The Lombards trail via the ridge

A ridge walk starting off the beaten track, with views over the south of the Alpilles. A climb through an almost untouched valley to join the ridge trail, offering panoramic views of the north.

Technical sheet

210035
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 7.58 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 40 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Return to departure point: Yes
  • ↗
    Vertical gain: + 188 m
  • ↘
    Vertical drop: - 183 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 291 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 142 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Access

From Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, go in the direction of Baux-de-Provence on the D5 and, at the pass, park in the large car park to the left (called the La Caume car park, but not signposted).

PR route markers (Yellow)

(S/E) From the car park entrance, cross the D5 and walk up the small hill opposite on a passage blocked by stacks of wood. Continue on the track that runs between the pines. Ignore the one to the right coming from the road. Just after, pass another track (the GR6) which descends to the right (signpost).

GR route markers (white/red)

(1) Continue straight on this main track ignoring a path to the right about one hundred meters further on, then any trails that may appear here and there. The track climbs slightly with several turns. Above the hillside, on a very tight turn, you'll discover a trail that climbs to the left up a steep hill. You can't get it wrong, it's the first big climb that you encounter on the left.

Not marked

(2) This is where our ridge trail begins. After the peak, the trail drops steeply (see the group photo). Follow this well-marked trail and be careful because you shouldn't go to the end of the ridge. At the third high-point (including the first), a small cairn tells you where you need to go down to the right to join the good track located below ("Piste de Lombards"). The descent is quite steep and the trail is quite rutted, with both shrub oaks and other garrigue vegetation.

PR route markers (Yellow)

(3) Turn left on the track and, after several turns going downhill, you'll reach the bottom of the valley. Ignore a trail to the right, cross a concrete passage and then a barrier and come out onto good track from the D5 to the left.

(4) Turn right. Shortly after, ignore a path to the left, walk through the olive groves on both sides and then past an old sand quarry to your right and reach an intersection of tracks.

Not marked

(5) Turn right. Ignore the track that curves to the left and continue straight ahead to the one that starts to descend before climbing sharply. Further on, in the valley, note a ruin on your left. Continue to climb up the valley. Pass a large hairpin bend with a poorly-marked trail to the right, which you ignore. On a second, very pronounced turn, ignore the track coming from the left and continue to the right in the direction of the watchtower that you'll see to the northwest. Reach an intersection of tracks.

GR route markers (white/red)

(6) Ignore the climb up to the watchtower and the track that descends almost opposite. Take the right-most track. Remain on this track. Further on, ignore the one that descends to the right (Piste des Lombards - signpost) and continue until you reach a junction.

(7) Ignore the track that goes off to the left (AL112), carved in the rock. Continue straight ahead and stay on this track to complete circuit where it meets trail (2), this time to the right. Ignore the tracks and trails that are now on the left.

PR route markers (Yellow)

Return to point(1) and continue on the track opposite to join the D5. Cross it and find the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 241 m - La Caume" car park
  2. 1 : km 0.24 - alt. 240 m - Ignore the track that descends to the right
  3. 2 : km 0.76 - alt. 261 m - Left-hand path leading up the hill
  4. 3 : km 1.23 - alt. 197 m - On the track, turn left
  5. 4 : km 2.04 - alt. 149 m - Track junction, turn right
  6. 5 : km 2.92 - alt. 149 m - Crossroads, turn right
  7. 6 : km 5.23 - alt. 281 m - At the crossroads, take the track furthest to the right
  8. 7 : km 5.95 - alt. 267 m - Junction, ignore runway AL112 to the left
  9. S/E : km 7.58 - alt. 241 m - La Caume" car park

Practical information

Take care when crossing the D5, visibility is poor.

AL112: this is the number of the DFCI track (forest-fire department) and not the altitude (just to clarify because some people think it is).
See this link, for a few explanations of DFCI tracks.

 Always stay careful and alert while following a route. Visorando and the author of this walk cannot be held responsible in the event of an accident during this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

Reviews and comments

4.5 / 5
Based on 39 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.5 / 5
Clarity of route map
4.5 / 5
Route interest
4.4 / 5
Marjomar
Marjomar

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Dec 22, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

Lovely walk with lovely views.
I recommend it despite the last 20 minutes on tarmac.

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Leleu
Leleu

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Aug 29, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Lovely views, pleasant walk with a group of over-70s, taking care on the way down to the Lombards piste.

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Leleu
Leleu

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : May 26, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

A very fine hike, suitable for many people, gently descending to join the Lombard trail.

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Anne 12345
Anne 12345

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Apr 20, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

I knew the area well, but not this route, which deserves to be discovered. A varied route, alternating between pine forests and views of the Alpilles and the plain of Les Baux de Provence.
No particular difficulty, but the path is rough and uneven (stones).
Highlight: slightly off the beaten track and therefore less frequented.

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golion nadine
golion nadine

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Feb 20, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : Yes

Beautiful landscapes

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LIONEL13118
LIONEL13118

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of walk : Jan 13, 2024
Reliability of the description : N/A
Clarity of route map : N/A
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : Yes

Thanks for sharing, nice walk. I agree that the solution suggested by schnogeloch is perfect: continue 500 m after point 2 (in the direction of point 7), and you'll find a nice little path on the left, which will take you to point 3 without any difficulty.

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Efferalvent
Efferalvent

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Nov 10, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

The weather was mild, rather summery for November, so we were able to enjoy all the autumn colours of this beautiful region.
Many plant species caught our eye, and we were surprised to see a certain proliferation of Yew trees dotting the landscape. Planted by man or grown naturally?
The start of the walk is magnificent, with views over the cliffs of Saint-Rémy and the surrounding area. An appreciable 360° view of land and sea.
The rest of the walk, once the descent was under way, was pretty, but we found the name of the route surprising, as we thought we were on a ridge line, which in the end was only named after 15% of the route. We "fell" into a valley and then a climb with trees, but at a low level of latitude. A slight disappointment from our point of view.
At the end, in order to take advantage of the beautiful views, we climbed the watchtower to enjoy the 360° panorama, which was well worth the diversions (30 minutes).
A small detail that we felt was important: at the start of the hike (I don't have the description in front of me), it is indicated that at the 3rd cairn, go right downhill. But the 2nd cairn is hardly visible. It's before the 2nd promontory. So if you can't see it, continue on the ridge. And that's when you get a bit lost.....
The 2nd cairn is slightly below the path on the left, a little hidden by vegetation and very close to the 3rd cairn. And as the path is not very visible, we wanted to give you this information.
In conclusion, thank you for this beautiful hike, very easy in terms of elevation gain but with beautiful scenery.

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upinette
upinette

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Aug 11, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

Very nice walk with great views! Extremely well signposted!

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schnogeloch
schnogeloch

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of walk : Dec 31, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

If you want to avoid the steep descent, just continue 500 m after point 2 (in the direction of point 7), and you'll find a nice little path on the left, which will take you to point 3 without any difficulty.
It's a pleasant walk, but you might wonder why you had to go down 300 m to go back up another 300 m...

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Viking973
Viking973

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : May 18, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

A lovely, varied walk, although the descent after the crests (points 2 to 3) requires poles and hiking boots. The path is lined with loose stones and the gradient is extreme, so you need to be extra careful. The path leading down to the ridges is not very visible, so we continued for quite a while on the ridges before making a half-turn and finding it.
There's a very pleasant passage through a shady valley between points 5 and 6 to get back to the main DFCI track.

It took us 3 hours with our little extension on the ridges where the views are a treat.

Not recommended for non-sports enthusiasts, those without equipment or children, unless you do away with the ridges and do 2, 7 and 3 to get back to the track.

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jacksparrhow
jacksparrhow

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of walk : Feb 17, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Busy trail : No

The car park at the start is busy, but if you opt for this hike you won't see many people!
You'll get a great view of the surrounding countryside when you get to the ridges, but the descent is rather tricky. The end of this walk is not really very interesting. Beware of strong winds and bring plenty of water!

Score for this walk: 6/10

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-Alexis-
-Alexis-

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Aug 12, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Many thanks for your site and the quality of the map route, which enabled me, as a beginner, to do this hike without difficulty, accompanied by friends who were also beginners (sporty thirty-somethings).

Beautiful scenery, and I'm not going to repeat what has been said in previous comments.

The section between 2 and 4 is sometimes really steep and you need to be careful. If you go slowly, you'll have no problem (especially if you're well shod).

We did the route in 1 hour 50 minutes, taking it easy. Don't rely on the signposts to guide you, but rather on the site description and the map, which are very well done.

Alexis

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Eric.Nîmes
Eric.Nîmes
• Last modified:

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of walk : Mar 06, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

Only the sections from 2 to 4 are ridge paths, super from 2 to 3, then downhill (slippery, not for children) from 3 to 4.
For everything else, the main DFCI paths are there, with a track for an emergency truck.
At point 6, we extended our hike by descending to Lac du Peirou and then returning to the car park via the DFCI.

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Josetteaubry
Josetteaubry

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Jan 08, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : Yes

Over hill and dale, through olive groves 🤗😍
Joliiiiie , merci pour les bô points de vue !!!

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Serge V.
Serge V.

Hello Manue_30_

Thanks for your comment. I have followed your comments and changed my description.

The descent of the crests has deteriorated since I published this route. It deserved to be updated.

Sincerely
Serge

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