Tête de Nige

Park at the Grand Caunet car park, located near the riding centre.

(S/E) Leave the car park and cross the departmental road with care. Follow it to the left for a few metres, then turn right onto a wide stony path.

^PR® yellow + MTB signposting

Go through a forest gate and, once you reach the signpost at the top of the climb, turn right. Continue to the next junction, staying on the main path.

(1) Veer slightly to the left, following the signposting. Go straight on at the first junction, then turn left at the next one to come out onto a track.

No signposting

(2) Cross this track and continue straight on to the Barres de Font Blanche, where the dense vegetation prevents you from enjoying the view. Further on, the path veers to the right and descends through kermes oaks to join a cross-country track, which you should follow to the left for about 150 m.

(3) A tricky junction: look out for the cairn to the right of the track, marking the start of a barely marked path running almost in the opposite direction. Cross over the trench of an underground gas pipe and continue straight ahead. After crossing a small clearing (with a few boulders on the ground), you’ll reach a junction and turn left to rejoin the buried gas pipe. Turn right and head up to the high point where there is a four-way crossroads.

(4) Turn left, keep left at the next junction before reaching a crossroads that is not very obvious. Turn left onto a narrow path that passes by two monumental cairns, then crosses a short stretch of sharp limestone pavement before emerging onto the small rocky outcrop of the Tête de Nige.

(5) Take your time to admire the view stretching from the Aubagne basin on the left to Cuges-les-Pins, dominated by the Pic de Bertagne directly opposite, and the whole of the Montagne de la Sainte-Baume on the right.
Turn back and, just after crossing the sharp limestone pavement, turn left onto a path that descends straight down to the bottom of a small valley, where it joins a wide, partially tarmac-surfaced track. Follow this track up to the right until you reach the buried gas pipe you encountered earlier.

(6) Turn left to follow this path straight up the slope. Ignore a path branching off to the right and, once you reach a junction marked by a signpost, continue straight on. Then veer to the right to reach the D2 at the Croix de Malte.

(7) Cross this busy road with care and continue straight ahead to a junction (signpost). Turn left, following the sign for Croix de Malte Est, pass between the boulders blocking access to motor vehicles and carry on straight ahead.

(8) Turn right, and you’ll soon reach a fork; turn right again, despite the Blue Cross on the ground.

(9) At the cairn, continue to the right and begin a descent, keeping the coast, Baie des Lecques and Pointe Léger in sight. After reaching the bottom of a small valley, head back up to join a path which you follow to the right until you reach a junction not far from a water tank.

(10) Carry on to the right. Almost immediately, let a path branch off to the left and stay on the main track, which winds through a series of bends, following the contours of the land, before turning north-west to begin a very steep climb.

(11) Turn left to follow a path that follows the contour line. Pass through a forest gate and walk past a water tank on your right.

(12) Just after this, turn right onto a wide path which runs almost flat through a beautiful setting of pine trees in splendid health before levelling out to reach a junction.

(13) Cross the Dégoutant.

^GR® white and red markings

(14) Turn right and tackle a long, gruelling climb. Before reaching the ridge, temporarily leave the marked trail by turning left to avoid a final, unnecessary climb. Further on, rejoin the ^GR® and follow it to the left until you reach the junction with another path.

(15) Turn left, immediately ignore another path branching off to the left and continue to a further junction.

(16) Turn right. Further on, keep left onto a path coming from the right and reach a large crossroads. Head straight ahead to reach a poorly marked junction, which is therefore tricky as the signposting is inadequate at this point.

(17) Turn right onto a narrow path which joins a DFCI track at an underground water tank. Follow it to the right and you’ll soon rejoin the departmental road. Cross with care, then walk along the left-hand verge of the D3d to reach the starting car park (S/E).

Difficulty rating
Although the hike is rated ‘Moderate’, do not overlook the two particularly steep sections which will require considerable effort. These are
- the section before the (11) for about 200 m.
- the section after the (14) for approximately 400 m.
These two steep climbs should be taken into account before setting out on the walk.

Signposting
As is very often the case in this area, the presence of several different types of signposting, combined with a very dense network of paths, can make navigation tricky.
Some markings that only appear on short sections have been deliberately omitted.
This applies to the yellow ^PR® markings after (2) and the blue markings between (7) and (8).
You will therefore need to follow the route description carefully, and the route map on the mobile app will be a great help.

No water sources. Make sure you carry enough water, as the walk alternates between sections under pine trees and open terrain.

Hiking boots with good soles are recommended due to the numerous stony sections.

Saint-Cyr-sur-Mer