Tête de Roussague and the Vallon des Seignors

Park in the car park by the church on the road to Saint-Jean de Garguier.

(S/E) Head up the road to the left, then take the first right and the next left, which is the Chemin de Saint-Clair SB103. A few metres further on, at the forest gate, you’ll come across a small path on the left, but ignore it and stay on the main path.

(1) You’ll come to a junction on the left with a sign pointing to “Chapelle Saint-Clair”. Carry on and pass cistern number 56.

(2) At the junction with cistern number 56, continue straight on along the marked path named SB102. You will cross a path.

(3) Turn right towards the Refuge de Cluny. Then continue straight on, following it. Enter the woods and keep to the left as you climb; very soon, the path is lined with crushed stone and leads to the cave.

(4) This small cave has been converted into a priory and you can light candles there and spare a thought for a loved one. Then return to the track.

(3) Continue along the DFCI SB102 track, climbing to the right. Keep going straight ahead until you reach cistern 52.

(5) From this cistern, there are stunning views of the Roches Fourcade. Carry on and leave the DFCI for a small path that branches off to the left right in the middle of the first bend. It’s a lovely single track that runs almost straight ahead, parallel to the Dents de Roque Forcade and Sainte-Victoire, with magnificent scenery.

(6) You’ll reach a large rock. An aluminium piton is embedded in the rock so you can attach a rope to abseil down this rock face, which is two to three metres high. Then go back a few metres and go round the rock to the right. Next, head straight down off-track to join the path you need to take on the left.

(7) At the junction with a small path, take the one on the right and continue towards Sainte-Victoire, with some very pretty scenery on this side.

(8) You’ll come to a very wide path. Take it to the left and enter the Domaine de Roussargue. From there, you can see the Pic de Bertagne, the Garlaban, Sainte-Victoire and the Dents de Roque Forcade, as well as other points of interest. Pass under a high-voltage pylon – the tallest one – and continue straight on, with the Garlaban opposite, Marseille on the left and Sainte-Victoire to the right. About fifty metres past the pylon, the path turns left, almost at a right angle, heading downhill.

(9) You’ll come across a small path branching off to the left. Follow it down through a series of hairpin bends. Note that this single track is quite narrow and you’re likely to scratch your arms or legs a bit. So trousers and long sleeves are still recommended for those with sensitive skin.

(10) You’ll come across a small path branching off to the right; take this through some very pretty woodland. This path is passable.

(11) At the junction, take the path leading down to the right.

(12) After the bridge, take the path on the left and join the tarmac road, then follow it down. At the end there is a gate and, to the right of the gate, a small path that joins the road. Head down to the left and follow the road to the car park (S/E).

Proposed by: A.M.I.S Rando Aubagne and its team

At (6), there is a section where you will need to climb down or go round to the right, retracing your steps a little before (6).

Some of the single tracks on this route are quite narrow, so it is recommended that you wear long trousers and long-sleeved tops, as well as suitable footwear.

You can visit the Saint-Clair Chapel right at the start by following the signposts and leaving the route at (1). You can also visit the cave-priory located after the Cluny refuge at (4).