hundred metres further on.

(2) Ignore the path that descends to the right and continue straight ahead, following the red and white GR® markings.

Pay attention to your right: after going around the Oulle mountain, observe the line of the two peaks of Courbiou. Enjoy the view overlooking the ravines and then widening out over the hills.

Keep to the left and climb, still following theGR® markings, to reach the Col de la Sausse at the edge of the woods.
There is a beautiful view to the left, beyond Montagne de la Lance, all the way to Rocher des Aures.

(3) Continue downhill on the path, which widens into a broad track and then a small tarmac road to Combe de Sauve.

(4) At the signpost for "Combe de Sauve 505 m", turn right onto the tarmac road. Walk along the Sauve, which flows over stone slabs, to a pretty waterfall and pools in front of a rock forming an arch. Look for a meadow on the other bank above the waterfall.

(5) Ford the river over the rocks to reach this meadow. Continue to the right to the end of the meadow, then take a path into the woods. This path descends into a ravine via wooden steps, some of which have been washed away (watch out for metal rods sticking out of the ground), then immediately climbs back up opposite via other steps. Continue along the Sauve on the often muddy path to a second ford before a concrete dam.

(6) Cross over the large stones to reach the road. Go down it to the left until you reach a small bridge under which two culverts allow a stream to pass.

(7) Turn right onto the wide path just after. It turns left and climbs steeply to an olive grove. Take the path on the left that runs along the bottom of the terraced olive grove.

Continue almost horizontally between the grass and broom, pass the water tanks on the left of the path and continue until you reach the bottom of a rocky outcrop. Then climb up the embankment on the right, passing between two rocks (yellow markings) and join the tarmac road by keeping to the left.

Turn right a little further up, climbing a hairpin bend, go around two antennas and continue to the "Tour Hannibal" or Château Ratier (information panel). There is a breathtaking view of the Valréas plain from the opening at the bottom of the tower.

Leaving the tower, continue along the path, go around a truffle farm on the right, then pass over it.

(8) Go around this truffle field a little further by turning left. Ignore a wide path that goes up to the right and turn immediately after onto a passage on the right that goes down into the bushes and turns out to be a path. This path runs along an embankment, goes around a rock on the left and continues overlooking until it passes behind the fence of a house. You will arrive at the first houses of the village of Novezan and rejoin the tarmac road.

(9) Reach the centre of the village by turning left onto Rue de la Prade (church, wash house, orientation table).
Go down to the left via Rue de l'École and at the T-junction, turn right onto Route de Rousset. Join the route you took at the start, turn left in front of the campsite entrance and then join the car park on Route de Rousset (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 467 m - Below the campsite car park. Cross the
  2. 1 : km 1.47 - alt. 587 m - On the right, descend and cross the ford.
  3. 2 : km 2 - alt. 654 m - At the fork, go straight ahead.
  4. 3 : km 3.17 - alt. 679 m - Col de la Sausse (687m)
  5. 4 : km 5 - alt. 511 m - Combe de Sauve, road on the right
  6. 5 : km 6.03 - alt. 453 m - Fording to reach a meadow - Sauve (river) - Tributary of the Eygues
  7. 6 : km 6.56 - alt. 434 m - Fording
  8. 7 : km 6.9 - alt. 425 m - Wide path on the right
  9. 8 : km 7.84 - alt. 485 m - Truffle field
  10. 9 : km 8.2 - alt. 493 m - Road, left towards village
  11. S/E : km 8.94 - alt. 464 m - Below the campsite car park

Notes

Crossing the two fords at (5) and (6) shortens a monotonous walk on the tarmac of the Route de la Combe de Sauve. However, it will be difficult to walk on after heavy rain.

From (8), the suggested route avoids the road below. Follow the description carefully, or use GPS for assistance. This route passes through a truffle field. Please respect the property and do not venture into the oak trees.

 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

4.4 / 5
Based on 12 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.5 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.1 / 5
Route interest
4.7 / 5
marcorando38
marcorando38

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 18, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very nice route, but a few difficulties finding our way at the end (point 8); we couldn't find the path at the exit of the truffle farm...

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monpotenico
monpotenico
• Edited:

Overall rating : 3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 01, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Very busy route : No

Uninteresting route. Looking at the map, you wonder if the person who created the hike got lost, even though we stay on paths, roads or the Ayon. In some places, you really have to follow the GPS

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Pascale Mô
Pascale Mô

Overall rating : 4 / 5

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

A very beautiful route with magnificent views of the surrounding hills, especially during the first part of the hike. A GPS is essential as some junctions are difficult to spot. The level of difficulty for this hike is low, except for a short section that quickly becomes dangerous due to erosion caused by rain (between points 2 and 3).

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JeanPascal
JeanPascal

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 13, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant walk despite the heat, thanks to the many shaded sections. We followed the route using GPS tracking, which made the route very easy. There were no particular difficulties, and we completed the route in 2 hours and 20 minutes. We modified the itinerary slightly to leave the road (point 4) and walk along the Sauve river through the woods. At the end of the hike, we returned to the waterhole (point 5) for a picnic break, a real haven of tranquillity. The starting point for parking had been ploughed, so we parked at the side of the road. Thank you for this route, which is well worth discovering.

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Chavezdominguez
Chavezdominguez

Beautiful hike. It's a shame that it's not well marked. The start to the waterfall is very good. We had difficulty at point 7, going to 8. For your information, the yellow markings at 7 are on an electricity pole. You have to go up the hill on the right and then go around the olive trees to find the path. It took us a while to find it and get to point 8, which is a small path in the shade. Don't go to the right or left. The description isn't great. The GPS was very good, except at points 7 and 8, where it also had trouble guiding us. After that, the hike was beautiful... thank you very much.

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jmg84
jmg84

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 08, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very nice choice of route, mostly shaded and without too much tarmac. Thank you for the detailed description, which is very helpful. The end is indeed a little harder to find, so the GPS comes in handy. Confirmation: the waterhole at point 5 is a marvel to be enjoyed on sunny days. The dog is still there! A little scary, but no harm done.

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Francine84
Francine84
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 04, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

I have just redone this route to enjoy the lavender in bloom, which is magnificent between points (3) and (4).
It's always a pleasure to rediscover the varied landscapes and forgotten trails. But between points (8) and (9), these trails, which were cleared three years ago, are once again partially hidden by broom. Using a GPS is essential.

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fli46
fli46

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 03, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The route description was very detailed and precise. We really appreciated this because some sections were not easy to find at first glance. However, we had a lot of trouble finding a path downhill after going around the truffle farm (point 8), but this is a minor detail that does not detract from the appeal of the hike. And Ratier Castle is well worth a visit.
The dog running free at the start barks loudly but doesn't dare to approach; no problem.
We really enjoyed swimming in the pools at point 5.
I recommend this beautiful and very pleasant hike.

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Raphi28
Raphi28

Overall rating : 3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 30, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

It's difficult to find your way around during the first few steps; the explanations are unclear. It works better with Maps.me using GPS coordinates.

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larsen Detdl
larsen Detdl

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 08, 2023
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A walk along beautiful trails, areas scorched by the fires of 2022 where vegetation is coming back to life, a few steep draillous that require caution – in short, everything we love.
The descent along a small road to La Sauve isn't too bad... Scents, butterflies... the Drôme...
In early April, the sinkholes on La Sauve are filled with water, superb!
The path on the left bank of La Sauve in the scree is visible, but is likely to become overgrown with summer vegetation. I didn't have any secateurs with me to do a bit of maintenance while walking :-)
Other points: GPX track perfectly reliable, elevation gain as advertised
The dog: no dog at the start, but a dog barking very loudly at the end of the hike, out of fear, as it followed us peacefully for the last 2 km before its owner found it and took it away
I recommend this very pleasant walk.

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Francine84
Francine84

He barks to defend his territory. If you keep your distance and ignore him, he won't approach you. So take the bend wide without paying any attention to him.
Enjoy your walk.
Francine

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Rachel0707
Rachel0707

Hello, I would like to know if the dog running loose is friendly?

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danileo04
danileo04

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 26, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A fairly wild hike, so a big thank you to Francine for her detailed description. Of course, a GPS is a must! Leonor and Daniel.

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Bettini3
Bettini3

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 12, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A great hike, just one small downside: a serious lack of signposting along the route.
Luckily we had the map. 😉

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Denis LL
Denis LL

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 05, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

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The GPS track and description are the property of this route's author. Please do not copy them without permission.