Ovanför Super Garavan / Above Super Garavan
We have always been a
bit curios about the houses that we have seen high up on the mountain side above Menton Garavan, close to the Italian border. The English version continues below after the Swedish text…
Vi har alltid varit litet nyfikna på de små husen vi ser högt upp på bergssidan ovanför Menton Garavan mot Italienska gränsen.
En solig ljummen dag som denna passade det bra med en prome
nad för att utforska litet mer. Vi tog trappan upp förbi nya kyrkogården Cimitière du Trabuquet, gick längs Chemin de la Calle Superieure, Route du Super Garavan, passerade under motorvägen och in på den snirklande Piste de la Giraude. Vi bestämde oss för att skylten ”Acces Interdit” nog bara gällde motorfordon och fortsatte uppåt.
Det är en härlig tur för den som vill ta en långpromenad på bekväma vägar utan stora strapatser. Utsikten över Menton är fantastisk, det är frodigt och grönt uppe på bergssidan, fåglarna kvittrar, den första mimosan har just börjat blomma och det finns förstås alltid bougainvillea att beundra.
Ganska stor kontrast mot det gråkalla Sverige som vi nyligen lämnade.
Vägen slutar i en vändplan vid de ensligt belägna stenhusen med den lodräta bergssidan mot Italien som bakgrund. Nu vet vi hur de ser ut på nära håll, också. Nyfikenheten är stillad.
Hälsningar Ingrid
English version:
Today has been sunny and mild, perfect for a walk to discover some more. We took the stairs up past Cimitière du Trabuquet, walked along Chemin de la Calle Superieure, Route du Super Garavan, past under the highwy and in to the criss-crossing Piste de la Giraude. We decided that ”Acces Interdit” only was relevant for motor vehicles, and continued upwards.
This is a great tour when you feel like taking a long walk but do not want to climb mountain trails. The view over Menton is amazing, the hills are green and lush, the birds sing, the first mimosa is in full bloom and there are always plenty of beautiful bougainvillea to admire. In other words, quite a change to the grey and cold Sweden that we just recently left.
The road ends at a turning area and a number of small remotely located stone cottages facing the vertical mountain side towards Italy. Now we know what they look like up close. We have satisfied our curiosity.
Regards, Ingrid
Om man ligger på rygg i badet och tittar dels mot gamla staden, dels mot bergen där motorvägen mot Italien går finns inget häftigare badställe – även om det kanske inte är världens finaste sand. Där är ni och vandrar. Häftigt!
Nu har jag ju inte varit nere i havet och badat än i år, men du har rätt, det kanske är värt det med tanke på utsikten …. /Ingrid
From the top of Piste de la Giraude, you can pick up the French GR 52 and continue upwards towards Plan de Lion. You will reach a wide track, and a left turn takes you back to Castellar, from where there is a choice of descents into Menton. There is a picnic spot there we use(informally). Straight ahead takes you over the border into Italy by the GR (hard/almost impossible to find the path the other side), and on upeardss over the Berceau to Pass du Corne (the ‘official’ path into Italy. Or, you can descend just before the ascent up the Berceau, and return to Castellar. It is best to do this in Speing when the days are long, and sun is not too strong on your back!
Thank you! Yes, we have tried many of the trails up in the mountain and have also many times talked about arranging a gourmet picnic on the lovely Plan de Lion. Maybe we will come to action this spring, and maybe we will meet you there. We like to pass Monte Carpano where the Sentier European sign is, on our way to Taverna Il Cippo in Mortola Superiore. I believe this is the trail you mean and it is certainly a bit tricky to find. For us from Menton this is a close to 4 hours tour which is perfect considering the amount of delicious food that we get on the Taverna (however, back home we take the normal road down). /Ingrid
That’s lovely idea, but I confess I’m intrigued how you got from Monte Carpano to Il Cippo. We have reached Monte Carpano from the French side, and also directly from the Italian side, but we would nor risk trying to join them from west to east. We have done the whole walk from west to east, but by an another route, which took a marked diagonal path just after the GR 52 crosses the Castellar/Grange St Paul track. Again, a descent down the side of the ravine not to be repeated! Helen
This is the way we follow over Monte Carpano to Mortola Superiore. However, it might not be a good idea to walk there right now after all the heavy rain, better try later when the ground is dry and firm. Regards /Ingrid
Walk eastwards on Boulevard de Garavan. After bus stop Paquerettes, by the house no 56 bis, GR52 (and 51) to Plan de Lion turn left off the street (brown signs). It will be steep! Follow red-white marks upwards along variously stairs, streets and paths.
Eventually you reach a dirt road by a vineyard. Cross the road and continue up towards Plan de Lion, still quite steep. At the col, leave GR52 and follow the path to the right to Mont Carpano (brown sign).
At the next mountain pass with a green metal sign ”Sentier Européen” the trail continues over the ridge and into Italy, but it is hard to find. Walk a few meters left, by the a red-white mark the trail goes down to the right. Improvise through the bushes.
When you see a lonely, slightly leaning, pine tree further down at the left side of the higher thicket of trees, walk towards this pine tree. When you are appr 10 m above the pine tree you see a big rock appr 10 m right of the tree, head towards the rock. On the rock you can soon see an indistinct red-white mark. Follow the more or less clear path to the left of the rock.
After a while you see ruins, head that direction. By the yellow metal sign Loc Bassa Longoira turn right. Pass a stone field etc. By a small hill with ruined walls: Turn left, pass a rock with a small cairn on top. Follow the trail to the left/north along terraces. Pass below another ruin (on your left). The path will turn back to the right/south and then meander down towards the bottom of the valley (and you can see the trail on the other side going up to the right between pine trees).
At the metal sign Regione Liguria: Turn left. Pass a small (dry?) creek. At a Y-junction, take to the right slightly downwards. Pass a bigger creek down in the valley. Continue the trail up and south on the other side. Turn right by a yellow sign below a house and metal fence, now you see clear red-white marks again. Continue on a dirt road, turn right by a T-junction with a red-white index and mark. Pass some small vineyards.
Do not follow the VTT track (triangle with two dots) straight ahead but continue the dirt road to the left. After appr 10 m on asphalt, with an antenna to your right: Turn right, walk down to the right of three concrete cisterns. Follow the road down between houses, turn right along a narrow street which ends in front of the church in Mortola Superiore.
That is the route we used to climb up from Il Cippo, but we needed secateurs, trousers, long-sleeves etc, and decided we had lost the path; but we did arrive at the Sentier European post.
However, from the French side, we didn’t think we would find the way down … though I agree there are landmarks, like the pine tree.
It’s amazing for us to find someone else who has been up there and over the top, we have never met any one else in our many ‘wanderings’ on the Italian side.
Maybe see you in the Spring!
Helen