Drive from La Toupine towards Sisteron, taking the D951 which crosses the Sasse torrent just outside Valernes. When reaching the river bridge in Sisteron, take the D3 road on the east of the town, following the signs for the village of Authon. As you drive up behind the Gache, you will see a sign 'Pierre Ecrite' on your left, which points to a Roman inscription engraved into the rock. After another kilometer or so on this road you will find a large boulder on the left with a fenced track rising from the road and turning towards the ridge on your left. This is your starting point - park here and put on your boots. If you have reached a house called Chardavon, you have come too far.

 

Follow the track as it climbs slowly through the scrub and into the trees. At the first path junction, take the right hand fork and continue until the path peters out. Then head generally up the hill through more trees until you reach the grass line just before the ridge. Prepare yourself for a truly wonderful view as you top the ridge, when the whole of the Durance valley opens up in front of you in one hit. Reckon on 1 hour from the car to reach the top.

 

You may continue along the ridge to the true summit from which you will be able to overlook Sisteron town, la Baume and the southern Durance valley.

 

To return, retrace your steps or, if you have time and have made the appropriate transport arrangements, try the reverse of the alternative walk (below).

 

You won't need a car for this one. It might surprise you to learn that it is possible to walk to the summit of the Gache directly from the house. First you need to walk down to the Sasse, cross the bridge on the D951 and, after 200m, take a left turn onto a footpath which leads past a house called Ventavon. When the track reaches a metalled road, turn left.

 

At the next junction, Valaury, take the left hand road. At the junction after that, turn right and at the next junction turn left, to pass a house called l'Heritiers. Eventually the road peters out into a forest track and you will need to take a left turn at the next junction.

 

You will now be walking eastwards at the foot of the Gache, climbing slowly. This track eventually ends at the eastern tip of the Gache, below a steep, tree-lined slope, overlooking the hamlet of St Geniez. This is a good place for a rest, a sandwich and perhaps a beer.

 

You will need to reverse direction and scramble up at an angle through the trees until you reach the crest of the ridge. Follow the line of the ridge as best you can towards the west. Eventually you will be able to walk right along the edge of the ridge, gently climbing until you reach the summit, at the west end of the ridge. You should count on 4 hours to reach the summit from La Toupine.

 

To return, retrace your steps or, if you have time and have made the appropriate transport arrangements, try the reverse of the alternative walk (above).