Sainte-Victoire: the Pic des Mouches with a return via the Pas du Clapier

Description

Park your vehicle at the Saint-Ser car park situated on the D17 between Saint-Antonin-sur-Bayon and Puyloubier.

Red Waymarking

(D/A) On leaving the Saint-Ser car park, go straight ahead on the path, which is well waymarked in Red, heading towards the Saint-Ser Chapel. After about 500 metres, you will meet a path waymarked in Green which heads off on the right.

Green Waymarking

(1) Follow this path which is no very longer well waymarked. No entry to this path was allowed for a time following landslides so a bit of caution is still required.
The path will climb for about 2km towards the ridges over a lot of scree in order to reach the ridge at Garagaï de Cagoloup where it meets the GR9.

GR Waymarking Red & White

(2) Once you've arrived at the ridge, take the GR to the left and follow it. After 500m, the GR passes by the Pic des Mouches (the highest point of the Sainte-Victoire massif) and its orientation table.

(3) Continue on the GR and go along the ridges for about 4km until you reach the path to the Pas du Clapier. The start of the path is not very visible - it is located between two cairns at the cliff edge. (see photo)

Green Waymarking

(4) Take the path on the left - it is still not very well waymarked, but the general direction is clear enough.
"Descending the Pas du Clapier is quite challenging, in just under one kilometre you will reach the path which goes along the bottom of the cliffs"

Brown Waymarking

(5) Once at the bottom, take the path on the left which goes along the foot of the cliffs - this path is not really very difficult - before climbing up towards the Baudino refuge.

(6) Go around the building and cross the rocky scree to continue on the path. Go gently downhill for about 2km towards the Saint-Ser Chapel.
You will reach an intersection just before the Saint Ser Chapel (the Brown path comes to an end), take the Red path on the right (opposite you will see the start of the path leading to the Saint-Ser Chapel).

Red Waymarking

(7) Go down this path for about one kilometre until you reach the crossroads again (1), then take the same path as the outward leg to return to the Saint-Ser car park (D/A).