Cime de Roccassièra

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Starting from the Col de Porte, a panoramic hike between the Vésubie Valley and the Paillons Valley offers a splendid view of the Alpes-Maritimes and the Mercantour mountain range.

Details

n°162113
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 11.02 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 50 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 578 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 576 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 1,491 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 1,051 m
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Photos

summit
Mont Mounier and Brec d'Utelle
Autaret Pass
Cime de Baudon and Corsican peaks

Description of the walk

Start at the Col de Porte on the RD 73. There is space to park several cars at the start of the forest track. Please note that the Col de Porte is not signposted! It is located about 2 km after the Col Saint-Roch in the direction of Lantosque.

(S/E) Take the forest track (GR®) which climbs very gently towards the north-west.

(1) At marker 194 (1,106 m), you will arrive at a small pass. Leave theGR® on your right and continue straight ahead towards the west-northwest. The slope becomes steeper.

(2) Leave the track on the right on the north side of the mountain and climb the steep path heading west. Here, you will see the first of a series of yellow markings, which become more frequent as you continue along the hike. The trail then heads south-southwest before arriving at a grassy plateau from where you can see the Cime de Roccassièra. Descending into a small forest, you will reach the Col de Lobe (1,224 m).

(3) At the Col de Lobe (marker 449), you have two options for completing the loop. I suggest going counterclockwise to arrive at the summit later in the day.

Take the forest path on the right, heading north-west, following the yellow markings. Descend slightly towards the Vallon du Ray, then go around the Cime de Roccassièra to the north and west. The path is very easy and fairly level until you reach the Col de l'Autaret (marker 448).

(4) From the Col de l'Autaret, take the path that climbs immediately to the left towards the south-east (still marked in yellow). You will cross a small passage in the undergrowth and then reach a ridge that you climb up towards the north-east.

The last part of the climb is steep and winding. Once you reach the summit ridge, head north to the cross marking the highest point. There is a slightly tricky section where you will need to use your hands.

(5) For the descent, continue north, following the yellow markings. The descent heads northeast on steep, rocky switchbacks to the Col de Lobe

(3) Take the same route back down to return to the Col de Porte /A::.

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 1,052 m - Col de Porte (1,057 m)
  2. 1 : km 1.28 - alt. 1,100 m - Beacon 194 (1,106 m)
  3. 2 : km 1.73 - alt. 1,146 m - Fork in the road to the left
  4. 3 : km 2.76 - alt. 1,223 m - Col de Lobe (1,224 m)
  5. 4 : km 5.58 - alt. 1,271 m - Autaret Pass
  6. 5 : km 7.34 - alt. 1,488 m - Cime de Roccassièra (1,501 m)
  7. S/E : km 11.02 - alt. 1,051 m - Col de Porte (1,057 m)

Notes

No water, no shelter.

Worth a visit

From the summit (5), there is an exceptional view of the Mercantour (from Argentera to Mont Bégo), the Vésubie valley, the peaks of the middle Var and Tinée valleys, the Cheiron massif, the sea if the weather is clear, the Paillon de Contes valley, etc. In the distance, between the Cime de Baudon and Mont Agel, you can see Corsica on a clear day.

Nearby are the pretty villages of Coaraze and Lucéram.

Always be cautious and plan ahead when you're outdoors. Visorando and the author of this route cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurring on this route.

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

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Reviews and comments

4.7 / 5
Based on 25 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.8 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.6 / 5
Route interest
4.8 / 5
User 25869056

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

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

Very nice hike, with a magnificent view of the Mercantour 🤩🥰

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randonneurintrépide
randonneurintrépide

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 22, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful walk. The climb is challenging.

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Jean-Paul M3.
Jean-Paul M3.
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 04, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike today, following the directions provided. The description and route are reliable and easy to follow, but it is important to note that there are a few narrow and vertiginous passages on the summit ridge. I would not recommend them for children or people who are prone to vertigo. In addition, they can be extremely dangerous in snow or ice. This is what forced me to turn back during a previous climb from the hamlet of Engarvin a few years ago. In fact, I find the hike from Engarvin more interesting because it offers the same views and also allows you to visit the abandoned (and cursed) village of Rocca Sparviera.

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Danouche
Danouche

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 13, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Pleasant hike, a few icy patches before the Col de l'Autaret pass

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AurelieMercantour
AurelieMercantour

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 02, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very pleasant autumn hike.
The climb to the summit is quite challenging.
The view from the summit is magnificent/exceptional!!!

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L'Antoine
L'Antoine

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 20, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The main attraction is the climb to the summit and the view from there. There is a large wooded area, which is pleasant when the sun is shining. The signposting is very poor between marker 194 and the Col de Lobe. There are mountain bikes on part of the circuit. After marker 194, be careful not to miss the path that turns left onto the track, as it is not signposted. The final section is a bit physically demanding.

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alex06510
alex06510

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 12, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Nice hike, a bit long to get to the car park, some steep sections but nothing insurmountable. Beautiful view from the summit.

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Roye
Roye

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 08, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful route that can be completed quickly (trail running). For those who wish to do it this way, the start is easy to run, but after 10-15 minutes, the slope becomes quite steep and it is difficult to run all the way up. Fast walking is therefore recommended almost all the way to the summit. Not very technical, no special equipment required. 50 minutes for the ascent and 20 minutes for the descent. Beautiful view. I recommend it!
Emilien.

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rayman95
rayman95

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 25, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

a beautiful hike, but done in foggy conditions, which somewhat obscured the view in the distance, but the panorama was superb. The loop took 4.5 hours, including an hour for lunch at the summit. We did it clockwise, but I think the other side is just as steep.doing the loop clockwise allows you to reach the summit more quickly if you set off later and means you only have to descend after lunch...
i'll do it again when the view is clear so I can enjoy the superb panorama.

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osiris130
osiris130 ★

Good evening, everyone,

With the app, if I click on "go to start", the GPS (maps or Waze) gives me the Col de Porte as the destination.

I'll keep an eye on that during my next hike.

Have a good evening.

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tutus06
tutus06
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 24, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We were all alone in nature (what a joy with this Covid...) to go on this beautiful hike. The landscapes are sumptuous with magnificent autumn colours. Pure happiness. Thank you
Just one small thing: with the GPS coordinates for the start of the hike, we ended up in the village of Luceram

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abeauville
abeauville

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 06, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant hike with no difficulties (less than 600 metres of elevation gain), definitely the shortest route to the summit of Roccasierra. Starting at 9 a.m., the suggested route allows you to arrive at the top in plenty of time for lunch, with a magnificent view. Recommended even for average walkers.

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fttrando
fttrando

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 30, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Hike done clockwise. In my opinion, better than the other way around.
Magnificent 360° view. Very pleasant. No major difficulties.

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ericaubertin
ericaubertin

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 16, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

great hike with magnificent views

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dju06
dju06

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 25, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

a great circuit for cardio training,
nice wall for the summit,
being in the fog, I couldn't enjoy the view,

only the approach to the summit requires attention, but it's fine, thank you

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