Fort Claous

Batterie de Vallon Claous

The very impressive all-mountain tour to the historic Fort Claous building includes an interesting trail descent to the south. The tour is a highlight in the Ubaye Valley.

Description

The start is right next to the main road near Saint-Paul-sur-Ubaye. From here, the route immediately climbs very steeply on gravel. You then cross an idyllic gravel road to the north and use a short uphill trail before turning onto the feeder road. The views to the north into the Ubaye valley are magnificent, and this variant takes you away from the hustle and bustle around the Col de Vars.

At around 2100 meters above sea level, you reach Fort Claous - a breathtakingly positioned military facility that was once built for national defence. If you wish, you can take a detour to the west and continue along the ridge to other military installations. This part is optional, but worthwhile for explorers and panorama lovers.

The descent leads in a southerly, later south-easterly direction. A serpentine path starts somewhat exposed, then becomes more relaxed, but remains at difficulty level S2 throughout. The trail runs idyllically through the southern flanks back to the familiar ascent route. At the bottom, you return to the starting point and thus complete the loop.

Conclusion: A fantastic circular tour above Saint-Paul-sur-Ubaye with historical flair, fabulous panoramic views and an alpine ambience. There are over 30 three-thousand-metre peaks in this area, some of which you can admire on this tour - a worthy representative of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur.

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