Country:
City:
Start at marker 370, on the RD89 road leading to Vallon de Salèse.
(S/E) Take the small private road that climbs eastwards and follow theGR® to marker 371.
(1) At marker 371, turn left (west) towards Col de Cerise (yellow markings). The path winds its way up through the woods.
(2) At marker 373, continue straight ahead (northeast) towards Col de Cerise. A few metres further on, you will come to another marker (374).
(3) Turn right and continue northeast. The trail overlooks a stream that you will need to cross to climb up the right bank. From this point on, the slope becomes steeper and the trees become sparser. You will arrive at a pile of rocks just before the (small) Lac de Cerise.
(4) At the lake, continue north-west. The slope is gentle, then the path turns north-east and approaches a stream as the slope becomes steeper. In the second left-hand bend, a cairn marks the start of the path leading to Lac du Mercantour.
(5) At this bend, cross the stream and follow the cairns towards the northeast. Climb the switchbacks on the left bank to reach Lac du Mercantour in about 20 minutes.
(6) At the lake, enjoy the tranquillity of this wild cirque facing the Cime du Mercantour (2,772 m), which gave its name to the massif... then take the same route back down as you took on the way up.
(5) Once at the bend, continue right towards the north-west to head towards Col de Cerise. The climb is steep but not difficult. You pass under a blockhouse to change slopes and finish with a few steep bends!
(7) The arrival at the pass offers a superb view of Monte Matto... and the valley you climbed with Lac de Cerise at the bottom!
Return to the car park (S/E) via the same route you took on the way up.
Visorando Member
Very difficult 
Moderate 
