Around Mont Lion

Hello,
When I look at the satellite photo, I can see something that looks like a stadium or something similar with parking spaces on the left-hand side of the road a few metres above point 1. Is this area private or can we park there?

I would like to do this walk next week, but given the comments about parking problems, I am hesitating.

Thank you for your feedback.

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Date of your route : Dec 08, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Beautiful hike
Parking is not easy as there is very little space
It's quite a steep climb from the start
I recommend climbing Lion Mountain because the 360° view is magnificent, especially with the snow-capped peaks (it adds a little less than a kilometre round trip and 100 metres of elevation gain).

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Date of your route : Apr 09, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

The trail is easy to follow. The descent after the Mont Lion crossroads is endless and impressive, but otherwise a good path offering few views.

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Date of your route : Nov 28, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Hello, the trail is a bit steep at the start. We climbed to the top of Mount Lion, where the view is magnificent. Our GPS shows an elevation gain of 759 metres for the entire route, so what about the elevation gain? Otherwise, it's a beautiful hike that I recommend.

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Hello. I'm sorry about the mistake. I used the Visorando tracking tool. Did you notice that I didn't make it to the summit? In any case, I'm proud to have climbed 1,000 metres when it felt like 650!

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Date of your route : Nov 27, 2023
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : Not used / Not applicable
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : Yes

I use Visio to check my routes
for comments,
But I disagree with the elevation difference; you said it was around 650
which is far from the mark, more like 1000+.
My GPS is set correctly. I collect data for the federation, and I've never seen such a discrepancy.
(+/- 350 is enormous!!!)
But good work.

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Date of your route : Nov 17, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike with no technical difficulties.
The autumn colours are magnificent on the north side after the descent.
It is best to park along the road just before the start.
Thank you for the trail.

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Date of your route : Jun 22, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant route with a few "small hills" that you need to have in your legs.

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Date of your route : Oct 16, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Thank you Nicmar for this route, the autumn colours are magnificent. Don't hesitate to make a round trip to the summit of Lion... it hasn't eaten anyone and this 360 is huge, Bernard bb

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Date of your route : Apr 16, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

I should point out that the car park indicated is apparently prohibited by local residents, and in any case not recommended, especially if there are several cars.
I therefore opted for a car park located in the village of Gilette below Chemin des Espauvettes (GPS: 43.853015 7.160640
This adds about 2 km to the route and about 100 m to the elevation gain, with a short descent and climb to the alley (and the same in reverse on the way back), but it makes it easy to park and discover the pretty Latti valley.
Apart from that, the hike is superb, but we didn't climb to the summit of Mont Lion. It was a reconnaissance trip and I will put it on my club's programme for September/October.
Best regards.
Joduvar

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Date of your route : Feb 15, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike, perfect for those who enjoy climbing, with stunning views over the Var region and, in clear weather, undoubtedly views of the sea.

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Date of your route : Nov 26, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

I had spotted this hike on Randoxygène Moyen Pays, but it is shortened by a good hour thanks to the car park on the road rather than in Gilette. Be aware that there are very few parking spaces along the M17 road, even on weekdays!

As described, the climb at the start is steep until you reach the Li Baus ravine. After that, you can enjoy the undergrowth and the undulating path. We didn't make the round trip to the summit of Mont Lion, as other hikers told us that the descent is very slippery.
However, the descent between points 4 and 5 is indeed steep (walking sticks and good shoes are recommended), but not dangerous (even though it had rained the day before).
I recommend point 5 (marker 50) as a place to take a break, as there is a large field and some ruins where you can sit in the sun and stay dry.
The GPS track is good, but I would just like to point out that some landmarks are indicated too early compared to my GPS: the stream (3) and the high point (8). On that note, the "slight climb" before the high point is actually quite steep :-)

Thank you for this beautiful route.
Best regards, fellow hikers

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