Tour of the Grotte du Chat valley

The start is from the D2202 departmental road, below the village of Daluis, at markers 43 and 51. On the left-hand side of the road, as you head up the Var valley towards Guillaumes, there is a large area for parking.

(S/E) Follow the road for a few dozen metres, then turn left towards Daluis village, as indicated by marker 51.

(1) Walk past the school and reach the RD96, which you must cross to find marker 52; follow the signs for Col de Saint-Pons and Tête de Travers. The route continues up some steps and then along a road that passes beneath the village church: you can climb up and walk around it if you wish. Return to the D96 and follow it straight on until the left-hand bend.

(2) Leave the road and continue along the path to the right, following the yellow markers. You will rejoin the road a little further up at Les Plans. Turn right onto it and proceed to the junction with a private road.

(3) Do not continue straight on the road but turn right onto the private track, then follow the yellow markers which lead back to the RD96 at marker 50a.

(4) Follow the road to the left, towards Grotte du Chat and Pas de Belon. Descend to marker 50, located at a hairpin bend, where you will leave the road for good, turning right towards Grotte du Chat.

(5) Reach the entrance to the cave via a track and go past it, continuing straight on. The track you have been following since marker 50 quickly turns into a path. The walk is easy and pleasant: continue to follow the yellow markers.

(6) Just before Bez, the path becomes a bit overgrown and you must turn right here to quickly reach a large meadow with a ruin on it. The path then crosses the meadow and is easily found by following the yellow markers. Continue to the junction at marker 47.

(7) There are two options at this point: continue straight on towards the Col de Saint-Pons or make a round trip to the Pas de Belon (route choice). Turn right and reach marker 59. Please note that after this point, the IGN map is incorrect and the path is not very well marked on its final section, which is a bit slippery. You need to be sure-footed.

(8) Pas de Belon: interesting view over the valley and the village of Sausses. Turn back.

(7) Continue to the right to reach the Col de Saint-Pons at marker 46.

(9) Turn left towards Daluis and the Aiguille. The path climbs a fairly steep slope, though only for a short distance. From this point, it is less clearly marked, but the yellow markers, although old and partially faded, are still present. You just need to spot them carefully.

(10) The path reaches a landslide area, which you must skirt along a sort of ridge to continue on a path that climbs through the pine forest to go round it. Be careful, the path is not very well marked and there are few yellow markers. Reach the top of the landslide.

(11) Look carefully for the path branching off to the left; it is quite hard to see and there are no yellow markers. Follow it, keeping a close eye on the winding path below which leads to marker 45.

(12) Turn left towards the D2202 road. The path is clearly marked again and climbs gently with more yellow markers. Reach marker 44.

(13) Continue straight ahead towards Daluis, and you will easily reach the starting point (S/E).

(7) The return trip to the Pas de Belon is optional.

The hike does not present any particular technical difficulties, apart from a slightly less well-marked path between points (10) and (12) and a very short section of rocky slope between (12) and (13) which requires a little caution.

There are no water sources along the route.