Tour of the Dents de Roque Forcade via the Plan des Vaches

Date of your route : Nov 23, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very beautiful walk, magnificent 360° view at the summit. You have to be very careful not to miss the climb... no chains but doable. Duration: 2.5 hours. Start off slowly as it's quite a climb right from the start.
Mobile app essential.

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Date of your route : Nov 11, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

It is important to hike in the direction indicated for several reasons. The view is superb, overlooking the peaks, geological formations and the climb. It is not easy to find the path to climb. It is quite quickly on the right. When you start to see too many blue dots, you have gone too far. There is no longer a chain. The first step is a little high but can be done without difficulty. The rock is good, of course to be done in dry weather, there are handholds.
The path before this passage is splendid, with magnificent views. The view afterwards is just as superb. It really is a beautiful walk. We turned off at point 4 due to lack of time and, with the picnic, it took us 2 hours and 47 minutes. We took lots of photos.
However, it is important to have the route on your phone as there are several paths and it can sometimes be confusing.

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Date of your route : Sep 29, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike around the Dents de la Roque Forcade
the path along the cliffs is fabulous, and once you reach the plateau, the panoramic view is breathtaking, especially as we were blessed with beautiful weather.
This route is particularly interesting on a clear day when you can enjoy views of the Alps.
One small downside is that the signposting is sometimes non-existent.

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Date of your route : May 30, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Thanks to the author of this route, which is truly magnificent, even as you approach by car. Start early in the morning so you can finish before midday, before it gets too hot. Magnificent 360-degree views and lots of flowers. No major difficulties, except perhaps for some people during the short climb at point 1. There are no chains, but there are good handholds and footholds. At the bottom of the rock with the arrows, head left and follow the sign saying "facile" (easy). This is definitely recommended for those who are afraid of heights or not very athletic. At the point marked "dent," continue to follow the cliff line. At point 2, we couldn't find the cairn with the red mark, but there is a path that branches off slightly to the right and leads directly to point 3

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Date of your route : May 05, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Breathtaking beauty, spectacular landscapes and wild flowers galore on the plateaus. Rather than climbing up to the plateau with the cows by following the trail, it is better to continue for 150 metres, keeping close to the rock face: a very easy passage.
We continued to the summit of Bertagne, then descended, skirting around it to the west until we reached the Bertagne pass. 5 hours and 45 minutes of actual walking. A magnificent hike, one of the three most beautiful in the area.

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Date of your route : Mar 10, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Beautiful route with magnificent scenery.
The section where you have to remove the chain was difficult to find.
But after that, a very beautiful route

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Date of your route : Oct 13, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very beautiful hike, the teeth are magical. The trail was wet and churned up by wild boars, so a little slippery but doable. Be careful: don't go straight up the fault line on the right, but continue around the cliff to enter the trees and find the climb (where the chain has disappeared, but where a tree provides good support): follow the GPX and the directions. The slippery rocks deterred a group in front of us, who preferred to continue on a longer detour. We managed it without any problems by taking precautions. The view from the top is magnificent. After the plateau leading to the Col de Bertagne, we continued along the trail to the Pic de Bertagne / Trou du Vent / Grande Baume. A beautiful tour!

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Date of your route : Oct 05, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike, which we didn't complete due to a lack of time and the presence of many hunters. We returned to the car park, arriving at the crossroads at point 4. It still took us 2½ hours.
Not recommended for people who are afraid of heights or young children as the path is narrow and runs along the side of a cliff. We didn't see the chain for climbing, but this part is relatively easy (even more so than the narrow, well-trodden path leading to it, which has been churned up by wild boars). When we passed, the blue markings were clearly visible.
The view is splendid all along the way.

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Date of your route : May 19, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We did a superb hike today, just the two of us, and it's now at the top of our list in the region. There are no particular difficulties, but you do need to follow the instructions to keep close to the foot of the cliffs. No problems with the "climbing" section in the fault: there are no chains but there are good handholds in the rocks and a solid tree within reach, allowing you to get through this section, which I think is 8 to 10 metres at most. An easier path, clearly marked in blue, allows you to bypass it if necessary.
The view is absolutely superb everywhere, with a 360° panorama. We didn't see the cave and went as far as the Col de Bertagne, then returned following the excellent signs. The flora is superb at the end of May. The only downside is the almost constant noise of motorbikes going up and down the Col des Espigouliers.

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Date of your route : May 12, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Superb hike, challenging and fun with a section to climb (still no chains), with lots of different flowers. The advice to stick close to the wall is very useful.
The descent to the ice house adds quite a bit to the hike, so we didn't go all the way.
The return trail also offers exceptional views of the Pic de Bertagne, the Fauge valley and the Cugens cliff, from which you can see the Trou du Vent.
We found a small cave on the way back, high up on the right, with a small statue of the Virgin Mary to the right of the entrance.

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Date of your route : Aug 28, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Magnificent circuit around the "dent". A wonderful surprise. The route and direction of the circuit are perfect. The climb without chains is not difficult. There may be a few slightly "corniced" sections at the start with a path that is a little overgrown, but once you've made the ascent, the path becomes well marked. Beautiful views of the ochre mountains. Thank you to the author.

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Date of your route : Feb 06, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

So magnificent that you need to allow three hours, including a good half hour for contemplation. Still no chains, but the short climb is easy thanks to good handholds and the tree at the start.

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Date of your route : Jan 14, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A magnificent loop, quite challenging on the climb. If you are prone to vertigo, do not attempt this loop, as you will encounter difficulties until after WP 1. Also, do not attempt this with children or pets. The elevation profile is inaccurate on the climb; I climbed to 935 metres on the route.
The section to climb after WP 1 is not dangerous but it is very steep, vertical for 8 to 10 metres without chains. However, there are good handholds and footholds. Blue markings indicate an easier passage to avoid the climb. The views on either side of the path between WP 1 and 6 are exceptional.

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Date of your route : Nov 15, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Route interest : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Very busy route : No

It would be a good idea to check from time to time that the trails are still visible and passable.
From the outset, I was unable to find the route, even after trying every possible passage

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Date of your route : Aug 20, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A magnificent hike that I would easily place in my top 3. There are no particular difficulties despite the lack of markings in places, especially at the beginning along the cliffs where you have to cross a slightly tricky scree slope and a narrow path (perhaps this wasn't the right way). This can be unsettling.
The description is accurate: be careful, the chain is still not in place at the "climbing" section, but there is an easier path that allows you to bypass this part, which I found fairly simple (there is a sturdy tree and handholds in the rocks to help you).
There are splendid views from the plateau, the pass and the peak (from Castellet to Sainte-Victoire, passing over Marseille and La Ciotat and all the way to the Alps) and, as indicated in the description, the hike can be extended from the Col de Bertagne to the peak (30 minutes from the pass). It took me 3 hours and 6 minutes (including breaks, solo) to complete the loop, including the passage to the peak. The noise of motorbikes was clearly audible.

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