From Barcelonnette to the hills above Saint-Pons

Park in the town hall square in Barcelonnette.

(S/E) With your back to the town hall, turn left onto Avenue des Trois Frères Arnaud and walk past the school.

(1) Turn right onto the cycle path and continue to the former Alpine Chasseurs barracks.

(2) Turn right to walk alongside the old military buildings, and carry on to the Observatory.

(3) Leave the road and take the path opposite, and you’ll soon reach a junction.

(4) Follow the path straight on as it climbs steeply: make sure you close the electric gates properly using the handles provided. Reach the hamlet known as ‘Les Allemands’, pass a large property with, on your left, a view of the bread oven and the little Chapel of L’Adroit. Carry on until you come to the small access road to the hamlet, opposite a farm.

(5) Take the road on the left. Go round the mast, pass a beautiful property on your right, and continue along the track that follows on from the road.

(6) Cross the Torrent de la Valette and carry on until you reach the hairpin bend to the right.

(7) Leave the track and take the very steep path which descends to the left and leads to the small wooden bridge crossing the Torrent de Saint-Pons.

(8) Head down to the left along a very narrow, tarmac road with very little traffic, which runs alongside the stream. Continue to the bridge near the town hall and the church.

(9) Turn left onto the D9 to cross the road, and follow the road – which is fairly quiet and therefore quite pleasant – until you reach the junction by the old barracks that you passed on the way out.

(2) Carry on straight ahead, following the original route in the opposite direction, to return to the car park (S/E).