Abbaye Saint-Michel de Frigolet Singletrack

Dogs Unknown

E-Bikes Unknown

Garrigue vegetation can be stiff, prickly, and encroaching on trails: wear protective clothing.

Water and a WC (and the local Frigolet liqueur) are available at the abbey.

From the remarkable Abbaye Saint Michel de Frigolet, this route departs south from the parking lot, climbs to the crest, traverses to a col, then descends a steep spine to a dry stream course, exiting at an olive orchard and rejoining the highway.

When you begin, watch for the yellow trail markers. If you get sucked into the open greensward follow it to the end, but be sure you don't start dropping via the dirt roads at the far end of this open area: watch for a singletrack heading up on your right. This will be a scratchy affair, marked with orange dots.

Reaching the crest, don't take the obvious track straight down into the adjacent drainage. Instead, ride left (south) along the crest until you surmount a rocky bump, following the yellow markers to a track down an emerging ridge.

The trail follows this ridge, but it's badly designed and has eroded severely. There's a new track right beside it that is still ride-able and avoids the deep ruts that eventually reach almost a meter in depth. Nevertheless, this is a steeep and intimidating descent that terminates in a dry stream bed. From here, follow the limestone shingle and polished slabs and steps down to an olive orchard, and on to where you can exit to the highway via a railroad track underpass. Or turn right and follow the frontage and farm roads to make a larger loop ride on the Montagnette massif.