Claï Inférieur walks

Thisthird and final stage of the Tour du Mont Aiga starts from the Refuge de Vens and crosses a balcony below the slopes of the Aiguilles de Tortisse to the north-east of the Lacs de Vens. After passing the Crête de la Côte and descending to the Maisons Forestières de Tortisse, you will walk along a balcony path beneath the slopes of the Tête des Mourres to reach the Morgon plateau and climb back up to Laussets and finally to the Lacs de Morgon. At the large Morgon lake, you will descend eastwards into Salso Moréno to rejoin the path of thefirst stage and Camp des Fourches. It is possible to see chamois early in the morning and, of course, marmots throughout the day.

Second part of the circular route to explore the magnificent Lacs de Vens. Starting from the Vens Lakes and Vens Refuge, the route leads to the hamlet of Le Pra via the small pass of Tortisse, the Col du Fer, the Pas de Morgon and the Morgon Lakes.

Before descending back to Saint-Etienne-de-Tinée, you climb to the Cime du Fer (2,700 m), which offers a superb 360° view, notably of the Tête de Moïse (3,104 m) and the magnificent Mont Viso (3,841 m). Then we descend alongside the Tortisse torrent before heading back towards the Lacs de Vens and climbing up to the Lac des Babarottes. We continue along a section of the Chemin de l’Énergie until we catch sight of Mont Ténibre. We then finish with a long descent (-1,200 m) down to the village.

A first day to stretch your legs and discover the magnificent natural setting of the Vens lakes. Note: as this route ends in Saint-Étienne-de-Tinée, it is advisable, if possible, to park a second car in Saint-Étienne-de-Tinée to shuttle back to the starting point. Otherwise, allow around €25 for the taxi journey from Saint-Étienne-de-Tinée to Le Pra, but please note that booking is required a few hours in advance.

First stage of a two-day hike in the Haute-Tinée. Ascent to the magnificent Lacs de Vens and the small pass of Tortisse via the Claï valley and Lac des Babarottes. Plenty of marmots and chamois around the Lacs de Vens and below the small pass of Tortisse.

This first stage will take you to the Rabuons mountain hut, on the shores of the largest lake in the Alpes-Maritimes.The landscape is very rocky. You’ll come across plenty of Italians, as just across the border there are several mountain huts offering lovely routes via the nearby Pas de l’Ischiator. ⚠️ Allow around 4 hours for an average hiker in good physical condition to complete this walk.

The final day is less demanding than the previous one, consisting entirely of a descent. It’s a chance to walk the ‘Chemin de l’Énergie’ one last time before a long descent to Saint-Étienne-de-Tinée.

This first stage of the Tour du Mont Aiga starts from Camp des Fourches on the Bonette road and, via the Col des Fourches, descends into the large Salso Moreno valley, which you climb back up to the Col de Pouriac. From the Col de Pouriac, you quickly reach Bassa di Colombart and then, after a long descent through the mountain pastures, the charming village of Ferrere. You may encounter flocks of sheep in Salso Moreno and, at night, the wolves that prey on them.

On thissecond day of the Tour of Mount Aiga from the Ferrere Refuge, you will pass through Plan de Belvédère, where there is a tin shelter overlooking the Rio Forneris valley and a fountain. You will also pass below Lake Emma, Monte Peiron at 2,796 m and Pointe Testa di Garbe at 2,749 m, to arrive, after a few hairpin bends, at Col de Fer at 2,584 m. You will then head towards Small Pass of Tortisse and the Vens Refuge, the end of this stage.

A long but beautiful stage combining the austere landscape of Mont Mounier with the green mountain pastures of Longon.Look up to watch the vultures.A gentle finish at the Vacherie de Longon, surrounded by animals.