Tour of the Malle plateau from the Col du Ferrier

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This hike goes around the Malle plateau, first following the Colle du Maçon ridge and then the Doublier ridge. Most of the route is on the peaks of the Grasse Pre-Alps and offers breathtaking 360° views of the Mercantour, the French Riviera and the enchanting Caussols plateau.
The Malle plateau is farmed by a group of livestock breeders. This route stays within the boundaries of the Malle estate, which are marked by numerous signs on the ground.

Details

n°17883493
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 11.58 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 55 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 556 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 549 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 1,414 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 1,039 m
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Photos

The Malle plateau.
From the ridge.
From the ridge.
Summit of the ridge

Description of the walk

Park in the car park at Col du Ferrier.

(S/E) Take the track that climbs northwards, leaving a track on your right that you will use on the way back. The track leads to an old quarry.

(1) Cross the quarry heading north and follow a path that is initially faint but becomes increasingly visible (old red markers) until you reach a flat area that you must cross to take the path that climbs left into the pine forest. You will come to a T-junction.

(2) Follow the ridge south-east to the summit, keeping to the right and below at the start.

(3) After the summit, continue straight ahead on the ridge until you reach a hollow. Go around the hollow on the right. Then, keep about 20 metres north of the signs marking the boundary of the Domaine de la Malle. Go around the last mound before the pass on the right. Join theGR®4at the Col du Clapier.

(4) At the pass, follow theGR®4towards Grasse (south). Continue on theGR®4, which follows the Route de la Malle for 300 m. Leave the access road to the Château de la Malle on your right. Leave the paved road after 150 m and continue on theGR®4to the right until you reach the gas pipeline trail.

(5) Take the straight track (gas pipeline) that climbs south-west. At the top of the track, cross the rock barrier and continue straight ahead until you reach the Route du Doublier.

(6) Turn right onto the paved road and continue to the hairpin bend a few metres from the antennas.

(7) Leave the road at the hairpin bend and head north-west to cross the ridge 200 m further on. The path gradually becomes clearly visible with red markings and cairns. Follow this path for about 1 km, then leave the marked path on your left that goes towards marker 58 and descend towards Castellaras de la Malle. Cross Castellaras and continue downhill to marker 58a.

(8) At this marker, leave the trail on your left and descend straight ahead to a track.

(9) Turn left onto the track and, a few metres further on, take the track on the left. After walking for about 50 metres, find a path that branches off to the right and follow it to a cairn.

(10) At the cairn, take the path on the right and follow it to the Ferrier track, which you follow to the left to return to the starting point (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 1,039 m - Ferrier Pass
  2. 1 : km 0.74 - alt. 1,125 m - Quarry
  3. 2 : km 1.73 - alt. 1,333 m - Ridge
  4. 3 : km 2.21 - alt. 1,411 m - Summit of the Colle du Maçon
  5. 4 : km 3.96 - alt. 1,257 m - Start of the GR4 - Col du Clapier
  6. 5 : km 6.16 - alt. 1,059 m - End of GR 4 - Gas pipeline track
  7. 6 : km 7.25 - alt. 1,163 m - Route du Doublier
  8. 7 : km 7.61 - alt. 1,197 m - Doublier antennas
  9. 8 : km 9.69 - alt. 1,161 m - Beacon 58a
  10. 9 : km 9.82 - alt. 1,153 m - Piste de la Malle au Ferrier
  11. 10 : km 10.2 - alt. 1,108 m - Cairn
  12. S/E : km 11.58 - alt. 1,039 m - Ferrier Pass

Notes

It can get very hot in summer, so bring plenty of water.
In winter, especially if it is windy or snowing, temperatures can be very low. Suitable equipment is necessary.

Worth a visit

Along the way, you will discover a drystone shelter and its enclosure at the Col du Clapier, as well as a fairly well-preserved prehistoric camp: the Castellaras de la Malle.

 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

4.5 / 5
Based on 29 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.5 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.3 / 5
Route interest
4.7 / 5
Marie Denise
Marie Denise

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 29, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Insufficient signage at the start and end of the route.
Very beautiful route

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Mdajlb
Mdajlb

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 22, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Very beautiful hike Very beautiful scenery

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rumax
rumax

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 25, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The beautiful weather certainly contributed to making this hike excellent!
There were some stunning views as soon as we reached the ridge and practically all the way back.
Thank you to the author for this wonderful hike.

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Firas k
Firas k

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 19, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very beautiful hike, magnificent panoramic views.
Overall, no major difficulties following the GPS track; did not use the notes (details).

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maggi f
maggi f

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 20, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

I had never done this side of the Colle des Maçons (starting from Col Ferrier) before, but it was a pleasant hike.
The route is easy to follow, with beautiful views between Colle des Maçons and Col du Clapier, enhanced by the first spring flowers.

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Nathpascal
Nathpascal

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 17, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Magnificent hike with 360-degree views.
Follow the route carefully on Visiorando as it is not very well marked.
A must-do 😍

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bebeghislaine
bebeghislaine

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 13, 2024
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 starting from the Doublier antennas with beautiful views of the sea and mountains.

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gebe72
gebe72

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 19, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The route is very easy to follow but requires more effort, especially at the start and then on the gas pipeline track. Beautiful view from the ridge along the entire coast. We encountered sheep and their goats near the Doublier power station without any problems.

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coco7404
coco7404

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 11, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hike completed in the morning with light backpacks, no picnic, but with 1.5 litres of water per person. Most of the elevation gain is at the beginning of the route, to reach the ridge. Beautiful 360-degree view from the summit. Very steep but short climb on the gas pipeline trail to get back up the other side of the La Malle estate. Varied landscapes. The hike took 3 hours and 20 minutes, not including breaks. Well done and thank you for the very precise description. Between the detailed information and the route map, it was impossible to get lost, even when the path was not very visible. We really enjoyed this walk, which was a lovely surprise after spending the night at the Col du Ferrier in our camper van.

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Amaury I
Amaury I

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 10, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Beautiful views at the top of the pass and a pleasant walk before descending back down to the Malle plateau.
There's a short but steep climb to get back up the other side, towards the Doublier antennas, but it's good cardio!
The passage through Castellaras de la Malle is also nice.
In terms of timing, the hike took 3 hours and 40 minutes, not including a lunch break.

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Rando PC
Rando PC

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 13, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very beautiful hike, magnificent panoramic views.
Overall, no major difficulties following the GPS track; did not use the notes (details).

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Laet'srando
Laet'srando

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 30, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hike done in early autumn with strong winds on the ridges, where the view is magnificent!
Several difficulties in finding the trail: at point 3: at the summit, turn right and follow the ridges for a good half hour.
At point 5, the gas pipeline track is difficult to see; it is more of a path than a track. We made the mistake of going too far down the GR4.
Similarly, at point 10, the cairn is not easy to find; it is just a small pile of stones stacked on the right at the intersection of the two paths.
Otherwise, a very pleasant walk

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Pcch
Pcch

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 31, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant route with a good incline at the start. The signs are fairly easy to follow, even if the path is not always very well marked. The landscapes vary greatly from one side to the other in summer. A little windy at the top. A beautiful walk for experienced walkers.

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Guigz06
Guigz06

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 30, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A challenging hike at the start, up to the first pass (steep climb), but afterwards you can enjoy a splendid view between land and sea in the 06 department.
Be careful when you leave the paved road to join the path, as it is not very visible for 150-200 metres near the gas pipeline antennas!
A very beautiful hike dotted with lavender, thyme and rosemary for foodies ✌️

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leopal
leopal
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 06, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A magnificent hike with splendid panoramic views!
We wind our way through wild thyme and lavender to the summit, where the view stretches to the coast and the sea on one side and the Southern Pre-Alps on the other.
Set off with plenty of water as the plateau crossing is in full sun.
Be careful, the climb from point 1 to point 2 and from point 5 to point 6 is very steep! Walking sticks are useful!
A great hike that's well worth the effort!

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