From the col (Signpost #7), we headed north along an unpaved road and forked left at signpost 8, passing some houses (la Colle). It was a popular and well-kept trail. We now headed northeast and reached signpost #44 where the trail turned straight north. The incline became steeper and we passed a rock climbing site. We now had a good view of our return itinerary in the east below us. We first heard, then saw, a large flock of sheep and dogs close to the dirt track.

We decided to make an aller-retour hike to Mont Démant. Don’t underestimate the big white Pyrenean sheep dog, the patou. Its job is to guard the flock and keep them safe from the wolves. In the summer 2024, several incidents between hikers and dogs were reported, some necessitating hospitalization.

We continued the ascent in a quasi-lunar landscape with the limestone relief of Mont Mounier (2817 m) on our right-hand side. Just before signpost #47  (2442 m) and the GR5, we forked left to Mont Démant which in fact comprises a large flat plateau and an escarpment on its southwestern flank (Barre Sud-Ouest du Mounier on the map). We did not see a distinct summit, just a small cairn where we picnicked. Our GPS showed an elevation of 2468 m at this point. There is, however, Point Planche at 2473 m a bit further on the summit plateau.