Lioux: Gorge de Vaumale and Gorge de Lioux.

This is a very different walk from most of my Luberon walks. The main attraction is the narrow and shaded Gorge de Vaumale (Combe de Vaumale). Nice for warm days from April to October, but not just after a rainy day because of slippery rocks. You walk along the bottom of the Gorge and there are quite a lot of small challenges in the form of high rock faces, narrow parts etc. However, with the help of all the solid steel bars fixed directly in the rock face and the occasional steel wire, you will not have much problems getting through the Gorge. Great fun for kids too, say from the age of 9 upwards. However, you will need both hands free for support, so on this hike all use of walking sticks should be banned.

This walk has been extended to include the long Gorge de Lioux. It takes about an hour to get accross to where you start the walk down Gorge de Lioux. You will make it back to the car through the Gorge in about 1,5h. You can keep a much higher speed here than in Vaumale because there is no major problems; quite flattish in fact, but impressive.

Follow the Gorge de Vaumal at your own speed. Some may need a helping hand at certain points. However, it is fascinating to see how the rock face twist and turns and you cannot really go wrong down here. After a short half an hour, you come to the first possibility of leaving the Gorge. A small path crosses the Gorge here as you can see (and on the map). The main part of the Gorge is yet to come, however, so you continue for another good hour until you clearly see a yellow signpost marked Gorge de Vaumale 440m (about 2h from the car). Here is a nice opening if you want to have lunch. Alternatively, you could exit the Gorge. Just follow the route up to the right another 20 minutes and you have a big clearing where you meet the road (just before the big old fortified farm).

Falais de la Madeleine behind Lioux

Basic information:

Lavendel at Tourbe

Duration:        6h (including 1h lunch)

Distance:        13 km.

Ascent:           360 m

Difficulty:       Difficult (Many small ladders and chains)

Start/finish:     Lioux

Map:               IGN 3142 OT (1cm=250 m)

GPX-file:         Lioux1   (linkto free download from list)

VisoRando Lien.

Pour le fichier GPX, vous pouvez télécharger à partir d'ici (voir ci-dessus) ou mettre à jour via ce lien VisoRando où vous pourrez également voir l'itinéraire sur une bonne carte:

https://www.visorando.com/randonnee-/3149444

For the GPX-file, you could download from here (see just above) or go to this VisoRando link where you also will see the route on a good map.

If you have problems with this VisoRando link, download the GPX-file from above and import it to VisoRando or other application.

TET

21.11.2022 Alain med 14 deltagere og turen annonsert som Difficile og regnvær!

Turen er før tatt av Marie og Philippe.