Grande boucle des Hautes Terres de Provence by bike

Agriculture and know-how

Lake, waterfall and river

Panorama

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Starting in La Motte-du-Caire, this long loop through the Hautes Terres de Provence offers a chance to explore this unspoiled region on the border between the Baronnies and Ubaye.

Description

A cycling route providing access to the central area of the Hautes Terres de Provence. Heading toward Clamensane (7 km), enter the Sasse Valley and follow it upstream to Bayons, after passing through its gorge.
From there, the road climbs through the “Tourniquets” to reach the Col des Sagnes (1,182 m). Descend with the Ecrins range in front of you, via Turriers, to the intersection with Route D 951.
Follow it to the right through Bréziers and down into the Val de Durance. Just after crossing the canal, turn left toward Rochebrune.
Continue through the Trois Lacs for 7 km. From there, tackle the steep 5-km climb to Piégut. The route then winds along ridges to the hamlet of “Les Garcins.” A winding descent leads to Curbans.
Follow the Durance River for 10 km to reach Claret for the final climb and the village of Melve. A few kilometers bring you back to the starting point.

Departure : Village center, la Motte-du-Caire
Arrival : Village center, la Motte-du-Caire
Towns crossed : Motte-du-Caire, Clamensane, Bayons, Turriers, Bellaffaire, Gigors, Bréziers, Rochebrune, Piégut, Venterol, Curbans, Claret, and Melve

Forecast

Altimetric profile

Recommandations

It’s best to set aside two days to complete the loop.

Information desks

04250 Le Caire

viaferratalecaire@sisteronais-buech.fr 04 92 68 40 39

Transport

Let’s limit our trips and use public transportation and carpooling: https://zou.maregionsud.fr

Access and parking

From south of Gap (39 km), take the D 900B to Remollon, then the D 951 southbound to La-Motte-du-Caire.

Parking :

Parking lot next to the town hall in La-Motte-du-Caire

1 point of interest

La Motte du Caire - Office de Tourisme La Motte du Caire
Flora
La Motte du Caire sequoias
By the end of the 19th century, erosion had reached catastrophic levels in the Southern Alps. The cause was centuries of rampant deforestation, which left bare soil vulnerable to runoff.

Several laws were successively enacted, giving the government the authority to intervene—sometimes against the will of residents who were unaware of what was at stake.

Forest houses were built to house Water and Forestry personnel and to prepare for future plantings using the surrounding nurseries.

Numerous experiments were conducted to establish the Austrian black pine as the preferred species for reforestation.

But foresters liked to shade their homes with majestic and decorative exotic species, such as the redwoods and cedars seen here.

Just north of La Motte du Caire, the Saignon basin is a good example of ongoing research into the evolution of these man-made forests. There is also a trail with educational resources (informational signs).

In the heart of the UNESCO Geoparc of Haute-Provence, some sites mention reforestation and erosion: Brusquet forest parc, Demontzey parc (located at Labouret pass) and Draix experimental basins.

Source : https://www.geoparchauteprovence.com/