Montée des Croix

Discovery trail

History and architecture

Panorama

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This trail run starts in Melve on the northern edge of the Hautes Terres de Provence. The first kilometer is gentle, followed by a steep climb leading to a ridge between the Tête de Bourcier and the summit of Les Croix (with views of the Durance loop and the Lure, Barronies, Dévoluy, Ecrins, and Monges mountain ranges). This beautiful ridge is flown over by gliders coming from Tallard or Thèze. A long, technical descent brings you back to the starting point.

Description

From Le Serre (851 m), follow the D 104 north toward Claret (1 km).
At Chemin de la Plane (855 m), take the trail on the right, which is gentle at first. It becomes increasingly steep until it reaches the forest and the Tête de Bourcier.
Below Bourcier (1,235 m), continue along the ridge, passing a short, somewhat steep section to reach the summit of Les Croix.
At Les Croix (1,425 m), begin the descent, staying on the ridge for 500 m.
Continue, leaving a trail on your left that heads toward Les Chanderettes. A technical descent follows to the Melve tower (don’t miss the sighting tubes and the Géoparc information panel).
At 990 m, take the trail that drops sharply to the right and leads to Le Serre and the trailhead.

Departure : Le Serre, 1 km from Melve village
Arrival : Le Serre, 1 km from Melve village
Towns crossed : Melve

Forecast

Altimetric profile

Recommandations

There are many points of interest not to be missed along the way: the Melve Tower, the sighting tubes, the Geopark information kiosk...

Information desks

04250 Le Caire

viaferratalecaire@sisteronais-buech.fr 04 92 68 40 39

Transport

Let’s limit our trips and use public transportation and carpooling: https://zou.maregionsud.fr

Access and parking

From La-Motte-du-Caire (7 km), take the D 104 to Melve and continue north to Le Serre.

Parking :

Parking lot in Le Serre

1 point of interest

Au pied de la tour de Melve - Office de Tourisme La Motte du Caire
Flora
Aubépine
At the foot of the Melve Tower, an impassable barrier—all too often replaced in rural areas by barbed wire—stands before you. Among the various shrubs and small trees that make up this barrier, the hawthorn plays a prominent role. Derived from the Latin “alba” (white) and “spina” (thorn), it has white bark. A natural shelter or refuge for many birds and insects, the hawthorn has also been used by humans for medicinal and culinary purposes: its flowers, harvested in small bunches along with their young leaves, are used to make tea. It has a calming effect and appears to be effective against anxiety and insomnia. Its young leaves can be eaten raw in a salad, garnished with a few of its flowers. Its fruits, the hawthorns, rich in sugars, pectin, and vitamin C, can be mixed with flour to make pancakes, bread, and more. To do this, crush the hawthorns with your fingers into the flour to mix their pulp with it. Then sift to remove the pits, and use this colorful, fragrant flour just like any other flour. However, its pits contain cyanide and are therefore potentially toxic.