Walking from Briançon to Menton means watching the Alps change day by day: the passes of the Queyras give way to the valleys of the Ubaye, then the lakes of the Mercantour before the descent towards the Mediterranean. Over the years, I have walked this route and guided groups along it. Here I share the stretches that give this itinerary its distinctive character.
The route described draws on the GTA, the GR5 and the Via Alpina, with a few alternative routes and transfers chosen to stay close to the peaks. This is an account of experience on the trail, rather than a route guide to follow unquestioningly: snow cover, weather and the rules of protected areas may mean a day’s route needs to change.
Setting off from Queyras Regional Nature Park
The first time I heard about the Grande Traversée des Alpes from Briançon to Menton, I was a teenager. A friend had returned beaming from those fifteen days of hiking, brandishing his dusty Trappeur boots as proof of his achievement. I looked at him with admiration, never imagining that a few decades later I would become a regular walker on the crossing of the Southern Alps myself.
The historic crossing from Lake Geneva to the Mediterranean follows the GR5 for around 600 kilometres. The route has appeared on maps since 1950; today, anyone can walk its full length or choose a section. Here, we set off from Briançon to focus on its southern part.
Let us skip the stages north of the forty-fifth parallel and enter the sunlit world of the Southern Alps.
Ascent to Col Vieux © François Ribard
The route I have guided in recent years for Grand Angle follows sections of the GTA, the GR5 and the Via Alpina. It sometimes leaves these trails to stay close to the peaks and lakes, with a few transfers to avoid stretches that are less enjoyable on foot. The crossing passes through Queyras Regional Nature Park and Mercantour National Park. In early summer, I have often found a particularly abundant display of flowers here.
In the protected areas, we have regularly spotted marmots, chamois and ibex. Seeing them at such close quarters is a privilege: let us keep our distance so we do not disturb them.
Meeting in Briançon gives hikers who arrive early a chance to explore the Vauban fortified town. The whole group meets at the railway station for a transfer to Fonts-de-Cervières, a former pastoral hamlet with a cluster of beautiful chalets at the far end of the Cerveyrette valley. At an altitude of 2040 metres, at the foot of Pic de Rochebrune (3321 m), the first hikers' lodge immediately immerses the group in the mountain atmosphere of the Southern Alps. The following day’s stage will deepen that feeling.
Ascent to the Malrif ridge © François Ribard
From the shale ridge separating the Briançonnais from the Queyras, where snow tends to linger early in the season, the view stretches far across the line of 3000m bordering the massif to the south, as far as Mont Viso to the east. The first descent brings us to the first lake in a long series, before we follow the slopes of the Malrif valley, where early summer reveals a profusion of flowers.
Descent along the Malrif © François Ribard
Here is Abriès. There are few villages where we can stop at an outdoor café during these two weeks, so we make the most of it. The trail of inscribed stones, carved blocks set into the façades, also offers another way to discover the village.
The following day, the ascent beneath Monte Viso takes us past lakes Égorgéou and Foréant before reaching the Col Vieux. When the air is clear, the views stretch as far as Mont Blanc and the Barre des Écrins. We then cross towards the Col Agnel, at the foot of the Pain de Sucre, before descending to the Piedmontese village of Chianale. After Lake Longet, where the River Ubaye rises, the long descent towards Maljasset crosses vast alpine pastures. A short transfer to Fouillouse brings us to the start of a stage passing close to the former Viraysse barracks and the fortifications involved in the fighting in June 1940.
Above the Viraysse barracks © François Ribard
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Discovering Mercantour National Park
The day from the Col de Larche to the Vens mountain hut remains one of those I find most inspiring. The marmots, varied terrain and succession of lakes undoubtedly have much to do with it. At the Pas de la Cavale, the peaks of the upper Tinée valley gradually come into view.
At the Pas de la Cavale (2671m) © François Ribard
Near the Agnel lakes, we leave the main route to climb alongside the lakes to the Pas de Morgon, then continue to the mountain hut.
The Vens lakes accompany us at the start of the long descent towards Saint-Étienne-de-Tinée, our last opportunity to enjoy a lively village before a transfer to the Vésubie valley. The longest stages are behind us. Granite boulders, larches and Swiss stone pines line the path. By moving quietly and keeping our distance, we may also spot chamois and ibex.
Young male ibex near the Col de Fenestre © François Ribard
Between Le Boréon and Madone-de-Fenestre, we walk at the foot of the Cime du Gélas, the highest peak in the Mercantour at 3 143 metres. A shorter stage then follows several glacial lakes beneath the peaks along the Italian border. It takes us to Saint-Grat, in the Gordolasque valley, where we enjoy a restful late afternoon. At dawn, the climb to the Pas de l’Arpette opens the way into the Vallée des Merveilles. Several walking guides on the Grand Angle team hold the authorisation required to guide a group through the restricted area containing the rock engravings.
Rock engraving in the Vallée des Merveilles © François Ribard
This individual authorisation, renewed each year, allows professionals to accompany a group into the restricted area. We can thus observe well-known figures such as the Sorcier and the Anthropomorphe aux bras en zigzag, among rocks whose shifting hues are punctuated by the blue of the lakes.
Drawing of the rock engravings by walker Éric Ruelle © François Ribard
Arriving on the coast at Menton
We leave these enchanting highlands via the Pas du Diable, where, if the air is clear, we can see the Mediterranean sparkling beyond the coastal towns. On reaching the Authion plateau, at an altitude of 2000 metres, we once again encounter military defences fortified in the late 19th century, then reinforced during the construction of the Alpine Maginot Line, in a pastoral landscape with an exceptionally rich variety of flora.
From the area around the Col du Turini to Sospel, there is still some distance to cover on the longest stage, which takes us from Swiss stone pines to olive trees along the ridges overlooking the Bévéra valley. An overnight hotel stay in Sainte-Agnès, described by the regional tourist office as Europe’s highest coastal village, comes before the final descent to the Mediterranean and the narrow streets of old Menton.
Yellow-legged gull © François Ribard
To plan a multi-day walking trip in the region, explore our hikes in the Southern Alps.
Text & photo credits: © François Ribard
