Trek of the Italiens Forts – Alpes-Maritimes – France

Our team will collect you from Nice airport, depending on your arrival in France, and drop you off at the hotel.

The hotel is located as close as possible to the start of the trek in order to start the day of hiking as early as possible and have time to visit the forts. Therefore and in order to limit travel between the hotel and the airport, and too long a wait at Nice airport, IDTrek invites you to arrive during the afternoon. If this is not possible, we will drop you off in the city center of Nice so that you can visit the city. In this case a time and a meeting place will be sent to you so that we can pick you up when all the participants have gathered. You will be free to enjoy the beach or visit the old town and discover its museums and lively squares.

In the evening: the meal will be shared which will allow us to introduce the guides and guides to you. It’s also a time for participants to meet, don’t hesitate to take advantage of the evening to get to know your co-travelers. The guide will also explain the safety rules for visiting the forts and barracks.

• Transfer from Airport to hotel
• Half board (dinner + breakfast)
• Night in a hotel near Tende
• 1 to 2 French-speaking, English-speaking, Russian-speaking IDTrek guides
• Transport time: 1h44

This trek is broken down into three large sections that are approximately equal in terms of distance, but each of these sections (one per day) will be physically different. Today’s one will require the most effort. Indeed, the day is dedicated to reaching the Col de Tende where Fort Central is located, passing through the forts of Tabourde and Pépin. It is therefore a difference in altitude of more than 1500 m that awaits us and this is almost continuously climbing.

We will start the day by crossing the woods of the Ourtigue valley and at the end of the morning we will reach the Baisse de Lagouna pass then we will go up the ridges towards the Fort de Tabourde, while being able to observe the Magénora valley and in the distance the rocks of the Gata. Throughout the climb, keep your ears and eyes open because the marmots have taken over the area. From the fort, the eastern border of France with Italy is visible beyond Mont de l’évêque and its summit at an altitude of 2241m or those of Mont Bertrand (2482m) and Mont Saccarel (2200m). Also visible in the distance is Fort Pépin and the northern border, identifiable by the peaks of Roux (2214m) and Bec (2300m).

From Tabourde, and after his visit, we will go up either via the ridges or via the Framourssoure valley depending on the sunshine. The 2 routes are pleasant and both remain physical uphill. We will follow the border located at the edge of the ridge for a while, which will offer us splendid panoramas of Italy. Then we will walk 2 km more to reach Fort Pépin and offer us a view of the entire Tende region.

Once the fort has been visited, we will go back down the same path along the border to the Le Marmotte chalet to refill our water, enjoy a snack and refresh ourselves. Then we will set up camp directly in the heart of Fort Central. The rest of the day will be free, you will be able to explore the surroundings, climb to the heights and take magnificent photos of the fort and the sunset.

Reminder :

The forts are abandoned and their exploration requires increased vigilance to avoid accidents such as falls or collapses. Please follow the guide if this is your first URBEX visit. Always have a charged phone to ask for help if you are exploring the area alone.

• Accommodation : Tent
• Transfers to the start of the trek
• All food
• 1 to 2 French-speaking, English-speaking, Russian-speaking IDTrek guides
• Transport time : 20 minutes

This second day will be more relaxing because the terrain will be more horizontal on many sections and on wide motorable roads. We will start by reaching Fort de la Marguerie following the main road and the contour lines. Along the way, we will pass near a bunker that can be visited provided you have a headlamp.

Once Fort de la Marguerie has been visited, we will have to make the hardest effort of the day. In order to avoid a huge detour to reach the Pernante fort, we are going to get off the beaten track and go a little off-piste. It’s a good effort to make because the slope is steep but once we reach the crests, we will take a break before resuming the road to admire one last time the panorama of the first forts that we have already conquered the day before and thus appreciate everything we have traveled.

This will give us reassurance to move forward and visit Fort Pernante. The Faure de Giaure is our next objective. The initial military road suffered a landslide and this access became impassable, particularly in the event of snowfall. We will therefore take a slight detour to Lake Abisso where if we are lucky we will be able to come across ibexes.

Finally we will go back down the valley towards the tip of Peirefique and its lakes. We will settle in this hollow of the valley to set up our tents then go up to the lakes to refill our water and observe the landscape. Finally and after the meal, we will enjoy the view of the Barchenzane valley and the sunset.

Reminder :

The forts are abandoned and their exploration requires increased vigilance to avoid accidents such as falls or collapses. Please follow the guide if this is your first URBEX visit. Always have a charged phone to ask for help if you are exploring the area alone.

• Accommodation: Tent
• All food
• 1 to 2 French-speaking, English-speaking, Russian-speaking IDTrek guides

The last day will be the easiest, we will be downhill almost all the time. The effort will therefore be easy to produce. We will start by going back down into the woods, avoiding the more or less marshy areas towards the Barchenzane battery.

Then we will cross meadows to reach the first lines of defense of the area made up of blockhouses and trenches. These blockhouses, although inaccessible, remain impressive in terms of their size and their strategic position which protected the western road to the forts. We will return via a loop to the Peirefique barracks which can be visited although very degraded.

Finally we will follow the Caramagna valley, in the heart of deciduous and thorny forests for the rest of the day to reach our starting point in Vievola.

Reminder :

The forts are abandoned and their exploration requires increased vigilance to avoid accidents such as falls or collapses. Please follow the guide if this is your first URBEX visit. Always have a charged phone to ask for help if you are exploring the area alone.

• Accommodation : hotel
• All food
• 1 to 2 French-speaking, English-speaking, Russian-speaking IDTrek guides

Our adventure ends, and it is time to say goodbye, full of memories, and stories to tell your loved ones. We will accompany you to the airport mid-morning while you enjoy your breakfast and prepare your things. Departure will depend on the first scheduled flight. If all flights are at the end of the day, you will be able to take advantage of the full morning.

• Transfer to Nice airport
• Breakfast
• 1 to 2 French-speaking, English-speaking, Russian-speaking IDTrek guides