Les Borrys (Merindol) - Rochers des Onze Heures

Rochers des Onze Heures

This a very fine introduction to Petite Luberon. Starting at Les Borrys (Merindol) you follow the long mountain ridge between Vallon des Conches and Vallon du Degoutau all the way up to the top of Rochers des Onze Heures (626m). The return down from the Ceder forest on the top of Petite Luberon also follow a long mountain ridge starting off just south of Rochers de la Croix de Fer. Fantastic views all the way with little shade.

The Ridge going up.

From the parking at the top of the village of Les Borrys (147m) you follow the main route going north. You turn left at the 185m point and follow the GR97 up to the nearest citern (234m), where you turn right. After only about 350m you turn left along a track road leading up the Vallon du Pinson (this is the start of the ridge).

You walk up and down along this ridge heading north (in practice you need to use the GPX-file for passing safely around Rochers des Onzes Heures). After having passed Tete de la Grande Usclade on your left, you turn left and you then walk over till you meet a larger path coming up from below. At this T-junction you turn right and start the steep climb up to the bottom of the cliffs of Rochers des Onzes Heures.

Here you take the path that goes right along the bottom of the cliffs (eastwards), but finally goes up on the ridge at a low point. Now follow the ridge westwards until you see the path is changing directions slightly to the right  and will take you right passed a big cairn on a local peak on your right. You have now walked for about 2.5h and you have some nice places around where you can eat lunch. (You have another 3h walk back down to the car.)

The path will soon reach the main forest road along Petite Luberon, and you follow this for about 500m, where you take left and follow a yellow marked path down to 554m point. Here starts the return along another ridge (but first a short climb up the hill) going south all the way to the farm Jas de Bourdillon.

Down on the 303m point, you meet again the GR97 which you follow eastwards back towards the car. At the 224m point, however, I suggest you walk straight on down the Grande Combe. This track road will eventually end up on the road only about 150m from the car.

Basic information:

Duration:       6,5h (including lunch)

Distance:      15 km.

Ascent:         620 m

Difficulty:      Moderate (some easy climbing)

Start/finish:   Les Borrys (3 km east of Merindol)

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

GPX-file:      Download from VisoRando-link (see below)

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.

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

https://www.visorando.com/randonnee-/2198290


TET:
June 2019 Bjorn