Tour of the Montagne de Bluye

Access:

• From Malaucène, head towards Entrechaux via the D13. Then head towards Mollans-sur-Ouvèze via the D5. Take the second road on the right, Rue de l’Ancienne Gare, towards the village centre. Park at Place de l’Ancienne Gare just after passing the fire station.

• From Vaison-la-Romaine, take the D938 towards Mirabel-aux-Baronnies, then the D46, passing close to Puyméras. Continue towards Mollans-sur-Ouvèze. Just before the village, turn right onto the D5. Take the first road on the left, Rue de l’Ancienne Gare, towards the village centre. Park in Place de l’Ancienne Gare just after passing the fire station.

(S/E) Walk up Rue de l’Ancienne Gare, passing the hotel-restaurant “Le Saint-Marc”. After 100m, you’ll soon reach Avenue de Verdun, opposite the Café des Sports. Take the stairs to the right of the building onto Cours Consolin.

(1) You’ll come to a small fountain (Fontaine des Aires), then turn right onto Rue des Aires.
You’ll see yellow markings and a series of coloured dots (blue, brown, orange, red). Walk up the street for 150 metres.

(2) At the junction, turn left onto Chemin du Four à Chaux.
Yellow markings and coloured dots (blue, brown, orange, red). Continue along this path until you reach the last house. From there, the tarmac gives way to a dirt track.

(3) At the hairpin bend near the water tank, carry on straight ahead along the narrow path, following the markings.
Yellow markings and coloured dots (blue, brown, orange, red).
The path leads through the woodland and climbs slightly.

(4) You’ll come to a fork in the road after 200m (not shown on the IGN map).
Carry on to the right along the path (known as the Chemin des Richard), which climbs a little more steeply, following the yellow markings and coloured dots (blue, yellow, brown). After 550m, you’ll reach a track suitable for vehicles.

(5) Turn left onto this track, then immediately left again onto the wide path, following the markings: yellow markings and a blue dot.
After about 80m, continue to the left, leaving the existing markings behind, and take the track marked with a Yellow Cross.
After passing a hairpin bend, when the track is about to turn left after the flat section, carry on straight ahead along the path that appears.

At the junction after 100m (not shown on the IGN map), carry on straight ahead. The markings change to yellow, with blue, brown and red dots.
Climb until you reach the mobile phone mast at the edge of the cliff.

(6) Go round the relay mast, passing to the right of it, then carry on straight ahead along the path that runs along the ridges.
Markings are yellow, with blue, brown and red dots. The path begins to climb steeply in places.
After 700m, you’ll come to a Fork in the road. Keep left. The markings then change to yellow, with brown and red dots. After about 350m, you’ll emerge at a hairpin bend on a track suitable for vehicles.

(7) Continue straight on along the path, which continues to climb through the boxwood in the undergrowth. The markings change to yellow with brown dots. After 700m, you’ll cross a track again.

(8) Cut across this track by taking the path straight ahead. There are no markings here (the yellow markings indicate you should continue to the right along the track; ignore these). Continue the ascent to reach the ridge line.

At the fork in the road that appears after 400m, keep left and follow the ridge line. Several fairly regular cairns indicate the direction to take. After approximately 1.2km, you’ll come across a path coming from the south (on the right, not visible on the map).

(9) Continue slightly to the left, heading east, to follow the ridge of the Montagne de Bluye. Yellow markings.

The path frequently runs alongside the north-facing cliffs, passing through woodland or open areas offering views of Mont Ventoux, then the Ouvèze Valley and the Baronnies.
The traverse across the ridges from west to east also alternates between ascending and descending terrain. Yellow markings are present fairly regularly. After about 950m, at the foot of a short descent, there is a large cairn.

(10) Look out for the path branching off to the right, heading south through the vegetation. Take this path to descend through the Vallat du Grand Ray. No markings.
There are a few cairns scattered here and there across the terrain. Generally, the path heads due south. The descent takes place with the clearly visible Pic du Comte directly ahead. The path winds its way through scree and small gravelly areas on a slope that is quite steep in places. At the bottom of the descent, you’ll reach a more clearly marked path.

(11) Turn left. There are no markings. The path, which is a grassy track, crosses the flank of the Montagne de Bluye heading east. Walk for about 650m. At the end of the path, you’ll reach a lovely charcoal kiln.

(12) From here, there is no path or marking; the route described is one possible way forward.
Turn left towards the north to climb up to the ridges of Montagne de Bluye. You’ll quickly pass a few ruins along the way.

Take the gravelly gully on the left. The slope is steep in places.
To make the climb easier, stick as much as possible to the stony or gravelly sections where the vegetation is sparser.
As you progress, the vegetation becomes denser and some sections require you to pass entirely beneath the canopy.
Keep heading north. Reach the ridges just before the Col des Pommiers.

(13) Continue to the right, heading east, for approximately 3.5 km. You will rejoin the yellow markings.

(14) At the fork in the road, take the path on the left leading downhill. Yellow markings.
The path winds down through the woodland on the northern slope of the Montagne de Bluye.
Join a wide track for a few metres, then continue straight on along the single track, following the yellow markings. The path then winds down in wide hairpin bends.

(15) At the foot of the descent, continue to the left then quickly to the right, to descend alongside a small water retention basin. Yellow markings.
Reach a small gate after 100m, then come out onto the track (remember to always close the gate).

(16) On the track, continue to the right. Yellow markings.
The track runs alongside orchards before reaching the Bluye farm after 450m on a downhill stretch.
Walk past the farm and join the small tarmac access road. Continue along this road until you reach the D72 county road after a 650m descent.

(17) At the junction with the D72, continue left for about 120m. Yellow markings.
Then, at the first junction, turn right onto the D526. After about 200m, take the track on the right. Yellow markings.
At the fork in the road after 350m, turn right, continuing to follow the yellow markings. After about 230m, you’ll reach a wide track.

(18) Carry on to the left. Leave the yellow markings.
Shortly after 170m, at the fork in the road, continue to the right. Walk along the edge of a field. At the end of the field, continue straight on. After about ten metres, you’ll come out onto a second small field. Walk along the left-hand side of this field to the end (heading south).
Then, at the far end, you’ll come across a path coming from the right. Keep going straight on towards the south.
After about 170 metres, you’ll come out onto the D72 county road at a small lay-by.

(19) Cross the D72, turn left, then take the track that climbs to the right. Yellow markings.
At the fork in the road that appears shortly afterwards, stay on the track on the left, following the markings.
The track winds its way uphill on a fairly gentle slope for about 650m.

(20) At the T-junction, continue to the right along the track. Leave the yellow markings.
At the next fork in the road, after about 50m, continue to the left. Stay on the main path, which is wide and very well marked. You’ll reach a good track.

(21) Take this track to the right to continue climbing gradually. There are no markings.
You’ll quickly pass close to a small water collection basin.
Ignore any possible turn-offs you come across and continue along the track.
On a flat stretch, you’ll reach a three-way junction with several paths leading off in different directions.

(22) Take the track on the right, where the^GR®91runs. Markings: white/red and yellow. After about 150m, you’ll reach the Col de Chaussène hiking marker. Continue left on the^GR®91towards Saint-Léger-du-Ventoux (the red mountain bike markings for the Grande Traversée de Vaucluse are present).
The path descends northwards and then westwards over very stony ground for about 2.5 km.
You’ll arrive at the cemetery in Saint-Léger-du-Ventoux. Head down the small tarmac road to join the D40 departmental road.

(23) Turn left onto the road and follow it for 200 metres until you cross the bridge. At the bridge, turn right towards L’Arjalas so that you quickly pass the car park at the Chante-Perdrix forest lodge.
Continue along the tarmac path running alongside the Toulourenc river heading west. Cross a small bridge over a stream. You’ll see the yellow hiking markings and red mountain-biking markings (Grande Traversée de Vaucluse).

(24) After 140m, leave the small tarmac road and continue left onto the footpath. Follow the yellow and red mountain bike markings. You will then reach a flat area marked by a cairn after approximately 270m. Continue right onto the wider path, following the markings.

(25) At the Fork in the road that appears after 300m, take the path on the right. There are no markings.
You’ll arrive behind the Ferme du Plan. Head down the grassy path to join the tarmac road visible further down.
Continue left along this road and rejoin the^GR®91signposting. Carry on for almost 1.3 km until you reach the small Romanesque-style stone bridge spanning the Toulourenc.
Cross the bridge, then continue along the dirt track to the left, quickly passing the car parks until you reach the end.

(26) When the road branches off at right angles to the right, look out for the^GR®91signpost on a rocky step. Then take the path which climbs initially through the rocks. The route will go round the private property.
At the junction you come to after 330m, turn left to head back down towards the Toulourenc.
Once you reach the riverbank, take the path on the right which runs alongside the river. The^GR®91markings are fairly frequent.

The path initially runs alongside the river before beginning to climb to overlook the gorges.
Continue all the way along the^GR®91path (mainly heading west), ignoring any offshoots or tracks you come across (access paths to the climbing routes).
You’ll reach the “Gorge du Toulourenc” signpost after about 1.8 km.
Then carry on straight ahead until the next junction.

(27) At the fork in the road, take the path that climbs to the right. Yellow markings.
You’ll reach the D40 after 500m (there are no junctions, contrary to what’s shown on the map).

(28) Cross the departmental road, heading slightly to the right as you cross. Yellow markings. After about 50 metres, continue to the right or left (the two paths join up).
At the next fork in the road, turn left onto the wide path. Yellow markings. The path climbs steadily through the vegetation. After about 550m, you’ll reach a wide track.

(29) Turn left. Ignore the Yellow-marked path branching off to the right shortly afterwards. Stay on the slightly grassy track heading westwards along the slopes of the Montagne de Bluye. No markings.

(30) At the fork in the road, after 900m, continue along the grassy track to the right. This track then winds round two hairpin bends before heading westwards again.
The route turns north after about 900m. Join the ridge path.

(8) Take the path on the left. Yellow markings. Reach the track.

(7) Leave the path and take the track on the right. Yellow markings and a red dot.
The track winds through several wide hairpin bends.

(31) At the fourth hairpin bend, leave the track. Take the path straight ahead heading west. Yellow markings and a red dot. At the second hairpin bend, after about 500m, continue to the left, following the markings.
The route winds through the woodland, then follows a lovely single track for almost 3 km.

(32) You’ll emerge at a bend in a small tarmac road. Carry on straight ahead, veering slightly to the left.
Take Rue des Granges. Pass the Fontaine des Granges, then turn right and head up the street.
Turn left to quickly reach the Fontaine des Aires.

(1). Take the steps on Cours Consolin, then take Rue de l’Ancienne Gare to reach the finish line (S/E).

A pair of walking poles may prove useful on the descent from (10) and the climb back up to point (12).

Water points:
- Several drinking fountains at the start (S/E) in the village of Mollans-sur-Ouvèze
- Drinking water at the cemetery in Saint-Léger-du-Ventoux just before (23).

The old town centre of Mollans-sur-Ouvèze.

Saint-Léger-du-Ventoux.

The Toulourenc Gorges.