Mercantour Reflections Self Guided Walking Holiday

What's it all about

DIY Walking Holiday in the Mercantour National Park France.

Thanks to popular request, our guests can now enjoy the rich and varied terrain of the Mercantour, but enjoy independent walking with all the support of your resident local experts.

Guests arrive in Berthemont, with their own transport, after which your team at spacebetween take care of every aspect of your holiday.

Accommodation is provided in a comfortable gite with its own kitchen, bedroom, living room and bathroom.

There is full board, two meals eaten with your hosts, plus five supplied on a "delivered to your door" basis. All food is home cooked, using local and organic produce where possible.

Vegetarians are happily catered for. Wine, beer and soft drinks are provided.

A variety of different centre-based, walking options will be provided, and routes discussed every evening. Your host is a mountain leader and partner of the Mercantour National Park.

There is of course no obligation to walk every day - relaxing with a book in our six acres, or taking a bike or a horse out for a potter, is part of the fun.

The holiday quoted is for a week - but guests are welcome to come for as long as they wish, when they wish, subject to gîte availability – Ibex – Chamois.

What's included

• Seven nights Gîte Based accommodation
• Provisions, hot pastries and other treats provided for breakfast, picnic lunch, home cooked dinners – 2 meals enjoyed with your hosts, the balance delivered to your door ready to eat, or together with fellow guests
Wine and beer provided
• Activities : Six days self-guided walking. Detailed route directions and maps will be provided - we will provide twelve routes so that you can pick and choose as you please
• Please note - you may be joined by other guests participating in the same time frame. Do ask us about this when booking

Itinerary

• Day 1 – Arrival in your gîte at la Zourcière, in Berthemont les Bains
• Day 2 - First day of great walking in one of the three stunning valleys which surround the Vésubie. Start your walk from the La Madone de Fenestre sanctuary church, pausing for a coffee before you get started, and enjoy the classic Lacs des Prals Circuit
• Day 3 - A stunning shortish circuit in Utelle, of about 4-5 hours which is in maquis type terrain nearer to the coast. The terraced hills were once used for subsistence agriculture for the good folk on the coast, and now are fragrant with lavender and thyme and resound with the sound of crickets. The reward for the climb up to the Sanctuary is a stunning view both of the Mercantour massif and down to the coast – with all the details excellently mapped out on an orientation table
• Day 4 - Venanson is an atmospheric hanging village which looms over Saint Martin Vésubie – and boasts the cemetery with the best view imaginable. The walk takes you high above the village and round to rejoin humanity at the small ski station of La Colmiane where you can enjoy a welcome coffee or a beer at the café at the top of the ski lift at nearly 1800m
• Day 5 - The Salèse valley rises slowly up to the Col, so you can take your time to enjoy looking out for nutcrackers, chamois gambolling around on the valley slopes and eagles above the horizon. From the col there is a stunning view down the valley towards the hamlet of Mollières, and up towards the amphitheatre of Lac Nègre. Climbing further takes you on a pretty loop up towards Les Adus where chamois are often spotted
• Day 6 - Le Boréon – another favourite walk up to a lake with as much Arthurian atmosphere as you could dream of - Lac Trecolpas – the lake of the Three Thieves no less – a testament to the smuggling shenanigans which used to go on in this border country!!! Ibex can often be spotted just before you reach the lake as they can also be seen at the Cougourde CAF refuge where lichen on the rocks just beyond the terrace leads to a frenzy of nibbling and a great show for visitors
• Day 7 - The Gordolasque valley and a great last day hike – up through forest to the Terres Rouges ridge to enjoy your picnic lunch and the hope that the lammergeiers who reside locally, might take flight. The afternoon is a pleasant stroll down the ridge finishing off at the Grand Capelet hotel, and a well deserved beer
• Day 8 – Departure from Berthemont

Photography – many thanks to all of you who have allowed us to use your images – and in turn been kind enough to let us shoot you at play. Photo galleries courtesy of Lightbox2 by Lokesh Dhakar.
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Copyright : Mel Jones & Liz Lord : Spacebetween registered in France, siret No : 477 861 900 00025, registered tour operator No : IM006110058