Hiking the gorges and summits of Verdon

Description

First reliefs above the plain of Provence, Verdon is best known for its small villages and its monumental gorges. This is a veritable canyon of several kilometers long, more than 700 meters deep and traversed by famous paths with evocative passages: White-Martel named in honor of its explorers then Imbut and Styx, river of hell of the Greek mythology.

But Verdon is also wild and very little traveled summits, the essence of Haute-Provence, hanging grassy plateaux surrounded by cliffs and lavender, overflown by the newly reintroduced vultures. From above, the view takes you to the great peaks of the Alps and sometimes to the sea... Thanks to the observatory refuge perched on one of them that will welcome us for one night it will carry even to the stars!

If you are looking for other beautiful trips in the south of France, you can follow me to hike on the mountains of Provence, in the Baronnies, between Alps and Mediterranean sea or in the Calanques of Marseille and Cassis.

Program

D1: Ridge of Issioule.
Above Sainte-Croix lake with opaline waters, the first reliefs of the pre-Alps in which the gorges are dug offer a superb belvedere. This is the first contact with the vegetation and the typical relief of Verdon: oak forest, coppice of boxwood, lavender and limestone in all its forms, triptych that accompany you all week long. From the peaks, the panorama is sublime on the lake and the plain below, with the peaks behind and the first vultures above... A beautiful set atmosphere.
Positive and negative altitude differences: 600 meters, 4 hours and a half of walking.

D2: Blanc-Martel trail.
It is surely the most famous trail of the gorges. Named in honor of the first explorers to have realized in 1905 the complete course of the gorges, it was then arranged in the thirties by the "Touring Club de France". Starting from the Sublime Point, it crosses the first fifteen kilometers of the canyon by crossing some natural obstacles without difficulties but which make the charm of the course: tunnels, ladders, footbridge, etc.
D+: 600m, D-: 300m, 5 hours and a half of walking.

D3: Imbut trail.
After the Blanc-Martel path, it is time to go deeper into the heart of the canyon to discover  Styx and Imbut for the most beautiful but also the most technical hiking in Verdon. The atmosphere is always impressive and the hike full of surprises in one of the narrowest passage of the gorges where the blue of the water contrasts with the gray of the rock. Some wired passages without difficulties spice up our day.
D+/D-400m, 4 hours and a half of walking.

D4: Summit of Chiran and its observatory.
It is on the old Roman road that we begin our mini raid of two days on the summits. By a regular climb through the brooms returning to land abandoned by agriculture, we will join the portal of Blieux, a large pass that opens on Cheval Blanc and Estrop mountains further north. You then climb the last slopes to reach the peaks of Chiran, its summit with the exceptional view and its refuge-observatory.
Overnight at the refuge-observatoire du Chiran, astronomy evening and star gazing if conditions are good.
D+: 950m, D-: 150m, 5 hours of walking.

D5: Ridges of Mourre de Chanier.
After a panoramic sunrise for the bravest, a clever passage allows you to reach the peaks and the summit of Mourre de Chanier overlooking the region from the top of its 1930 meters high. Unique atmosphere between earth and sky to end the week in style!
Return without difficulty to our point of departure by old mule tracks.
End of the day at 5pm in La Palud-sur-Verdon.
D+: 350m, E-: D: 800m, 5 hours of walking.

The price includes

• Supervision by the mountain leader.
• Accommodation and reservation in cottages or mountain huts, with full board (picnic for lunch).
• Meals and overnight stays of the mountain leader.
• Stargazing evening animated by an astronomer at the Chiran observatory hut.

The price does not include

• Transport to and from the meeting place.
• Snacks.
• Personal expenses: drinks, aperitif, etc.
• Liability, repatriation and cancellation insurance.
• Anything not mentioned in "The price includes".

Accommodation

• Accommodation in mountain refuge and cottage.
  • Comfortable dorms, duvets or blankets provided, hot showers at the Chalet de la Maline.
  • More simple accommodation at the Chiran observatory hut, no shower.
• Meals cooked by the hut keeper. Picnics for lunch.

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