Auron – Longon dairy farm

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.

This walk is part of a multi-day hike: Variante de la GTA Briançon - Menton

Details

n°2313645

Creation:
18 Jul 2019

Last update:
18 May 2026

Last review:
28 Feb 2022

Activity: Walking
Distance: 16.41 mi
Duration according to the author: 10 hrs
Difficulty: Very difficult
Back to start: No
Ascent: + 5,928 ft
Descent: - 4,970 ft
Highest point: 8,484 ft
Lowest point: 4,793 ft

Country: France
Areas: Alps, Mercantour
City: Saint-Étienne-de-Tinée (06660)
Start: N 44.226561° / E 6.929299°
End: N 44.139238° / E 7.046625°
IGN map(s): Ref. 3540ET, 3639OT, 3640ET, 3640OT, 3641ET
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Description of the walk

(S) At the main roundabout in Auron, take the Chastellares road westwards. At the first junction, turn left downhill. Head to the large car park at Chastellare, reach the start of the Nabines ski lift, then marker 11a between the Ubac and Blainon chairlifts.

(1) Go round the ravine and pass under the Blainon chairlift. Continue the climb and cross the Blainon stream. Reach the foot of the Belvédère des Chamois, continue along the^GR®® to reach the Col de Blainon, marked by marker 13a.

(2) Ignore the ridge path that starts on the right and begin the descent. Pass through the hamlets of Le Collet and Saint-Sébastien in turn to reach Clot Giordan at marker 13b.

(3) Take the path on the right and continue the descent. Pass the three houses then turn left at a ruin. The^GR®® 5 descends to the hamlet of Roya.

(4) Pass to the right of the church along a shaded path. Cross the Roya stream and then immediately another stream on the left. Turn off after the^second bridge to head up the Vallon de la Maïris. Reach the waterfall at Les Barres de Roya.

(5) Continue now through the Vallon de Sallevieille to reach the junction at marker 110.

(6) Carry on past the sheepfold to reach the rocky outcrops of Sallevieille.

(7) Climb over them, enter the green valley of Les Laces, cross it to reach marker 93 at the Col de Crousette in a completely rocky landscape.

(8) Continue the climb to the left towards a ridge where the Stèle Vallette is located at marker 48.
Ignore the path towards Mont Mounier and take the one that descends.

(9) Pass through the Baïsse du Démant. You will soon reach the junction with the Mont Démant path (marker 47).

(10) Keep the^GR®® straight ahead here, and begin a series of hairpin bends to reach the Col du Refuge and, further on, the Col des Moulines at marker 46.

(11) Take the path on the left, then turn right to descend steeply towards the stream.

(12) Cross the stream to reach the junction at marker 280.

(13) Stay on the path on the left, ignoring the one on the right leading to the Vacherie de Roubion. Continue along the balcony path above the village of Vignols. Reach a new junction at marker 279 in the Vallon de la Courgette.

(14) Cross this valley and begin a new climb to go round the Crête des Chambrettes. Emerge into the Portes de Longon mountain pasture. Walk along the edge of the stream to reach the junction marked by signpost 278.

(15) Continue along the Ruisseau de Longon to reach the Refuge de Longon, today’s destination (E).

Waypoints

S : mi 0 - alt. 5,259 ft - Auron
1 : mi 0.76 - alt. 5,292 ft - Chairlifts marker 11a
2 : mi 2.48 - alt. 6,588 ft - Col du Blainon
3 : mi 4.02 - alt. 5,807 ft - Clot Giordan - Marker 13b
4 : mi 5.01 - alt. 4,941 ft - Roya
5 : mi 6.12 - alt. 5,548 ft - Barres de Roya waterfall
6 : mi 7 - alt. 6,378 ft - Marker 110
7 : mi 8.17 - alt. 7,349 ft - Rocky outcrops at Sallevieille
8 : mi 9.32 - alt. 8,117 ft - Col de Crousette
9 : mi 10.17 - alt. 7,999 ft - Baisse du Démant
10 : mi 10.53 - alt. 8,012 ft - Démant crossroads - Marker 47
11 : mi 12.44 - alt. 6,496 ft - Col des Moulinés
12 : mi 12.96 - alt. 5,965 ft - The Démant or - Vionème (rivière)
13 : mi 13.15 - alt. 5,942 ft - Crossroads - Marker 80
14 : mi 14.17 - alt. 5,764 ft - Marker 279
15 : mi 15.36 - alt. 6,378 ft - Marker 278
E : mi 16.41 - alt. 6,194 ft - Vacherie de Longon

Notes

Water at the Roya spring, but none further on.

This route passes through a protected area, which may be subject to special regulations:

Coeur du Parc national du Mercantour - more information

Worth a visit

(4) Roya: a spring has been developed below the lodge.
(5) Maïris Valley waterfall.
(7) Vallon des Laces.
Between (8) and (10) Stèle Vallette: A memorial stone commemorates a plane crash.
(14) Geological formations and caves in the Vallon de la Courgette.
(15) Longon meadow and herds.
(E) Longon mountain refuge

Reviews and comments

Crapahu

28 Feb 2022 at 11:55 3600

Hello to the Visorando team.
I have indeed downloaded all the Visorando route descriptions from Fouillouse to Menton (hiker on the GTA) and you have asked me to give my opinion. I’m happy to oblige. It’s all in the spirit of sharing.
This is a hike I’ll be doing next July, so I’ve planned my 12 stages. I should point out straight away that from Bousieyas, I’m leaving the classic GR5, as two stages there are long (few lodges along the route = little choice), before heading into the heart of the Mercantour – which is far less interesting than heading towards the French-Italian border to ‘head down’ towards the south, where the high-altitude lakes are strung out like a string of pearls at a lovely altitude with sublime landscapes. (See the IGN maps and the hiking accounts of hikers on the Grande Traversée des Alpes). So my stages, beyond Bousieyas, will be as follows:
Bousieyas~~> Vens refuge; Vens refuge~~> Les Toits Rouges (in Douans); Les Toits Rouges~~> Isola2000 (alas… the mountain scarred by ski lifts and concrete!! but a necessary stop); Isola2000~~> Boréon refuge; Boréon refuge~~> Nice refuge; Nice refuge~~> Merveilles refuge; then a “descent” along the Roya in two stages to Menton.
The stages Vens~~>Douans and Douans~~>Isola2000 can, depending on the weather, be completed at high altitude, on or near the ridge line (see maps), or at a lower altitude if the weather turns bad.
There are numerous variations possible between Ubaye and Mercantour if we cross over to the Italian side, and during the Mercantour crossing, other options are available, such as heading towards the Coucourde, Madone de Fenestre or Valmasque refuges, or even crossing over to the Italian side (our Italian friends always give us a very warm welcome).
If needed, I can provide a route description on my return.
Kind regards. Crapahu (hiker... for half a century!!)

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