Crossing Mont Pépoiri

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We offer a hike through the Valdeblore mountain pastures, including the ascent of one of the area’s major peaks, Mont Pépoiri, offering exceptional views across the entire border ridge of the Mercantour massif.
Views of Corsica on a clear day.

Details

n°4056
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 4.59 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 00 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 2,192 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 2,195 ft
  • ▲
    Highest point: 8,734 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 6,693 ft
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Photos

The Millefonts lakes

Description of the walk

(S/E) From the Millefonts car park (marker 32), approximately 5 km north of Saint-Dalmas, take theGR®®52(the stage from Saint-Dalmas to Le Boréon) to the Col de Veillos (marker 83).

(1) Continue to the right along theGR®®52. Further on, pass close to

(2) Lac Rond, Lac Long and Lac Gros. Arrive at the Col du Barn (marker 84), the entrance to the core zone of the Mercantour National Park

(3) Leave theGR®®52, which descends into the Barn valley towards the Collet cattle tracks, and head straight on, south-east towards the summit of Mont Pépoiri (2,674m). The path is well marked with cairns.

(4) From the summit of Mont Pépoiri, descend off-trail down the southern slope, heading south-southeast, to reach a pass and then Mont Pétoumier (2,604m).

(5) Stunning views over the village of Saint-Dalmas. Descend back to the pass heading north-west and, further on, turn west to reach Lac d’En Veillos (often dry in summer).

(6) Continue westwards and, shortly afterwards, head west-south-west to rejoin theGR®®52route and the Millefonts car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 6,696 ft - Millefonts car park
  2. 1 : mi 0.43 - alt. 7,182 ft - Col de Veillos
  3. 2 : mi 1.27 - alt. 7,585 ft - Lac Rond (Lacs des Millefonts)
  4. 3 : mi 1.89 - alt. 8,041 ft - Col du Barn
  5. 4 : mi 2.37 - alt. 8,734 ft - Mont Pépoiri
  6. 5 : mi 3.08 - alt. 8,461 ft - Monr Pétoumier (2604m)
  7. 6 : mi 3.51 - alt. 8,009 ft - Lac d'en Veillos
  8. S/E : mi 4.59 - alt. 6,703 ft - Millefonts car park

Notes

Usual hiking equipment. Please note that although the route is in the Southern Alps, it is still a mountain circuit and the weather in the Southern Alps can change quickly.

This route passes through a protected area, which may be subject to special regulations:

Worth a visit

On your return from the hike, we recommend visiting the village of Saint-Dalmas and the 10th-century Sainte Croix church.
For accommodation the night before your hike, contact the Les Marmottes stopover lodge in Saint-Dalmas. Bernard, a Mountain Guide and partner of the Mercantour National Park, will advise you on the route and the many opportunities offered by the Mercantour.

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

4.6 / 5
Based on 23 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.7 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.4 / 5
Route interest
4.8 / 5
guygelas06
guygelas06

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 09, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

An easy hike offering superb 360° views of Argentera and Mercantour

The return from Peimounier was unmarked

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LAURENTGRI
LAURENTGRI

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 03, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A lovely hike, with a swim in Lake Petit!

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P@trick
P@trick

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 12, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very beautiful hike offering stunning views.

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MCN22
MCN22

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 18, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

This hike takes you on a beautiful route to Mont Pepoiri. Caught in the mist at the summit, we descended via the path marked with cairns, which starts roughly halfway between Mont Petoumier and Mont Pepoiri.

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Orson
Orson

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 17, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hike completed at the end of June

No particular difficulties to report. The slopes are steep, especially at the start, but the route is relatively short. The return journey is mostly off-trail and on grassy slopes, but it is relatively easy to find your way with the lake and then the car park as landmarks. The hike is pleasant. It offers beautiful views and starts at a high enough altitude to escape the heat, even though there are no trees.

The access road is passable, but it has potholes and is unsafe in many places.

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bedemo
bedemo

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 01, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

We went to the first lake (the most beautiful). Then we wanted to join the GR52 but we missed the junction at the spillway—there were no signs. So we continued along the series of lakes. We rejoined the GR before the last one. For the descent, on the advice of the shepherd, we chose the north-west ridge that starts from the summit of Pépoiri, further to the right than the one that goes to Pétounier. This route is quicker but quite steep, but has the advantage of being easy to follow on grassy slopes with a view of the car park at the start.

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G.MARTIN9
G.MARTIN9

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 10, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

I found the descent off the marked trail difficult and even dangerous in places.
Otherwise, the view of the Mercantour was as sublime as ever.

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Mercantour
Mercantour

The route is perfectly passable

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Gofy
Gofy

What condition are the last few kilometres of this hike in?

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pitouseb
pitouseb
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 29, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Hello. Hike completed on Thursday 29/07/2021. Very beautiful views in several places, especially of the lakes during the ascent of Pepoiri. The 360° view of the surrounding peaks is a treat.
One unpleasant surprise, however: the road leading to the Millefonds car park is in very poor condition this year (the effects of Storm Alex???), so take extra care!

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lauvisorando
lauvisorando

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 12, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very pleasant hike. The climb is fairly easy. The 360° view from the top of Mount Pepoiri is magnificent. The slightly cloudy weather prevented us from getting too hot. For the descent, we left the trail and went straight through the grass towards the car park, which was quite tiring for the thighs and calves.

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Jérémie_34
Jérémie_34

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 22, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Superb hike with beautiful panoramic views.
We made a slight detour to pass by the first lake (the most beautiful in my opinion).
The view from the top of Pépoiri was magnificent.
Be careful though, we followed the GPS track for the descent and it's quite steep and uneven, which left us with some serious muscle soreness.

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ARMENGAUDFREDERIC
ARMENGAUDFREDERIC

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 09, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

a beautiful hike with all the lakes of Millefonts. You can walk along them all if you take the ski lift. The view from the Col de Barn and the summit of Pepoiri is stunning, with a 360° panorama.
good signage
from Petoumier, you can descend along the western ridge and then head for the dry lake to rejoin the cairned path to the car park.

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engrandl
engrandl

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 10, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A very beautiful hike with no major difficulties. I agree with the previous comments: once you reach Mont Petounier, you have to retrace your steps to finally descend back down to the lake.

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gilles006
gilles006

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 27, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A very high-altitude hike with panoramic views of both Mount Pépoiri and Mount Pétoumier.
Once you reach Mount Pétoumier, you have to turn back, so the route on the map is a little inaccurate.
The duration of 3 hours and 40 minutes also seems very short; it took us 5 hours with breaks.

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Other walks in the area

Walking Cime des Lauses and tour of the Lacs des Millefonts

Visorando Member
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↔5.81 mi ↗+2,569 ft ↘-2,549 ft ◔4h 55 ▲Difficult
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Starting from the Millefonts car park, this hike will take you via Lac Petit to Cime des Lauses, a peak offering exceptional views of the Mercantour. After a section off the marked trail along the Têtes des Margès and Barn ridges, you will reach Col du Barn and descend to the other beautiful lakes of Millefonts: Lac Gros (slightly heart-shaped) and Lac Long (entirely colonised by aquatic plants).

Walking Lacs des Millefonts via the Cols de Ferrière and Barn

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↔5.26 mi ↗+1,975 ft ↘-1,972 ft ◔4h 10 ▲Moderate
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Walking Lacs des Millefonts - Col du Barn

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↔4.66 mi ↗+1,365 ft ↘-1,362 ft ◔3h 20 ▲Easy
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The Millefonts lakes hike will take you to no fewer than five lakes at the foot of the Mercantour. The Col de Barn offers breathtaking views of the Molières valley and the lakes.

Walking Around the village of La Bolline in Valdeblore

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↔7.59 mi ↗+2,385 ft ↘-2,375 ft ◔5h 35 ▲Difficult
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↔12.91 mi ↗+4,491 ft ↘-3,720 ft ◔10 hrs ▲Very difficult
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Visorando Member
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↔12.11 mi ↗+5,696 ft ↘-5,669 ft ◔10 hrs ▲Very difficult
⚑Departure from Valdeblore (Alpes-Maritimes)
This is a beautiful circuit that allows you to discover the Baus de la Frema and Mont Pétoumier with incredible views of the Argentera and Gélas massifs, then the Lacs de Millefonts with the final climb to Mont Pépoiri, which offers an extraordinary panorama of the entire Mercantour and the middle country.

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↔6.51 mi ↗+2,270 ft ↘-2,254 ft ◔5h 00 ▲Moderate
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The GPS track and description are the property of this route's author. Please do not copy them without permission.