Rain, thunder, sun, thunder, wind, hail, sun... such were the notes that composed the melody of this hiking week! This year, we indeed had to cope with rather unpredictable weather... Never take blue skies for granted — anything can happen, and fast! That's what I take away from this week between Mercantour and Ubaye at the end of July 2021 with Romain.
And it was indeed the rain that welcomed us for our first bivouac at Lac des Sagnes on the evening of our arrival. Fortunately, rain also means beautiful lighting conditions! Unfortunately, rain also means no sunset... and of course a damp night!
And the rain likes us so much that we set off again in its company the next day! Completely soaked, we take shelter in a shepherd's hut while climbing up the Vallon de Pelouse. Thanks again to the shepherdess who took pity on our state! Upon leaving, the rain hands over to the sun, which won't leave us... until the day after next. We reach the Col des Fourches in the afternoon (rumor has it that said pass was actually reached by car to make up for the time lost due to rain, but that's just a rumor), cross the Vallon de la Cabane, and enjoy a second bivouac — this time dry — at the Lacs de Morgons.
Having packed up the bivouac late (as every day, actually), we head for the Lacs de Ténibre. We quickly reach the Refuge de Vens for a lunch break/orangina/coca/blueberry cake, after a stop at the foot (and above) the famous Arche de Tortisse.
What follows is a second half of the day in very mountainous terrain — downright treacherous, even! The award goes to the descent from the Brèche Borgonio! Good steep scree terrain as we love it with a 20kg pack. Fortunately, the Lacs de Ténibre aren't far and we end up pitching our tent on a nice (but sadly not flat) promontory on the shores of one of the lakes.
What follows is a second half of the day in very "mountain" terrain (meaning downright treacherous). The award goes to the descent from the Brèche Borgonio! Good steep scree trail as we love it, especially with a 20kg pack. Fortunately, the Lacs de Ténibre aren't far and we end up pitching our tent on a nice (but sadly not flat) promontory overlooking the shores of one of the lakes.
Sunset, Milky Way, sunrise — everything was going well and then... HAIL! That morning I broke my personal record for packing up camp. At that point, we don't regret our decision not to bivouac on Mont Ténibre after all! Luckily, these episodes never last long and the sky, though threatening all day, left us alone until the end of this first pseudo-loop. After a U-turn via the Chemin de l'Énergie and a brief encounter with a stoat, mouflons, and chamois, we return to the Lacs de Vens — but from the other side this time — and pitch camp beside the smallest lake for a lovely evening in the company of our beloved mosquitoes.
The loop then ends with some hitchhiking to retrieve the car and continue the week toward the Col de la Cayolle and the very famous (and popular) Lac d'Allos! And once again, it's under gloomy weather (you've grasped the understatement?) that we arrive at the Lac de la Petite Cayolle to... take shelter as quickly as possible. Thunder begins to join the party — it smells bad, it smells like rain, it even smells like HAIL! And hail under a tent — in hindsight it makes for a fun story to tell colleagues, but at the time, combined with the thunder, you're not exactly confident! We watch helplessly as the hailstones fall along the wall, praying that they've reached their maximum size...
In the morning, we check the weather apps... apparently no more episodes like that until the end of the trip — hallelujah. Feeling serene, we set off toward the Col de l'Encombrette, with an obvious stop at the beautiful Lac d'Allos for a walk around it. At the top, the panorama is splendid, with a view of the lake on one side or the charming Cirque de l'Encombrette on the other. One very pretty sunset and a nice sunrise later, we head off for a third and final loop toward the Vallon de Laverq. Rumor also has it that a tragedy occurred on the morning of August 2, 2021. It is whispered that a camera lens (of a completely indecent value and incidentally almost brand new) fell from the top of the Col de l'Encombrette and did not survive. This still painful episode will not be included in the story. RIP.
Rumor also has it that a tragedy occurred on the morning of August 2, 2021. It is whispered that a camera lens (of a completely indecent value and incidentally almost brand new) fell from the top of the Col de l'Encombrette and did not survive. This still painful episode will not be included in the story. RIP.
It is in the Vallon de Laverq that we end our journey. The classic objective of hiking in this valley is to reach the Eaux Tortes, a marshy plateau made up of small winding streams that form beautiful meanders. A very bucolic scene that I had been wanting to see for myself for some time. The place is indeed very beautiful and we pitch our tents near a large, distinctively shaped rock facing the Grande and Petite Séolane.
Return the next day by the same path — decidedly very beautiful — just in time before the rain arrives, which for once spared us!
Below are the routes of the 3 loops completed. By clicking on them you can download the GPX track.
First loop
Second loop