The hike around Monte Pietravecchia was a personal highlight. The route
runs in the border area between Italy and France, so you travel through both countries at an altitude of between 1,500 m and over 2,000 m above sea level. The starting point is easy to reach by car. The hike begins with a steep climb (which can be avoided by taking a longer detour), but after that it is almost all downhill.
To reach the highest point of the route, Monte Grai at 2,012 m, we left the hiking trail shortly after the striking building of the "Refugio Monte Grai" and hiked "wildly" upwards. If you have time and leisure, you can hike about a kilometer further north to the "Caserne di Marta". These are old storage buildings - probably originally used for military purposes.
Otherwise, the route heads south on the French side. At first it is quite comfortable, but soon you are walking on a narrow path, with the rising mountain on the left and the descending valley on the right. The whole thing should not be considered unsafe, however.
The next challenge is in the southern section of the tour, starting at the border. First there is a fairly steep descent through a scree field, followed shortly afterwards by a great section for which the path was cut or blasted into the rock. At times it is definitely advisable to use the rope attached to the rock in order to walk along the slope with a feeling of security. But here, as on the entire tour, the following applies: challenging, but can be done safely with a clear conscience and sufficient common sense!
In addition to a great experience of nature, if the weather is good you will be rewarded with a great view all the way to the Mediterranean.
We hiked there in mid-October and got along well with a sweatshirt or windbreaker.