Bréche du Mont-Saint-Martin via Sallagriffon

This circuit is ideal on sunny days and a surprising route thanks to the diversity and beauty of the valley, which is still wild. On the northern slope, you'll appreciate the quiet atmosphere of the pine forests and the oaks that dominate the verdant agricultural plain of Sallagriffon, with a panoramic view up to the foothills of the Mercantour mountain range. On the southern slope, you'll appreciate the magnificent mineral landscapes with tremendous views of deep clues carved out by the capricious course of the rivers.

Technical sheet

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 11.41 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 5h 20 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Return to departure point: Yes
  • ↗
    Vertical gain: + 723 m
  • ↘
    Vertical drop: - 723 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 1,164 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 552 m

Photos

Description of the walk

(S/E) Park at the Clues de Sigale then walk up the road towards Sigale for 50 meters to marker 139. Take the small path down through middle of Scots pines and boxwood in undergrowth, very popular in summer for canyoning, up to an sign to Sallagriffon / GR510 (white and red markers).

(1) Pass an old bridge that crosses the river Riolan, a small climb will lead you to the DFCI fire-service track from Pin d'Anguiou (the GR510) which runs along the Gorges de l'Estrech, lined with old embankments where you'll find yourself back in a forest of Scots pines. Follow this track for 1.4km.

(2) Fork left at the bridge (spot height 651), and take another trail, the Route de la Caoude which is shaded and runs along the valley of the Matégeanes, and reach the Saint-Onorat oratory (Saint-.Antoine on the map)

(3) Leave the GR510 by the village of Sallagriffon (yellow markers), take the relatively steep paved road on the left before joining the cobbled streets of the village. Climb up to the village square where you'll find marker 78 (yellow), resume the road and walk 50m down to take another road rising slightly to the left.

(4) Join the markers 75 and 75a. Leave the tarmac road and take a small trail (yellow markers) that descends toward the Vallon des Ribes, spot height 729.

(5) Go in the direction of "Clue Canyon", marked yellow. When you reach a small rocky overhang, stay on the left to follow a path bordered on the right by a small rocky ridge in the form of lace, surrounded by green oaks and boxwood. Reach marker 75b at spot height 802.

(6) Follow the direction of Brèche du Mont-Saint-Martin / Aiglun. After a ledge it begins the climb up to the small Col Aire du Mont at marker 75c (approximately 40 minutes).
After passing the small col, descend for a few meters and continue flat to cross a forest of Scots pine, and reach marker 76.

(7) Take a return trip to the Brèche du Mont-Saint-Martin(8) 1150m marker 76a. Return to marker 76.

(7) Turn right in the direction Clue du Riolan (yellow marker), a path that slopes slightly downward and across in a westerly direction, the southerly slope is shaded by a few pines before you cross a forest of stunted junipers and then the path switches from the north-facing slope side. Descend a fairly steep path to join the Riolan bridge.

(9) Cross the river via the ford, join the GR510 at marker 77. Go back left to Sallagriffon until you reach a signpost.

(1) Turn right and walk up the D17 departmental road to reach the car park at marker 139 and to finish the loop (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 646 m - Parking Clues de Sigale D17
  2. 1 : km 0.27 - alt. 586 m - Signpost. Bridge over the - Rioulan (rivière)
  3. 2 : km 1.98 - alt. 651 m - Bridge
  4. 3 : km 3.07 - alt. 728 m - View
  5. 4 : km 3.38 - alt. 763 m - To the left
  6. 5 : km 3.87 - alt. 728 m - Indicator panel
  7. 6 : km 5.11 - alt. 793 m - B-75b
  8. 7 : km 6.67 - alt. 1,071 m - B-76
  9. 8 : km 7.32 - alt. 1,159 m - B 76a Mont-Saint-Martin
  10. 9 : km 10.89 - alt. 552 m - Foré
  11. S/E : km 11.41 - alt. 646 m - Parking Clues de Sigale D17

Practical information

In the event of a flood at the ford (9), use the diversion trail, walk up the Vallon de l'Estrech for about 40m to cross it and via a passage for hunters, walk back up the Sallagriffon Sigale GR510 path, turn right to find the bridge and the D17 signpost.

In the nearby area

This walk will let you see the Esteron valley from one of its highest peaks.
If you go through the village of ''Sigale', opposite the exit to the west, you'll discover the Mont-Saint- Martin, also known locally as the Tête de la Sorcière ("Witch's Head") because from the direction of the village the shape of the rock actually looks like the head of a witch.
When you arrive at a car park by the side of the road, there's a table with a bench for a possible picnic.

After a short descent you'll discover the old, very well preserved bridge, which deserves your attention. It spans the Riolan Gorges with majestic limestone walls.
On the right-hand side at the beginning of this bridge, behind boxwood, engraved in the wall next to a hole, is Sardinian border marker No. 72.The old bridge served as the old border before 1860.
In good weather, when the water is a little warmer, you can even go down between the narrow walls, dive into the numerous pools and go under the bridge with the canyoning enthusiasts.

Sallagriffon, is a small old village perched on a hill in the middle of fields. The village is dominated by its fortified house which is an old restored château. On the main square you can also admire the church with twin steeples and the wash-fountain which you can use to refresh yourself. On the path before you begin the climb to reach the mountain area, you'll notice the deep grooves carved out by the capricious course of the Estéron river, through of thick layers of limestone dating from the Cretaceous period, very steep and arid, this Clue is known and very much appreciated by canyoning enthusiasts.

En route, as you climb, don't hesitate to turn around to admire the villages of the Esteron, with "Sallagriffon" in the foreground and from right to left "Ascros", " Rourebelle", "St Antonin","La Penne", "St Pierre", "La Rochette'', "La Mujouls", "Amirat" and a panoramic view of the foothills of the Mercantour mountain range with an altitude of over 2000m.

On the return trip to the Brèche du Mont-Saint-Martin, 1150m is, in my opinion, the minimum you need to reach to appreciate an interesting view of the Esteron valley in good weather. The succession of villages: "Sigale", " Roquesteron", "Pierrefeu," "Tourette-du-château " and to the south the Cheiron mountain range.
On the return path after the B-76, as you pass through a small valley that's usually dry, to your left you'll see a small cave filled with water hidden behind the boxwood.

On the descent before you cross the ford, don't hesitate to admire the Clue du Riolan and the Riolan Gorges, as well as the old bridge. If you have a clear view, you can see an oratory and a remnant of an old track in the rocky bar above the departmental road on the opposite slope.

Enjoy your walk.

 Always stay careful and alert while following a route. Visorando and the author of this walk cannot be held responsible in the event of an accident during this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

Reviews and comments

4.7 / 5
Based on 18 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.5 / 5
Clarity of route map
4.7 / 5
Route interest
4.7 / 5
83.phil
83.phil

Walk done in the opposite direction on 24/04/2025.
Start from marker 139 on the D17. Easy parking at this time of year before the road narrows in the Clue du Riolan.
Because of the high flow of the Riolan, we had to take the diversion path to avoid the ford; to do this, at marker 77, head towards Sallagriffon for 300m, pass the Vieux Pont du Riolan; as you climb, the unmarked path descends to the left; after 400m, after crossing the Vallon de l'Estrech stream, you come to the yellow-marked path, which you should take to the right.
Accustomed to tricky sections, we made the return trip to Mont Saint-Martin from the eponymous breach. There are 2 "walls" to climb, some high steps, and even if the holds are good, don't be afraid of vertigo, especially on the way down. The 360° view in cloudless weather is a great reward.

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om.jones12
om.jones12

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Feb 16, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

A very beautiful route with varied scenery in winter.
It may be worthwhile parking at Sallagriffon. This avoids the descent and ascent of the short stretch between the road and the bridge.
The climb from the pass to the summit of Mont Saint Martin is tricky as there are two small rocky bars to cross. Easy on the way up, more complicated on the way down. The panoramic view from the rocky promontory to the left of the pass looks just as beautiful as that from the summit, and the route is less strenuous.
To avoid having to ford the river on the way back (and in February there is a lot of water), as mentioned above, you need to take an inconspicuous but easy path above the Estrech valley that joins the GR du and the bridge.
The paths are very well maintained throughout.

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François M 78
François M 78

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Jul 23, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

Difficult walk in hot weather despite many shady spots. The return trip to the Brèche du Mont St Martin was tough and not worth it as there was no view. The descent was very long, fairly technical and hot. The finish at the river is pleasant and refreshing. For the final climb: keep your strength up!

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Gramondo
Gramondo

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Jun 19, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

From the brêche, climb to the summit of Mont Saibt Martin

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sylvyan
sylvyan

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Apr 09, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

A nice easy walk, apart from the rather steep descent.
No water in the cave, and very little water in the clues... unfortunately.
We tried to climb to the top of Mont Saint Martin, but the path was not very practicable (and you didn't suggest it...).

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bobine63
bobine63

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Jul 27, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Family hike, beautiful views, easy to follow with the markers.
A bit in the cave on the way down, we cooled off and so did the dog.
On the way back up after the ford, continue along the second junction to find the road back at the start.

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sagitaire50
sagitaire50

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of walk : May 31, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

Hiking 28 May 2020.
S/E clues de Sigale does not exist, coming from Nice D17, go through the village of Sigale, exit the village 2km on your Right parking 3à4 cars (opposite a picnic table) go up 50m towards Sigale to find on the Right the beacon 139.
point 5 at the rocky overhang between 75a and 75b follow the first path on the left, not very visible, if you follow the second you will arrive at the crossroads of this path points 6 and 7 you will be 100m downstream of 75b at the so take immediately on the Left for point 7
point 7 to the Brèche du Mont Saint Martin and back: beware of the danger of the rocky, narrow, sloping path
point 1 return to marker 77 turn right and stay left to go back up to marker 139.

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V4_pat
V4_pat

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of walk : Jul 31, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Hello and thank you for this very pleasant tour.
However, I completely agree with Vivestido that the waypoints and the description are a bit off.
At the viewpoint at the Brèche Saint-Martin, you have to be intrusive to discover a small path to the right and left and climb to the summit.
Perhaps add waypoints for points to be discovered, markers, caves, etc. that have gone unnoticed!
Finally, be careful on the way back: marker 77 sends you on the Riolan path instead of taking you straight back up to the D17. Note that you need to go to the next milestone.

At marker 75b, a return trip to the clue d'Aiglun is worth the extra 200 m of ascent.

One final note: in many places, the path is infested by the box tree borer, the box trees are completely dried out, the caterpillars fall from the trees and hang from the end of their threads. We had to walk holding a branch in front of us to make them fall and move them aside as we went along. Not very pleasant!

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manray1
manray1

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Jun 02, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Beautiful walk

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grandin
grandin ★

Thank you Vivestido for these clarifications

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Vivestido
Vivestido

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Jul 01, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A very nice hike, but I'd like to clarify a few points in the description.
1. in paragraph (5), unless I am mistaken, at the rocky overhang (marker 751) you should take the right-hand path (the left-hand path we took is shaded but does not join the correct path until after (about 50 m) marker 75b (marker 791).
2. Once you reach the Brèche Saint-Martin (there's a sign to prove it!), there's no view... You need to think about heading left along an unmarked path that is barely visible in places; it's a 5-10 minute walk uphill before you finally get a superb panoramic view (you could also head right towards the summit of Mont-Saint-Martin, but we didn't try).
3 As the water level was quite high and the flow significant, we hesitated to cross the ford. We looked for the diversion path... without finding it. Either I was bad (although I'm normally comfortable in these situations) or the path no longer existed (although I had cleared away a lot of branches and brambles). We finally waded across (knee-deep water and more depending on your height).

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svenskamerikanen
svenskamerikanen

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Apr 04, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Really nice hike - especially the final 2/3 of the hike.

The beginning is extremely dramatic with the old roman bridge. Following it, the 2-3km transport road to the village (Sallagriffon) isn't too exciting. But from the village and back to the start point, this is a great hike with a tough climb, amazing views and a lot of shade.

We did this hike with three kids (the youngest of whom is 6), and although it was a bit tough, they really enjjoyed it.

Thanks for a great day of hiking!

Legall Yves
Legall Yves

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Feb 23, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A very nice walk starting from Sallagriffon: 1st part uphill with no difficulty, then careful descent to Aiglun. The climb from Aiglun to the Saint Martin brêche (picnic area) should be tackled at a steady pace as the slope is solid.
There is the option of climbing Mont Saint Martin, which offers a fine 360° view.
Finally, the descent to the ford is not difficult, but depending on the time of year, you may need to bring a bin bag and elastic bands to cross the ford, then a gentle descent to the bridge over the Riolan and the ascent to the village starting point.
date of the walk wednesday 24 january 2018

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langlé
langlé

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Jan 26, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Superb guidebook, thank you galli06910
The summit of Mont St Martin is 15 minutes from the breach for a good walker. Follow the path to the right of the gap between the pine trees and the many cairns, which are particularly useful on the descent. There are 2 passages to climb (3c/4a and descent!) but the view at the top is well worth the effort.
The cave was packed today!

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coau
coau

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Jul 24, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Magnificent hike, which we followed in its entirety. The car park is just after Sigale (about 1 km). It's easy to spot as it's on the right-hand side of the road and opposite is a picnic table and a signpost. The start is on the way back to Sigale, about 50m along the side of the road.
The oratory of St Onorat has not been found and, according to the inhabitants of Sallagriffon, it is the oratory of St Marguerite.
From Sallagriffon, marker 75, a large black dog also accompanied us to marker 139 :-)
The passage between markers 6 and 7 is the hardest, but what views!
The cave: no water, just a 20 cm puddle where the dog drank. The ford: almost dry, no difficulty crossing it.
The walk is really well signposted and very well described. It took us 5 hours + a 1-hour picnic break.
I'd definitely recommend it!

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