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The car park is located in front of the Saint-Sébastien Chapel, below the village of Sainte-Agnès.
(S/E) Take the Col des Banquettes road for 300 metres heading west, taking care, before turning onto a path.
(1) Turn right onto the path leading downhill at the wooden signpost 441, towards Mont-Ours. This paved slanting street in a wet area can be slippery in places, so take care. After the group of houses, it becomes suitable for vehicles.
(2) At marker 442, continue straight ahead on the track, towards Mont Ours.
(3) At marker 443, leave the track and turn left onto a stony path towards Mont Ours and Col des Banquettes.
(4) At marker 444, turn left, still towards Mont Ours and Col des Banquettes. Continue up the path to the road where you will find marker 471. Continue towards Mont Ours on the road. Walk alongside a water reservoir and you will arrive at the tarmac road of Col des Banquettes.
(5) At marker 470, take the small path on the right that climbs towards Mont Ours. Pass between two fire water reservoirs and a ruin before quickly embarking on a challenging climb. Ignore the cross paths, which appear on the IGN map but no longer exist on the ground. Stay on the main path, continuing straight ahead (view of the sea and, in good weather, Corsica).
(6) The path leads to a track suitable for vehicles. Turn left for about ten metres to reach the bend in the tarmac road. Turn right and follow the road for a few metres. The road starts with a slight right-hand bend, then begins to turn left. At this point, leave the road perpendicularly to the right and rejoin the path on a small dirt hill. This path is very close to the road. Turn left onto it.
(7) When you reach the junction of the path and the forest track, continue straight ahead, following signpost 472 towards "Mont Ours par chemin de la cime". The path winds its way between stones and rocks. Yellow markings, slightly faded, help to guide the way. The forest becomes increasingly sparse as you approach the summit.
(8) At the bend in the access road to Mont Ours, where you will see signpost 129 "Mont Ours", follow the road towards the site entrance gate.
A wide pedestrian passage has been created to the right of the gate to access this historic military site, built between 1887 and 1907 to form a line of defence for French national territory. View of the French and Italian Alps.
To leave the site, head for the pylon furthest to the north-east of the site. Near a second signpost 129 "Mont Ours", take the direction of Baisse du Loup, a very pleasant forest path leading downhill.
(9) At the crossroads of the trail and a carriageway and signpost 127, turn right towards Baisse du Loup. This track was once reserved for military fortification logistics, a veritable mountain road and engineering structure. Continue along this carriageway.
(10) At the crossroads (direction sign lying on the ground), turn left to reach Pic de Garuche.
Its summit offers views of the border mountain range, with the highest point, Grammondo, nearby. The military structures were used for observation to provide information to the artillery stationed on Mont Ours. Inscriptions in the concrete dating from 1939 attest to the presence of French soldiers on the site.
Retrace your steps to the previous crossroads.
(10) Continue left (south-east) towards the Col de Verroux. Descend to the pass, where there is a plaque in honour of the soldiers who stayed in this area.
(11) Turn onto the path on the right (signpost 446) and continue towards Pointe de Siricocca. This old stony logistics route lined with holm oaks on a steep slope leads to a grassy promontory at the top with an old military infrastructure (view of Sainte-Agnès, Menton below, and the coastline).
(12) Return to Col de Verroux via the same route.
(11) At the pass, turn right. Begin the descent towards Sainte-Agnès. If you encounter livestock, be sure to close the gates on the trails behind you.
(13) At marker 447, turn right towards Sainte-Agnès and immediately turn right (crossroads with no information). Continue along a long track, heading west, and pass at the foot of the Siricocca cliff.
(14) At marker 494, turn left onto a path marked as a shortcut to Sainte-Agnès. Descend and, at marker 495, follow the direction of Sainte-Agnès. Continue descending, still in the same direction. Cross the bridge over the Borrigo River and continue on a road suitable for vehicles.
(3) Follow the route taken on the way there in reverse. Take care on the 300 m stretch of the Col des Banquettes road that remains to reach the car park (S/E).
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