on the French side, the latter being the most recently designated Alpine park in France, established in 1979 against a great deal of locally-generated opposition.
Parc National du Mercantour
Within the 68,500 hectares of the park no building is permitted, hence the controversy that surrounded its formation, for plans had been proposed to create a downhill ski area there. So it is that walkers and climbers may roam today among uncluttered landscapes and enjoy a degree of solitude the more remarkable for its absence in some of the better-known ranges further north.
Between the Mercantour and the sea the Provençale countryside is characteristically cleft by narrow gorges scoured out by tributaries of the Var, and through which minor roads provide access from Nice. St-Martin-Vésubie, with a goodly assortment of hotels, pensions, gîtes d’étape and campsites, holds the key to exploration of the eastern Mercantour; St-Sauveur-sur-Tinée and St-Étienne-de-Tinée do likewise for the central and north-western sections. We’ll take the Haute Vésubie first, since most of the highest mountains are located here along the Italian border.
Haute Vésubie
Several tributary glens feed into the main Vésubie: the Vallon de la Gordolasque which spills down to Roquebillière, Vallon de la Madone de Fenestre which drains westward and enters the Vésubie by St-Martin, and the Vallée du Boréon to the north of St-Martin. At the head of the first of these glens stands the Cime du Gélas (3143m), highest of the Mercantour peaks and second highest of all the Maritime Alps – Punta dell’Argentera being located entirely on the Italian side of the border. Several lakes lie under the frontier ridge, and Refuge de Nice, a hut belonging to the French Alpine Club (CAF), provides a suitable base with accommodation and meals available in the main summer season. A narrow road projects for some way through the Vallon de la Gordolasque, and when this ends at Pont du Countet a trail continues, climbing between Mont Neiglier and Cime de Roche Garbière, to reach the dammed Lac de la Fous and the hut about two hours or so from the roadhead. Mont Clapier (3045m) dominates the scene above the hut to the north-east.
From Refuge de Nice (2232m) a number of opportunities present themselves for cross-country walking tours and single-day outings, including the ascent of neighbouring peaks, or the possibility of crossing into Italy where the Italian Alpine Club (CAI) has a few huts too. The ascent of Mont Clapier on the frontier ridge is a great attraction here, its summit providing a panorama whose extent in good visibility is said to include the Matterhorn and Monte Rosa in one direction, the outline of Corsica in the other.
West of Mont Clapier lies the old smugglers’ way into Italy via Pas de Pagari (2798m), which leads to the Rifugio Pagari in a little under three hours, while to the east of the Nice hut several small tarns linked by clear streams are passed by the GR52 which makes a multi-day tour of the district. South-east of the hut Lac Autier is trapped in an old glacial cirque overlooked by Mont du Grand Capelet, a peak whose ridges form part of the wall dividing the Vallon de la Gordolasque from the Vallée des Merveilles.
Vallée des Merveilles
The Vallée des Merveilles is more easily reached from the Vallée du Roya to the east, where the road from Nice passes into Italy via the tunnel under Col de Tende, and a minor road breaks off at St-Dalmas-de-Tende to provide access by way of either the Vallon de la Minière or Vallée de Valmasque. However, walkers who have spent time at the Refuge de Nice are able to make a direct approach by following the GR52 over the 2693 metres Baisse du Basto towards Mont Bégo, then either crossing the Baisse de Valmasque (2549m) and descending to the Merveilles hut, or heading north alongside three lakes to stay in the Refuge de Valmasque.
This is a fascinating area and a justifiably popular one too on account of the rock engravings, said to number more than 100,000, scattered over a landscape of boulders, tarns and slabs. Archaeologists believe that the primitive agricultural race responsible for all these pictographs made special journeys to the area round Mont Bégo to carve out images and symbols – all of which are found above the 2000 metre contour. Since so many are oriented towards Mont Bégo, it is thought that the mountain was looked upon as having particular religious significance. The engravings are now protected under French law; it’s forbidden to deface or stand upon them, and wardens patrol the main sites. Guided tours are arranged during the height of the summer season from Refuge des Merveilles, and explanatory booklets are on sale at both the Merveilles and Valmasque huts.
Picturesque St-Dalmas-le-Selvage is located about 4 kilometres north of St-Étienne-de-Tinée
West of Refuge des Merveilles a well-marked route crosses Pas de l’Arpette (2511m) to allow walkers to return to the Vallon de la Gordolasque, thus giving an opportunity to create a circular tour before moving on to the next valley worth exploring from a general base at St-Martin-Vésubie.
Vallon de la Madone de Fenestre
This is the Vallon de la Madone de Fenestre which drains roughly east to west from another tarn-dashed headwall topped by Cime du Gélas, the distinctive peak which also looks down on the upper Gordolasque valley. The GR52 suggests an obvious link with Refuge de Nice by way of the Pas du Mont Colomb, and walkers who have been based there would be better served by crossing that pass instead of making a very long valley detour. Those with their own transport may have other plans. In which case a road invites motorists through the Fenestre glen from St-Martin to the Refuge de la Madone de Fenestre set among a group of buildings at 1903 metres, a distance of about 12 kilometres from St-Martin. By virtue of the easy access (minibus service from St-Martin) it’s the busiest of all huts in the area, and there’s no shortage of ideas for walkers spending a few nights there. Above the Madone hut the little Lac de Fenestre lies under the frontier ridge below Col de Fenestre (2474m), an easy and popular destination for walkers. The pass, from which views stretch beyond the Piedmont plain to Monte Rosa and the Matterhorn, carried a Roman road from St-Martin to Entracque – which proves its strategic importance. Walkers can now use this as an obvious way down to the Rifugio Dado Soria on the Italian flank.
The ascent of Cime du Gélas is popular, especially by the voie normale. So too is that of the neighbouring Cime St-Robert when tackled from the south. But there are lots of little tarns to visit too. Not only those that sparkle among crags walling the upper glen over which lies the Gordolasque valley, but south-east of the hut where the five Lacs de Prals are found in a large grassy basin on the far side of Mont Caval. A circuit of Mont Caval could easily be made whilst visiting these tarns from the Madone hut.
Both ridge systems that defend the Fenestre valley have walking routes along and across them. At the western end of the southern crest stands the peaklet of Cime de la Palu (2132m), a noted local viewpoint. From Madone de Fenestre a trail climbs up to the saddle of Baisse de Ferisson, then follows the ridge westward over Mont Lapassé and several other tops, before reaching Cime de la Palu and descending then through woodland to St-Martin at the end of a memorable five-hour walk. The north wall of the valley has a matching route on which Cime de Piagu (2338m) is the highpoint. Both routes could be used by walkers on their way out of the glen.
However, those who are planning to move on in order to make further explorations of the district should note that another CAF hut is easily reached from the Refuge de la Madone de Fenestre. Situated near the head of the Vallée du Boréon and backed by a girdle of cliffs, Refuge de Cougourde is gained by way of Pas des Ladres (2448m). An alternative approach is by way of the hamlet of Le Boréon in about three hours.
Vallée du Boréon
Le Boréon is a small cross-country ski centre with hotel and refuge accommodation located at the mouth of the wooded Vallon de Salèse, about eight kilometres
