The southern slope of Le Petit Luberon

On the southern slope of Le Petit Luberon, this trail is for experienced hikers due to two steep rises and randomly waymarked trails.

Technical sheet

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Caution, this route is Very difficult

This route requires a long and/or intense effort, either because of the difference in altitude or the distance involved, or both. In certain situations, there is also the possibility of technical and aerial sections.

  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 15.19 km
  • ◔
    Duration according to author: 5 hrs 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Very difficult

  • ⚐
    Return to departure point: Yes
  • ↗
    Vertical gain: + 655 m
  • ↘
    Vertical drop: - 656 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 710 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 148 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Car park above Les Borrys hamlet, under pine trees at the edge of Chemin du Degoutaou.

Orange + Yellow Waymarks
(S/F) With your back to the garbage containers, go right on Chemin du Degoutaou, then after a few metres, steer left. Continue on the large path which gently heads up through olive trees. After the last house, ignore two trails heading off to the right, continuing straight ahead towards La Reveyrolle waymark.

Red-White Waymark
Let the GR97 head off to the left and keeping to the same path for 50 m towards La Tapi.

(1) Leave the path, taking a trail to the right going through holm oak and box trees. Once the wood becomes less dense, one after the other, two trails join up with the waymarks from the right (only one is present on the map) and join up with a path.

Red-White + Orange + Yellow Waymarks
(2) Keep heading right, along the flat path ignoring a trail to the right just before a bend. The path then tilts towards the north then heads downhill over a few hectometres before joining up with another path. Keep heading in the same direction, reaching La Tapi crossing and its closed down shelter.

Orange + Yellow Waymarks
(3) Take the trail to the left leading to the small valley of La Tapi and 700 m later, just after a path heading off to the left, you'll reach the waymark of the same name.

No Waymarks
(4) Leave the path, locating a small trail heading off to the left (due north) behind the sign post. The path pushes through vegetation and at times you'll need to hunch down to advance through the grassy tunnel.
Go past a tiny water source and continue. A bit further up, the beginning of a trail to the left is marked by a cairn (not present on the map), just ignore it and keep heading straight on the same trail.

The trail heads uphill reaching a 5 to 6 metre rocky rise, bolt up-right with average grip: it will be the most difficult to climb and there's no way of avoiding it. Once the obstacle defeated, keep heading on the trail, going past a large rock shelter and a short scree path reaching a second tricky spot.

Slightly higher than the first one, this rise will be slightly easier to overcome thanks to easier grips. You'll see pitons, proving that the area must have been equipped at some point. At the top, take an immediate right towards a small platform as the trail is hard to see. Keep heading uphill going past a small scree, ignoring a trail, hardly noticeable go off in the scree. Keep going, leaving another, more obvious trail to the left and head right towards the foot of the cliff.

Blue Waymarks (non-official)
(5) Slightly before the cliff, take a right on a footpath along the bottom of the cliff, bypassing it then heading up. The waymarks are hard to see at times and a bit faded so keep your eyes open. At a fork, take the trail on the left (not present on the map) rapidly reaching another fork.

(6) Head left, completing the climb, at times with the help of your hands, reaching the plateau. A stunning view to the left over the rocky ridge of la Roque des Bancs with cedars above it. Continue on the footpath that rises to the right (north-east), at times hard to see through the vegetation, and regain a path.

No Waymarks
(7) Turn off to the right on the path reaching cistern n° 41 at the edge of "route de la Forêt des Cèdres".

Yellow + Green Waymarks
Keep going straight ahead along the tarmac road, ignore a path heading off to the left arriving at Pré de Roustan junction.

Yellow Waymarks
(8) Take a left, on a path heading through cedar trees. 600 m further, ignore a path on the left (wooden waymark) and keep going straight along a path marked with a Yellow cross. The waymarks will be Yellow dots. The trails ends up at an outstanding view point over Val de Durance.

(9) Make a quick round trip along the cliff over a hundred or so metres to see "l'Arche du Portalas", a natural arch further below.
Go back to the view point, passing the viewpoint indicator and head opposite following the Yellow dots. Once the trail starts heading downhill, follow the Yellow waymarks coming from the left. Keep heading straight until Les Portalas waymark.

(10) Take the path to the right, which heads down gently at first, then gets a bit steeper on a stoney and slippery terrain. You'll reach "Aire de Bosse" waymark next to a cistern.

Red-White Waymarks
(11) Take the path to the right, then immediately the one heading uphill to the left (GR97).
Continue on the GR route, which will head up towards a path coming in from the right and continue opposite. Ignore all the trails heading off here and there keeping to the main path. Start a smooth hike down to begin with, then over hollow paths in the heart of a shaded valley.

Once you've past the valley, you'll reach a forest trail, head along it to the right-hand side reaching La Tapi.

Orange + Yellow Waymarks
(3) After the remains of a house, continue on the trail leading to Les Borrys. 700 m further, leave the path which heads off to the left continuing on the same trail. Take a right, ignore the path heading off in the bend and continue on the trail for roughly 300 m.

Red-White + Orange + Yellow Waymarks
(2) At the crossing, leave the trail and head left on the path. Keep to the GR waymarks ignoring all the trailheads. You'll end up on a new trail.

(1) Take a left on this one. Once you get to La Reveyrolle sign post keep heading straight towards Les Borrys hamlet. Let the GR97 head off to the right and continue following Orange and Yellow waymarks.
800 m further, you'll regain a tarmac road.

Turn right to regain the car park (S/F).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 149 m - Car park above the hamlet of Les Borrys
  2. 1 : km 0.94 - alt. 185 m - Leave the runway turn right
  3. 2 : km 1.68 - alt. 256 m - Right on the runway
  4. 3 : km 3.06 - alt. 257 m - La Tapi, turn left
  5. 4 : km 3.87 - alt. 292 m - Vallon de la Tapi beacon
  6. 5 : km 5.58 - alt. 516 m - Blue markers at the foot of the cliff
  7. 6 : km 6.11 - alt. 664 m - Second fork on the left
  8. 7 : km 6.36 - alt. 666 m - Right on the path
  9. 8 : km 7.35 - alt. 710 m - Beacon Le Pré de Roustan
  10. 9 : km 8.19 - alt. 694 m - Orientation table
  11. 10 : km 8.87 - alt. 670 m - Les Portalas beacon
  12. 11 : km 9.57 - alt. 569 m - Aire des Bosses beacon
  13. 12 : km 11.56 - alt. 321 m - Right on the runway
  14. S/E : km 15.19 - alt. 149 m - Car park above the hamlet of Les Borrys

Practical information

N.b: Two steep rises requiring rock climbing over several metres.
Children should be secured by rope and dogs will not be able to pass these obstacle alone.

In the nearby area

L'Arche du Portalas, a magnificent natural Arche.

 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

4.6 / 5
Based on 20 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.4 / 5
Clarity of route map
4.5 / 5
Route interest
4.9 / 5
OCHEM D
OCHEM D

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of walk : Oct 06, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Clarity of route map : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

A hike classified as very difficult, which is a little excessive, even if it is tiring because it is long (more like 20 km than 15) with 500 m of ascent, some of it very steep. The effort is rewarded by splendid scenery. The two aerial passages do not require mountaineering skills and are accessible to fit hikers. The path after the second section is difficult to find without a GPS, so we had to wander around a bit in the vegetation before finding our way back.

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odile31
odile31

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Oct 30, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

After a long approach along forest tracks, you enter the heavily wooded Arc valley. After the 2 rocky sections, the landscape finally opens up and you discover the beauty of the site. Above, you'll discover the cedar forest and a beautiful view of the arch. An easy return.
As far as the 2 walls to be climbed are concerned, there are holds (but not very big ones) and falling is dangerous. It's best to bring a rope for the less experienced climbers in the group.

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jpcherbr
jpcherbr

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : May 05, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Hello
Nice hike.
We had taken a rope for the technical sections, but in the end we didn't use it.
The passages are easy to do, although you obviously have to be careful.
We met a lot of people in the cedar forest section and had a beautiful view of the Portalas arch and the Durance valley in general.
and the Durance valley in general.
I'd like to come back to the ban on hiking in the massif because of the birds of prey.
we saw signs giving instructions to be followed but no ban on hiking
the only prohibition sign was positioned just before reaching the cedar forest, but once you're there you can't turn back, if you're coming from the forest track you see it very early so you're warned quickly of the prohibition.
As far as the explanations given by the hikers are concerned, sometimes the landmarks they describe are rather confusing, and I'm not necessarily talking about this particular hike, but in general.
I mainly do hikes on your site, so I have some experience of your descriptions.
of your descriptions.
I've been hiking without a map or GPS until now, so for me the details of the hike are very important.
important.
Thank you for your hikes and we'll continue to discover new places with you.
JP

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Tang421
Tang421

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Jan 05, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

I agree with all the previous comments: this is not a "very difficult" hike, just a bit technical because of the two short climbing sections. Not for Sunday hikers, that's all. We skipped the cedar forest section, which we didn't find very interesting. Nice hike, beautiful scenery.

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lutinlaubien
lutinlaubien

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Nov 04, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Superb wild hike, done with 2 children aged 8 and 11. The children loved the caves, the 2 "climbing" passages which don't present any great difficulty in terms of holds but where you have to be careful not to risk falling (great height) and the huts in the cedar forest. We were alone on this hike. We only met people on the cedar forest section.

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fredrichard7
fredrichard7

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Oct 24, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

A very fine walk, very wild on the first part. The second part is more classic.
The two so-called "steep" sections are not as difficult as all that, nor are they gassy. In fact, in my opinion, the "very difficult" rating is a little high compared with other hikes on the site. It would be a shame to miss out on this hike for these two short passages.

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Christel Hosselet
Christel Hosselet

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Sep 23, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Very nice hike, I recommend it
Be careful, the rope mentioned in previous comments at the first wall is no longer there, which can complicate the hike.
If you can't make it, you can join point 4, then go back up to point 11 then 9 to get the view of the Durance 🙂🙂

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LEFEVRE DOMINIQUE
LEFEVRE DOMINIQUE

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : May 07, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Very nice long hike. Some difficult sections. Magnificent scenery and unusual sights. Thank you for this description, which is completely in line with the tour.

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goelandsud
goelandsud
• Last modified:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Mar 23, 2021
Reliability of the description : N/A
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

In my opinion, this is a magnificent sporty and wild hike of moderate difficulty.
I can confirm the presence of a rope as indicated by another hiker at the first climbing section, which is a great help in climbing this steep section.
No problem following this hike with the help of the app's GPS.
Thanks to the author of this track.

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pinol rubi
pinol rubi

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of walk : Mar 08, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Date of the walk: Saturday 7 March 2020 Leaving the hamlet of Les Borrys, we followed the route as far as point 4 on the description. Once on the ridge, there was another viewpoint of the Arch 100m from the orientation table. The rest of the hike was identical to the plan. All in all, a very nice walk.

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rimasc
rimasc

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of walk : May 08, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

in the 2 easy climbing passages there was a rope
from the portalas arch you can follow the ridge to reach the path marked in yellow that leads to the gr, which you finally follow to the car park.

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Zenkarma84@yahoo.fr
Zenkarma84@yahoo.fr

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Apr 29, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Thanks to the hiker who posted this route.
No major worries (a few uncertainties resolved by common sense in the untracked section after the walls to be climbed).
This hike is not for everyone (climbing the walls is reasonable for people in good physical condition, with no fear of heights, and who are rather tall).
But it's a real pleasure all the way round, whether it's on the long, gradual ascent, the more traditional route to the Cedres forest or the descent.
5 hours of "normal" walking for an average hiker.

Having done it, I recommend at least 2 people, especially for the section on the walls, you never know.

At the end of the day, a good dose of tiredness will be your companion ;-)

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alain- françois
alain- françois

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Jan 13, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A very beautiful, wild walk, with no orientation problems, but please remain vigilant.

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dd_mars
dd_mars

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Mar 31, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A very nice, varied walk with lovely views and a crossing of the cedar forest that made us want to go back.
One comment to qualify the difficulty of this walk. There were 4 of us with a fair amount of hiking experience, and we didn't feel that the "very difficult" classification was appropriate, as the two sections were fairly easy for those used to hiking in Provence, and the gradient was relatively slight without any major difficulties. So for those who are unsure, I'd say that this is a moderately difficult hike, with two sections where you have to put your hands down, but without any major difficulties. The route is very well described and reliable, thanks again to the author.

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jonlepir
jonlepir

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Nov 18, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A beautiful hike
In the more secret parts, the paths are still well marked and the 2 climbing sections are not very difficult, although not very well protected.
The cedar forest is as beautiful as ever and the view from the summit is truly magnificent.

Thank you very much!

Good GPS track

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