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The trail of Blanc Martel
Sport, Pedestrian sports, Hiking itinerary
in La Palud-sur-Verdon
12.7
km
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At the heart of the Great Gorges du Verdon, the trail of Blanc Martel takes you to a spectacular scenery and breathtaking views.
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From the chalet de la Maline, follow the GR 4 (Red and white marking!) and then the road below. Go down to the bottom of the gorges (Many curves, stay on the trail!). Take the stairs of the Pas d'Issane (Tricky passage!). Regain the intersection.
1 - At the intersection, at the foot of the winding paths, go left towards the Point sublime (Sign). Walk along the Verdon until the stairs of Guègue (Go down carefully!). Continue on the trail that rises above the Verdon, in front of the cave...From the chalet de la Maline, follow the GR 4 (Red and white marking!) and then the road below. Go down to the bottom of the gorges (Many curves, stay on the trail!). Take the stairs of the Pas d'Issane (Tricky passage!). Regain the intersection.
1 - At the intersection, at the foot of the winding paths, go left towards the Point sublime (Sign). Walk along the Verdon until the stairs of Guègue (Go down carefully!). Continue on the trail that rises above the Verdon, in front of the cave "Baume aux Boeufs"and reach a second intersection.
2 - At the intersection, turn left towards the Point Sublime and continue until the brèche Imbert (difficult climb!). Turn right at this intersection to reach the confluence between the Verdon and the Artuby rivers (1km round trip marked in yellow).
3 - Reaching the brèche Imbert means you have reached midway through. Before starting the descent, access to the gazebo is possible by climbing cautiously the rock on the right (delicate passage with handrail!) Go down the steep and narrow metal staircase of the brèche Imbert, (For those prone to vertigo, this is a delicate passage!) which can be daunting (Be careful when crossing others!). Get off at the edge of the Verdon after a few winding paths, at the Baume aux Chiens (Tricky passages!). From this point, continue walking to reach the first tunnel (110m) and a second, much longer (610m). The exit of the last tunnel connects with one of the narrowest areas of the gorges, the Couloir Samson. Go back down near the river and cross the torrent of Bau by going over a small bridge. Then, go up towards the Samson belvedere (turning area of a dead end road).
4 - Cross the turning area through the left. Continue on the path above the road and walk along the bottom of the cliff (150m of ascending elevation!). Reach the main road. From there, take a left towards the Point Sublime.
Difficult
- Departure
- La Palud-sur-Verdon
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Departure : Chalet de la Maline (rest house) in La Palud sur Verdon.
Arrival : Point Sublime in Rougon.
From the Plaud-sur-Verdon, take the D23 towards the Chalet de la Maline (C.A.F).
Parking recommended : Chalet de la Maline (rest house) .
A shuttle bus runs from April to September, from Castellane (with stops at campsites). It is advised to take the shuttle or a taxi which will drop you at the start and will pick you up at the arrival. If you arrive at the gorges through Moustiers-Sainte-Marie, it will take you to La Palud-sur-Verdon.
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