The ridges of the Petites and Grandes Dentelles de Montmirail

We followed the direction indicated by the trail (and not the other way round). Be careful, there is an "off the beaten track" shortcut between (5) and (6) towards the end of the hike, which is pretty hardcore! First there's a steep climb up a pebble slope; you have to dig deep to get up the slope and use the branches to help you - Then you have to climb the last few metres up a rock face, using a climbing rope! - From here, you have a magnificent view... but the changeover is almost like rock-climbing on a rocky slab with a few hand and foot holds... just like the climbing exercises. After this passage, we return to the blue markings and descend more gently. It says a 4h10 hike, which we took 4h. So perfect timing.

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I only hiked part of it with my dogs.
Lack of time meant we didn't do the whole circuit, but what we did see was superb. The charm of the chapel of Saint-Christophe in the light of a sunny late winter afternoon, the rather grandiose site of the waterfalls and a little loop in the lace.
We set off in the opposite direction to the one indicated. After the waterfalls we reached the pas de la chèvre (point no. 6). It's a steep climb to get there, but the view from the path along the cliff is well worth the effort.
From here, we only descended into the bed of the Valat de l'Aiguille to join the path on the left bank heading east to the car park.
We'll come back to this area if we allow more time.

Apart from a few people making their way to the waterfalls from the dedicated car park, we didn't come across anyone.

A short video of the outing can be seen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avSWBZg5...

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Thank you to the previous hikers who indicated that it was better to do the loop in reverse! The section from 7 to 6 is clearly easier to climb than to descend; you often need to use one or even two hands, which is why I strongly advise against carrying poles. If you walk in the opposite direction to that recommended, the climb is very steep, but not vertiginous. It took us around 45 minutes in climbing mode to reach the foot of the cliff (it would have been a nightmare to descend). We saw blue dots from time to time on this 1st section, but it was impossible to follow them: gps is compulsory (load the route before setting off as it doesn't pick up everywhere) to avoid getting too lost. Then you follow the cliff, where the path is more marked. There is a slight difficulty at the pas de la Chèvre (pass between 2 cliffs), you need 2 hands but fortunately there are small holes in the rock to hold on to. Once on the other side, you descend a little on your bottom from time to time, but there are plenty of shrubs to hold on to. It's a long side section with lots of different viewpoints. For the next climb up the other cliff, the blue dot markers are very present and very useful. After flanking the cliff, you come to the Turc rock. Then you cross the cliff and if you follow the route of the hike you go straight down to find yourself on the track; I preferred to veer to the right just after the pass (dotted line on the geoportail) to stay on the side of the cliffs, you find the blue point again and you can stay on the side almost to the end.
A magnificent hike, but not for everyone! Clearly not for children, or at the very least for sporty but cautious teenagers... And indeed it takes almost 4 hours, not counting the breaks.

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A very aerial loop walk of around 10 km, crossing the two rocky bars of the Dentelles from north to south, via the Rocher du Turc (a small natural excavation that cuts right through the cliff, via a passage known as the "Chatière"), which will take you to the other side in just a few minutes!
Born from the sea 200 million years ago, the Dentelles de Montmirail, 630 m high at the Rocher du Turc, present a landscape strongly marked by geology. Their highest point is the crest of Saint-Amand at 722 metres. The massif, which is around eight kilometres long, is world-famous for its climbing walls. The name "lace" comes from the shape created by the erosion of the rock. Montmirail comes from the Latin "mons mirabilis", meaning "admirable mountain". There are three Dentelles. They run parallel to each other: Grand Montmirail, Les Dentelles Sarrasines, Grande Montagne or the Grand Travers range.
The route starts from the magnificent Lafare waterfalls, of which there are three significant ones. In this lush green hollow, a ray of light hits the first beautiful waterfall, offering colours ranging from emerald green to orange on the rocks. A visit to the Chapelle Saint Christophe in the early hours of the morning is a must - its position at the top of a rocky promontory is enhanced by the light of the rising sun. The view of the Dentelles from the terrace overlooking the chapel is truly marvellous!
Heading for the Cayron car park, the ascent to the Turc-Pousterle gap will take us to the other side, in the sunshine! From here, the walk becomes very aerial, and in places erosion has carved out "windows" from which you can admire the view of the other side. You walk along the rock face, dozens of metres high, looking up to spot the Florets-Turc breach and the famous chambre du Turc, the highlight of the hike! In the Middle Ages, the Saracens occupied Provence, and this high hiding place gave them an unobstructed view of any invasion and warned the inhabitants of a potential attack. Hence the name Chambre du Turc, a natural room fortified by man!
First variant: a partially walled-in cavity, which crosses the wall in a gut and ends in a "cat flap" leading to a platform with a breathtaking 360° view.
We descend along a fairly visible, wooded path to the Col d'Alsau. Take a picnic break and set off again without wasting a minute for the second option.
The second option is the Saracen tower, set high on a rocky promontory with a view over the whole department and beyond. Partly rebuilt, it overlooks the entire valley from east to west.
The second part of the walk is a single track along the steep cliffs on one side and the "grandes dentelles" on the other - it's up to you, depending on the time of year, to choose whether you want more or less shade. We chose to walk in the sunshine and along the cliffs, following the aerial paths used by mountaineers. There are almost always some on these walls, which are famous in the climbing world.
The panorama is magnificent, and this hike is well worth doing for all levels of climber, but you need to allow a bit more time, as there are plenty of photos to be taken and plenty of opportunities to stop and admire the scenery
For information, I've used this route as my inspiration, but with a few variations: Start from the waterfalls, visit the chapel, Chambre du Turc, Tour sarrasine and return via the climbers' path... And thank you for publishing this route, it's magnificent!

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I did it in the opposite direction (given the previous comments) to pass the section (6) and (7) on the way up.
Be careful though, point 6 remains tricky, fortunately there is still a blue trace to confirm the "path"; the route is less obvious to find in some places.

With a few involuntary detours, the GPS watches indicate more like 9km.
Avoid wet weather/wet ground

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Beautiful hike, superb views, but the passage between 6 and 7 is very complicated and dangerous for experienced hikers.

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I did this route from the Les Florets car park. The climb up to the Dentelles Sarrasines is a little steep, but the progress along the ridge is beautiful. You can come back down via the Rocher du Midi and enjoy a beautiful panorama. At every point along the way, you can see the Dentelles from different angles, which is what makes this walk so interesting.

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A fine, rather sporty hike with a tricky section over rock where you have to be careful. Deserves to be classed as difficult. It's better to do it the other way round, as it's easier to pass the smooth rock on the way up to point 6, and it's also easier to descend the steep path in the gravel than to climb it.

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Hello,
This hike is classified as difficult and could be very difficult.
Just before point 6, you have to cross the cliff, the climb is almost like rock-climbing, and the descent on the other side is on extremely slippery rock.
The 500m descent from the rocky slab is extremely dangerous and should be approached with appropriate equipment.
In view of the above, this hike should be reserved for experienced hikers who know how to handle rock.

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On the whole, the trail matches the paths, except for the last part, where the last crossing of the rock face is not easy to find without GPS.
Mich26

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I did the route in the opposite direction, I didn't go and see the waterfall (initially in the direction I was going) for fear of running out of time, but in the end I completed the loop in 2 hours 50 minutes, including the breaks (and as a bonus a small orientation error at the start of the climb which cost me around ten minutes) without having a particularly fast pace.
I only used the GPS track, except for a mistake at the start of the climb between points 7 and 6, which was no problem. The unmarked section between points 6 and 5 is fairly obvious. Between points 3 and 1, there are plenty of blue markings, so there's no risk of making a mistake.
The route is very pretty and not very busy (but the loop was done in the afternoon, perhaps after the "big" crowd. The reverse direction allows you to pass the rocky slab on the way up just before point 6, and the descents are no problem at all. The climb between points 7 and 6 is in the sun, while the descent between 2 and 1 is shaded.

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Great route with breathtaking scenery! The passage by the waterfall at the end of the route is very pleasant. There are a few tricky sections on the downhill sections. The description is clear, no need for a GPS.

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Another way to discover the Dentelles, but needless to say you'll need to allow 6 hours to enjoy it, given the number of breaks you'll have to make
We set off from the Col de Cayron and hiked in the other direction.
This has the advantage of passing the waterfall with plenty of sunshine, passing the Clapis and climbing the rocky slab (much cooler) ... but the big disadvantage is passing the Rocher du Turc in the middle of the afternoon ... in terms of crowds and peace and quiet: difficult to do worse (although it was the last weekend in February). To find some peace and quiet, we didn't go straight back down, but headed for the Rocher du Midi.

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Vaboha, if you have connection problems, it's a good idea to download the map before you leave.

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It's an interesting loop if you don't have much time, and it allows you to see both the large and small laces. However, we got lost at point (5) because the GPS had lost reception and there was no signpost in sight! So we ended up in the bed of the Aiguille and joined the path opposite, which is also very nice.
So pay attention to the description, which is not easy to find.

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