Join UIMLA-certified Mountain Leader Fabrice on this great hike to the Montagne Sainte-Victoire, one of the most famous mountains in France and a symbol of Provence.
TRIP TYPE
Private
MOUNTAIN RANGES
Alps
DURATION
1 Day
OFFER PERIOD
Apr - Jun, Sep - Nov
FITNESS LEVEL
intermediate
SKILL LEVEL
Intermediate
PAYMENT METHODS
Credit Card, Wire Transfer and more!
The Montagne Sainte-Victoire is an impressive limestone mountain with an imposing ridge in the south of France, which extends over 18 km right next to the city of Aix-en-Provence.
The Montagne Sainte-Victoire is one of the most famous mountains in France. Its unique shape is well known in Provence and it is a symbol of the region. That is why it is also on the list of “The Grand Sites de France“, which gathers emblematic landscapes and monuments in France such as Rocamadour or Pont du Gard.
The highest point of the Montagne Sainte-Victoire is the Pic des Mouches, at 1011 metres. Another notable feature of the mountain is the Croix de Provence. From the top, the views are breathtaking.
The mountain is celebrated for its many appearances in a series of paintings by Paul Cézanne (1839–1906), who could see it from near his home-town in Aix-en-Provence.
Many different hikes may be proposed to discover this unique region. On this hiking day, we propose to reach the Pic des Mouches, which is Sainte Victoire’s highest point. It is not difficult to reach, either climbing by the south or the north side.
If you choose to climb by the south side, it will take us about 4 hours, with an ascent of 680 meters. The easy option is the north side, that takes about 2 hours and includes a 240 meters ascent.
If you find this proposal interesting, just send me a request. Book your trip and climb this iconic mountain in Provence. You could also check other hikes I guide in Provence, like the Martel Verdon Gorges hike, the Calern Plateau hike, the beautiful perched village of Saorge in the French Riviera, or a great hiking tour in Vence country, also in the French Riviera.
- Guiding fee
Price per person: Group of 8 to 10 people: 30 EUR/ Group of 11: 28 EUR / Group of 12: 25 EUR
Secure your spot with just 25% payment
48-hour free cancellation with 30-day advance booking
More info
Price per person: Group of 8 to 10 people: 30 EUR Group of 11: 28 EUR Group of 12: 25 EUR For bigger groups, please contact me for conditions and prices.
EQUIPMENT: Light walking boots. Micro fleece mountain tee shirts (if possible, avoid cotton tee-shirts). Cap. Water bottle (1 liter/pers). Sun protection, sunglasses.
Meeting point
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4.90
(39)
Mountain Leader
I am a hiking guide (International Mountain Leader) who has been working all over France (including Provence and the Alps), Italy and Portugal since 2001. I speak fluent English due to my frequent trips to Taos Ski Valley (in New Mexico, USA where my family runs a great hotel and ski school), and my hiking trips in the American Southwest.
I live mainly in Nice (French Riviera), but I also move all over the Alps working in different alpine valleys. I often visit Martinique (French Caribbean island), where I enjoy rainforest and tropical hikes.
When I´m not guiding, I also work as a photographer, and like to climb, ski, play tennis, or kitesurf in my spare time. Additionally, I really enjoy botany and history.
I can guide you for a half day or for as many days as you like. I´ll take you to discover my favourite French Riviera alpine region, and the wild and large Mercantour National Park (counting 8 different valleys) near Nice, Monte Carlo and Cannes.
In my region we can enjoy the Mediterranean landscape at sea level. As we move into higher altitudes, we will discover alpine lakes, larch or pine forests, orchids and alpine flowers, open meadows, spectacular medieval perched villages and old baroque chapels and churches, with great historic value.
We can also discover the hiking hotspots in Provence such as Calanques National Park, Verdon gorges, Sainte Victoire and the Var region, with Saint Tropez a particular highlight.
I also love to hike in Italy in the very famous world heritage Cinque Terre (the amazing national park of the "Five Lands"), or in Liguria near San Remo.
And finally, I always enjoy taking my guests to the northern Alps: to Chamonix and Mont Blanc´s amazingly large panoramas or to the great Vanoise National Park, the largest in the heart of French Alps.
Languages
French | English
Certificates
UIMLA
Mark
5.00
Highly recommend hiring Fabrice as your guide for exploring southern France. As someone unfamiliar with the region, I wasn't up to the task of planning a hike on my own. Particularly a hike in the winter. Fabrice made it all easy. He is incredibly knowledgeable of the region's geography and weather and so was able to tailor a hike just based on the next day's weather forecast. A critical skill for hiking in December. I learned about the natural landscape, vegetation and even how to hike with less stress on my knees. He also taught me about Nordic hiking which is something I definitely want to try again. For sure, I'll be hiring Fabrice again on my next trip to France.
Sue
5.00
Fabrice is a first-class guide! Taking into account last-minute weather changes and after assessing our fitness, he quickly customised an exciting itinerary that led us from the Préalpes to the beautiful hilltop villages of Gourdon, Tourettes-sur-Loup and Saint-Paul-de-Vence. He pointed out great photo opportunities, so we managed to take plenty of nicely-framed photos on our smartphones. Fabrice also introduced us to the game of pétanque and thanks to him, we were able to understand and appreciate the games as they were being played by the locals during our trip.
Daniel
5.00
Fabrice was a wonderful guide with a wide knowledge of not only the history of the area but the flora and fauna of the French Mediterranean coast. The hike provided beautiful views of the cities along the coast as well as the mountains behind them. Highly recommend both the hike and the guide.
5.00
The trip was great! Fabrice was a wonderful guide and I’m contemplating further trips with him and explore share.
5.00
We spent a day hiking with guide Fabrice in Mecantaur Park. It was a great hike with different levels of difficulty. We rested at the lake at around 2000 meters and then made our way to the mountain pass high above. We were rewarded with a lot of wildlife sightings and even a patch of snow in August. Patrice was great and gave us a lot of information about the area and the flora and fauna. He was also great at pointing out historical events that took place in the area in the past.
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