Circular route south of Bézaudun-les-Alpes via the Colle de Menon

Date of your route : Oct 20, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

On this route, there are fenced-off areas to protect truffle fields, but no alternative paths are provided. You find yourself facing gates and high fences.

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Date of your route : Oct 18, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

we did this route today and encountered a big problem even though the hike was going well.
Shortly after point 8, the path is completely blocked by an impassable fence surrounding a truffle plot of about 30 hectares, with a gate equipped with a camera and padlock since June.
If you take the path in the opposite direction, the climb to the Menon pass is also blocked.
For the time being, it is no longer possible to complete the circular.
We met someone from the local council who is going to try to resolve the issue with the private owners.

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Date of your route : May 01, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We completed this hike in about 4.5 hours, taking our time and stopping frequently. We recorded 450m of elevation gain and 12km, but we skipped point 10.
The app is essential up to point 4, as this section is off the beaten track and very pleasant.
We encountered few difficulties.
Magnificent views, thank you for this route.

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Date of your route : Apr 23, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

1 tip: get the app, Patou is nice
The village is superb and so are the residents
it's a shame there's dog poo everywhere

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Date of your route : Feb 26, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Hello
First of all, thank you for this little-used trail with its remarkable views of both the Mercantour peaks and the coastline...
I agree with the various comments pointing out the need for GPS in some places, even though the yellow trail is fairly regular but lacks visibility (old paint). However, GPS should only be used as an aid and not replace the main support, which is the IGN map!
Two comments:
-The section between points 6 and 7 does not seem essential to me, even if it only slightly lengthens the route; I prefer the direct route from point 6, which joins the track.
- The south car park at Bézaudun has a double electric terminal...

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Date of your route : May 05, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Thank you for suggesting this very (too) little-used route.
I think an app with the GPX track is essential. But you also need to read the route description, as this would have prevented me from going the wrong way at point 2 and getting a little lost at point 9.
Note that 500 metres before marker 135, you can easily take the small parallel path on the left (it's pretty and allows you to get off the track a little).

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Has anyone redone this route since then? If so, is it a bit easier to follow now?
Thanks in advance.

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Date of your route : Sep 18, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Unmaintained paths, full of brambles, often impossible to find... I explored everything with my GPS, anxious that the battery would run out before I finished. Apart from that, the area is very beautiful. I recognised it so that I could take a group there later, but I split the walk in two and will only do the return trip from Bézaudun to La Colle de Menon, which seems more reasonable for taking a dozen people.

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Date of your route : Feb 19, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The route is very difficult to follow, so a GPS is essential. There are too few written directions and the paths are interrupted by several electric fences.
Nevertheless, the route is very pretty, with beautiful views of the Mercantour mountain range.

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Date of your route : Feb 12, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant hike in a rarely visited area, with a beautiful view from Colle de Menon, which is a must-see! The weather was magnificent for February, with a beautiful view of Mercantour, unfortunately covered in snow as it was 15 years ago in summer.
However, many of the trails were poorly marked and/or not maintained, which meant we had to take some detours. I think GPS tracking is essential, because with just the map, I think we would have got lost several times
Thanks to the author.

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Yes, you're right, you can't please everyone . No worries, we're not dead, and thank you for your response.
If I may, I would still suggest that you modify your description slightly:
In the introduction, "... the route is fairly easy to follow" is rather the opposite between (1) and (4) .
And in the section (3), specify that you must always follow the fences and that the markings are not very visible.

Wishing you an excellent time on the trails.

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I would add that if you skip the entire section from Menon to the village, then the route is indeed less interesting, as this section is both the easiest and the most beautiful. And then, in my opinion, that's what hiking is all about: taking paths that are not always easy, but which take you off the beaten track and allow you to discover new routes. But that's just my point of view, and I understand that not everyone shares it.

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Sorry that you didn't enjoy this route. My group really liked it, even though the average age was quite high. If there is a more interesting alternative, please don't hesitate to suggest it. Kind regards.

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Date of your route : Nov 27, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

The initial descent into the valley is very steep and quite slippery, especially if the ground is a little wet after recent rain, but it is mainly the poor condition of the paths that makes the route difficult. At the start of the route, once you reach the plateau, the trail is easy to lose and a GPS is essential to avoid straying too far from the path. The yellow markings reappear from time to time near the numerous fences, but the trail remains very difficult to follow as it is overgrown with thorns. You eventually reach marker 109, but then have to follow an unattractive road to marker 135.
Not having enough time to finish the route, we reached Bézaudun via the Pont de la Combe, but here too the path is difficult to walk on: a shame! The old Roman bridge deserves easier access and to be cleared of invasive and probably destructive vegetation.
The entire route seems a little long for what it has to offer and could be more focused on the Colle de Menon.

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Date of your route : Nov 26, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

This hike consists of two very different parts:
The first, between the start and the point (4), is difficult to follow and caused us to lose a little time, as the paths are poorly maintained, the yellow markings are random and at times the GPX track is lost through fenced-off land! All this with a hunt in progress, which added to the discomfort... I would add that due to slippery areas in this part of the route, good footwear is recommended (completed in November).
The second part between the points (4) and (11) is, on the contrary, very accessible, with sections of road and wide, passable tracks, with no difficulty in finding your way on open plateaus. At a pinch, you could even do it by bike
We shortened the route a little by going straight to (6), which means you don't have to do the circular route at (7).
One last thing: we weren't impressed by the view at (8) (high-voltage power lines), so in our opinion, you can skip the climb to the small summit.
Despite this less than enthusiastic review, we would like to thank the author because we know how much time it takes to describe and share a route.

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