Sommet des Fourcats (Fourcats Peak)

de fr

Excellent walk with an amazing uphill trail to "Les Rochers de Baude" leading to the ridges of the "Luberon plateau"

Details

n°55795
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 9.62 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 6h 35 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Difficult
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 2,461 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 2,487 ft
  • ▲
    Highest point: 2,211 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 410 ft
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Photos

Fourcats summit
col de la gnole!
View. Fourcats walk. 24 April 2018.
Cherry trees

Description of the walk

Start point (S) from the "theatre de verdure" car park, 100m to the left, behind Robion church.

From the car park (1), take the road towards "Le Boulon" "Les Taillades" and after the Fontaine du Temps car park, take the Boulon Haut path, an uphill paved road (yellow waymarks)
After heading downhill, they'll be a sign "Le Boulon" (2) leave the road taking the path that leads downhill to the left towards "Le Castelas".
This wonderful trail rises through the cliffs in a semi rock tunnel giving you an astonishing view over Cavaillon and the valley.
Once you've arrived at Castelas (3) take a left towards "Le Pin de Maillet". Be careful, the trail isn't very clear but has yellow waymarks. Stay alert so as not to get lost. At the next two signs, continue towards "Le Pin de Maillet".
Once you reach the sign "Le Pin de Maillet", keep going straight ahead towards "Le Quillot". When you get to the sign "Le Quillot", continue towards "Maubec" and "La Draille de Maubec" 50 m further, you'll reach the "La Draille de Maubec" and "Des Frères Nouguirs" sign (4). Ignore this sign and follow the uphill trail to the right. You're now leaving the yellow waymarks but several cairns show the way. This path takes you up to the ridge above the Vallon de Sapine and leads to another track (5), which allows you to catch up with the yellow waymarks a bit further uphill. Once you get to a wide esplanade (6) acting as a roundabout for hunters' cars, go up the large path to the left going past the weather station. Furthr along, you'll come across cairns all the way downhill. This path leads directly in front of Mont Ventoux. After completing the descent, you'll come across the GR6-GR97 (8), you'll need to head left towards Maubec (9), the GR leaves the road and rises over the camp site. When you get to the "La Draille de Maubec" sign, keep going strait heading towards "Robion".
Once at the sign "Cimetière de Robion" (10), take a left towards "Robion""Théâtre de Verdure". Leave the GR to catch up to the yellow waymarks once again. Once you get to "l'Avenue du Luberon", go back up the road to the left to find the car park (1).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 502 ft - Théâtre de Verdure
  2. 1 : mi 0.37 - alt. 535 ft - Le Boulon junction. Turn left.
  3. 2 : mi 1.6 - alt. 1,040 ft - Le Castelas junction. Turn left.
  4. 3 : mi 2.93 - alt. 1,549 ft - Directional signs. Right-hand side.
  5. 4 : mi 3.96 - alt. 1,814 ft - Junction with path. Straight ahead.
  6. 5 : mi 4.61 - alt. 2,106 ft - Esplanade . Car park for hunters. To the left - Sommet des Fourcats (649m)
  7. 6 : mi 5.07 - alt. 2,211 ft - Cairn. Change direction. Left turn
  8. 7 : mi 6.8 - alt. 837 ft - Junction with the GR6 and GR97. Turn left.
  9. 8 : mi 8.14 - alt. 456 ft - Maubec campsite.
  10. 9 : mi 9.34 - alt. 410 ft - Robion cemetery. On the left.
  11. S/E : mi 9.62 - alt. 502 ft - Théâtre de Verdure

Notes

There can be areas that are quite steep up and downhill which could bother average level hikers, hence the difficulty rating.

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.

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Reviews and comments

4.6 / 5
Based on 59 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.6 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.7 / 5
Route interest
4.6 / 5
georgevelyne@gmail ;com
georgevelyne@gmail ;com

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 22, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

First of all, a big thank you to the author of this guide: SLINKY, who has enabled us to discover some truly stunning views.
A relatively challenging hike, but manageable if you’re in good physical shape.
The path is quite steep in places.
Please note: after point no. 6, you must turn left and, above all, use your GPS, as only the Kerns can guide you.

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phmlgcn
phmlgcn

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 11, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant hike: an ascent with an ‘alpine’ feel; a descent that is partly shaded
Reasonable rating

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Erik26
Erik26

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 13, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A hike for two, done in the opposite direction to the marked circular route.
(We skipped the section between points 5 and 6 (approx. 3 km round trip) as it wasn’t particularly interesting.
The western side was damp and quite slippery.
Up to the La Brayette cave, the views are magnificent. After that, you find yourself walking through a forest of boxwood and other vegetation.

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lutindandoloisir
lutindandoloisir

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 18, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

This is a very nice walk that we started in Maubec, but that doesn't change anything as it's a circuit.
We did this walk in the rain and the section from Brebion to the Col de la Gnôle is very technical and slippery, but if you take your time and pay close attention, it's manageable.
It's a pity it was overcast, as we cut across via the Maubec drovers' road.

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lepapou
lepapou

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 26, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We hiked in fine sunshine, but it was - 2°C at the start.
The first part is really beautiful, especially the sections below the cliffs.
Access to the summit of Les Fourcats is difficult in the first part: you have to be careful on the unmarked track, but the trace is clearly visible.
There is a fine view of Mont Ventoux on the way down; the second part of the descent is very steep and difficult.
This is a hike for experienced walkers only, but it will leave you with some good memories.

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RAF61
RAF61

Overall rating : 5 / 5

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

Very nice hike done yesterday with my club, the 1st part up is long but without too many difficulties, part of the descent to Maubec is more tricky, risk of slipping in places (stony track). on the other hand very nice views.

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Valavie!
Valavie!

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 08, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A fine, well-balanced walk: uphill, picnic and downhill. Beautiful scenery. A lovely day on these paths.

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nanou13430
nanou13430

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 19, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Magnificent walk. Breathtaking scenery and views.
The only drawback is the descent, which is very long, steep and slippery.

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Ma Mie
Ma Mie

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 28, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

We hiked in very hot weather. The first part was interesting, then not much else. We didn't find it particularly difficult.

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Sèv84
Sèv84

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 06, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

It's a nice outing that's somewhat challenging but not technically very difficult.
After point 1, as you approach Les Baumes, one to the left and a large one to the right, pay close attention to the markings. Don't take the left-hand cellle despite the tracks that lead off, the route is downhill. We were fooled. And so did other hikers behind us.

Once on the plateau and then on the ridges (points 2, 3, 4, 5), stay visible and noisy, as there are many hunters. Follow the signs and cairns carefully.

Reading the comments, I was expecting scree on most of the route. That's not the case at all, the paths are fairly clean, with some stones, of course, but you just have to keep your feet up.
Still following the comments, I was expecting a terrible descent. The descent is indeed steep, but still manageable and accessible.
For connoisseurs of the Ventoux and Dentelles area, it's just a bit of cat's paw next to that ^^.

A very nice hike for hardy walkers who enjoy scrambling.
Mr Slinky, thank you once again.

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margot buisson
margot buisson

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 21, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

very nice hike. magnificent scenery. sporting hike with a good level of difficulty
to be avoided in wet or rainy weather the rocks become very slippery increasing the difficulty of this circuit especially
downhill sections.

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dzy
dzy

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 10, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

trail version
super bien

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Jean-Bernard
Jean-Bernard

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 18, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Superb! The difficult classification is justified by the fact that we are almost constantly on a scree slope, and the descent is very hard on the knees. Careful with fragile ankles - you'll need mountain boots! Breathtaking views of the Ventoux and the Dentelles de Montmirail, as well as the craggy massifs that make up the Luberon Natural Park.
Thank you Slinky, but I know you know this beautiful region well.

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LEFEVRE DOMINIQUE
LEFEVRE DOMINIQUE

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 20, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful walk in a magnificent, unspoilt setting. The description is very precise and perfectly accurate. Exceptional ridge route. Thank you for this suggested walk.

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marco3031
marco3031

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 07, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Good evening
Magnificent hike, very stony path in places, but be careful with your ankles.
The comments in "Practical information" are justified.
Thank you for this beautiful route.

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