The Bergians Plateau south of the Village of Beuil offers a
variety of landscapes: Alpine meadows, woods, ancient hamlets, pasture areas.
Some of the old houses seemed to be secondary residences while others were
permanently occupied. There’s a marked trail circling Bergians which can be
reached by itineraries from Beuil, Les Launes or along an ascending trail from
the D28 road.
We chose the latter option and parked next to signpost #68, our starting
point. There’s a vast parking between the road and the
Cians River (huge terracotta-coloured boulders near the riverbed).
|
| 2.Above D68 road |
|
|
2. To Bergians from #68
|
|
|
3.Verdant forest trail to #56a
|
|
| 4.Bergians Soutran |
We climbed along a good trail to signpost #56a and forked left, starting the
loop clockwise. After a short climb, we reached the first hamlet named
Bergians Soutran (lower Bergians according to
https://beuil.fr/circuit-des-bergians/ ). There were yellow markings here
and there to show the trail. We forked left before the last houses (Image 4), entered
a nice forest trail and headed west. The well-used trail soon forked left
while the one on the map continued straight. But the terrain there was
ingrown and wild boars had been messing around. We followed the beaten
unmarked trail, and came to a wide forest track shown on the map. We
followed it, first southeast then northwest, and soon reached signpost #57a
on the map, 57 on the signpost. There was a large herd of cattle roaming
nearby.
We were now in open terrain with a 360° panorama. We continued a bit as
not to disturb the livestock, found a good spot for our picnic
before continuing to Bergians Soubran (the upper Bergians). We came
to Collet de Guérin at 1639 m, another signpost with #57.
|
|
5.Soon after Bergians Soutran
|
|
|
6.Hamlets in Bergians
|
|
|
7.Cattle in Bergians
|
|
|
8.Western side of Bergians
|
|
|
9.Return trail forking left
|
|
|
10.Cians River Valley
|
We headed east along a dirt track leading to a nearby house, walked right
behind it before continuing along a path to signpost #55 where we crossed a
paved road. After a few hundred meters we started to descend rapidly and
passed a place named Rétouria with some houses.
We came to the beforementioned paved road again (Signpost #56), crossed it and saw our
descending trail next to a house by the road, with an opening in the fence
(forked sharply left, image 9).
We reached sign post #56a, closing the loop and descended back to our
starting point.
Climb: 410 m
Distance: 7,1 km
Duration: 3h 10
Map: 3640 OT Haut Cians Valberg
This carefree one-dish recipe is tasty, colourful, and full of antioxidants. It is perfect for a summer dinner!
2 servings
1 sweet potato
1 medium onion
1 clove garlic
Freshly ground black pepper
2 handfuls of cherry tomatoes
Olive oil
About 250 g sardine fillets
2 tbsp. pitted black olives
Chopped mint leaves
Preheat the oven to 180° C roast.
Spread 1 tbsp. olive oil in the bottom of a medium-sized oven-proof dish.
Peel the sweet potato and cut into thin slices. Place the slice in a large bowl. Add the peeled and thinly sliced onion, minced garlic, black pepper, and 2 tbsp. olive oil. Mix and pour into the oven-proof dish. Sprinkle with 4 tbsp. water and cook in the oven for about 30 minutes until the vegetables are soft.
Clean and check the sardine fillets; your fishmonger may not have been thorough enough with his cleaning! Wash the cherry tomatoes. Place the sardine fillets and cherry tomatoes on top of the vegetables in the oven-dish and continue cooking for 15 minutes until the fish is done.
Decorate with chopped mint leaves and back olives and divide on the plates. Serve with a green side salad and some good country bread for a balanced meal.
Our initial plan was to do a loop hike from Col de l’Espaul (1749 m) to
Mont Démant then to
Col des Moulines
(previously visited), and return mostly along dirt tracks.
Col de l’Espaul can be reached by a narrow road passing the Valberg golf
court. Just before the col, the road is potholed but still OK for normal cars.
|
|
Leaving Col de l'Espaul
|
|
|
Forking to trail signpost#8
|
|
|
Mont Démant and escarpment
|
|
|
Nearing signpost#44
|
|
|
Signpost#44 above Valberg
|
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.
|
| Above signpost#44 |
|
|
Valberg and Col de l'Espaul
|
|
|
Precipice southwest of M Démant
|
|
|
Mont Mounier in sight
|
|
|
View to southwest from M Démant
|
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.
Climb: 700 m
Distance: 10,6 km
Duration: 4h 30 active
Map: 3640 OT Haut Cians Valberg
Tuna tataki has become popular in restaurants. The following version of half-cooked tuna, thon mi-cuit, is more Mediterranean. It is served with sauce vierge which in Nice is often served with white fish and salmon, and sometimes with tuna.
Sauce vierge is a classic French recipe which exists in many variants. In Nice, it always has olive oil, lemon juice, a hint of garlic, salt, black pepper, and fresh chopped herbs. It may also have tiny chopped tomato pieces. I like to add Italian capers to make it even more Niçoise as people here love to borrow ingredients from the Italians. Capers are salty so there is no need to add salt to the sauce.
For the half-cooked tuna, choose it very fresh and in sashimi quality. Fresh tuna is light in colour, if it is dark it is a sign that the fish is already old.
2 servings
2 nice very fresh quality tuna steaks
1 tbsp. olive oil
For the sauce vierge:
1 tbsp. tasty extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp. lemon juice
A tiny amount of fresh minced garlic
Freshly ground black pepper
2 cherry tomatoes cut into very small pieces
3 tsp. Italian capers
Freshly chopped basil leaves
Mix all the ingredients for the sauce in a bowl except the basil. Keep the chopped basil separate and add it to the sauce just before serving.
Cook the tuna steaks in olive oil over medium heat for about 2-3 minutes on both sides depending on the thickness. Leave them pink, almost raw inside. You can follow the cooking process from the sides of the fish steaks.
When the steaks are done to your liking, divide them on the plates and spoon over the sauce vierge. Serve the steaks with some quality carbs and vegetables. In the photo, the tuna is served with black rice and pan-fried courgette slices.
This salad bowl is perfect to make when it is just too hot to cook. Serve it with some good whole meal bread for a balanced lunch.
2 servings
A jar of cooked white beans, about 200- 250 g after rinsing
1 tbsp. olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
200 ml classic tomato gazpacho
2 handfuls of mesclun, baby salad leaves
A few leaves of basil
4 slices of parma ham
Vinaigrette
Rinse the beans under running water. With a hand- held mixer, make a purée with olive oil and black pepper. Divide the bean purée in the centre of two bowls and flatten to a bed.
Pour the gazpacho around the bean purée. Place a handful of mesclun on top of the purée. Roll the parma ham slices and cut into smaller pieces. Place them nicely among the salad leaves. Sprinkle with vinaigrette and add a few basil leaves as a final touch.
A leisurely forest walk was tempting on our last day. It was hot too, and we
expected the woods to give us some protection. That worked but the hike turned
out to be more strenuous than planned.
From Monêtier-les-Bains (1500 m) to le Bachas (2174 m), the main
trail is the GR54 but there’s a parallel steeper trail along the
forested ridge (Second image below) which we took.
|
|
Bridge over la Guisane River
|
|
|
Shortcutting to GR54 from Monetier
|
|
|
Near Charvet parking and trailhead
|
|
|
Charvet Chapel by the trail
|
We crossed the Guisane River, followed the GR54 signs to parking de
Charvet with trail info. We first ascended along the GR54 then at a crossroads
at about 1770 m forked left. There were some confusing and ingrown trails in
the forest, and we may have missed the one shown on the map. Passing Clot du
Refour, we headed south and ascended steeply. We eventually reached the
Sentier de Découverte on Crête des Lauzières.
The latter part was less steep and equipped with information about the local
flora and fauna. The last stretch to le Bachas was easy. We had a nice lunch
at Le Flocon before heading back. On the way back, we used the GR54 all the
way, following the Selle Torrent.
|
|
Monetier-les-Bains seen from trail
|
|
|
Easy stretch of GR54
|
|
|
Steep optional trail to le Bachas
|
|
|
Down from Bachas along GR54
|
We recommend to use the GR54 both ways. The ascended trail did not add much
but was strenuous. Those who wish to view the Sentier de Découverte on the
ridge can do it from le Bachas, out and back.
Climb: 850 m
Distance: 11,5 km (From the Village of Monêtier-les-Bains)
Duration: 5 h
Map: 3436 ET Meije Pelvoux
This variant of the classic boeuf bourgignon can be cooked in a shorter time because a more tender part of the beef, faux filet, is used. The French faux filet is similar to sirloin steak or rump steak in American butchery. Cut the carrots into smaller strips so that they cook quicker as well. About 45 minutes of simmering in a heavy enamelled cast- iron pot, such as Le Creuset, is all that’s needed so that the carrots are cooked and the meat is tender.
Instead of the traditional red wine for boeuf bourgignon , white wine is used for this lighter summer variant. The classic boeuf bourgignon is served with potatoes, mashed potatoes, or pasta. This summer stew is served with white bean purée combining ideally vegetable and animal proteins. Using cooked white beans in a glass jar saves you from soaking and cooking them.
2 servings
About 300 g faux filet
Olive oil
100 ml chicken stock
100 ml white wine
2 carrots, cut into strips
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbsp. tomato paste
1 tsp. dried Provençal herbs
Freshly ground black pepper
Some balsamic glaze
A jar of cooked white beans
Fresh herbs to decorate
Remove all the fat from faux filet and cut them into strips. Warm 2 tbsp. olive oil in a heavy pot over medium heat and fry the filet strips until nicely coloured. Add the carrots, onion, and garlic and stir. Pour in the stock and white wine and stir.
Add the herbs, tomato paste, black pepper, and some balsamic glaze. Cover and simmer for about 45 minutes.
Meanwhile rinse the white beans. In a saucepan over low- medium heat warm the beans. Remove from heat, add 1 tbsp. very good olive oil and mash the beans into a purée with a handheld mixer.
Divide the bean purée on the plates and flatten into a base. Divide the beef stew on top and decorate with some fresh herbs.
Here’s an interesting crossing in the Serre Chevalier mountains. It was
a hybrid itinerary (bus, chairlift and hiking) as our base was in
Le Monêtier-les-Bains.
We took the local bus from Le Monêtier-les-Bains to
Villeneuve/Station 1400. We walked a few hundred meters to La Casse du
Boeuf chair lift and were on our way to high ground (2270 m) in no time.
|
|
Monêtier-les-Bains bus stop
|
|
|
Casse du Boeuf upper station
|
|
|
Under Serre Chevalier
|
|
|
Blossoming alpine meadow
|
|
|
Col de Serre Chevalier
|
The plan to do this hike had already evolved the year before. We used the
familiar trail west of Serre Chevalier to the homonymous Col (2383 m) then
to the west to Col de la Pisse (2501 m) where we had hiked before.
This part of the trail was very good, outside the ski lifts, and inside the
Les Partias Natural Reserve.
From Col de la Pisse, the trail continued to the northwest then north along
the steep western face of Sommet de l’Eychauda then under the
Crête de Roche Gauthier. The trail was narrow and rocky. We met a
trail runner who warned us about a landslide ahead and advised us to circle
it from above, in the grassy slope.
|
|
Leaving Col de la Pisse
|
|
|
More blossoming meadows
|
|
|
Rugged trail from Col de la Pisse
|
|
|
Trail cut by landslide
|
|
| GR54 reached |
The small landslide was in Ravin des Freyssières, now a dry stream
bed (image), about 2,5 km from Col de la Pisse. It had cut the trail.
Although not impossible to cross, the safest bet for us was to climb a bit
along the grassy and steep slope then join our trail 150 m later. Hiking
poles were a great help in the section from Col de la Pisse until reaching
GR 54 trail.
We soon merged with the GR54 trail and continued along it to
Col de l’Eychauda (2431 m) situated between Rocher de l’Yret
(2830 m) and
la Cucumelle (2698 m).
From this point, a straightforward descent to le Bachas chairlift (2174 m)
remained, mostly along wide tracks/ski runs.
Climb: 360 m
Descent: 440 m
Distance: 9,4 km
Duration: 3h 45
Map: 3536 OT Briançon Serre-Chevalier Montgenèvre
In the hot high-summer, cooking has to be simple. Long oven-roasting is better suited in the cooler months and can be replaced by a Dutch oven: Cooking in a heavy enamelled cast iron pot under a lid, such as Le Creuset.
Ratatouille, the famous South of France summer vegetable stew, is ideal to make in a Dutch oven. I especially like the variant with fresh tomatoes. Make it in a larger amount so that the next day chopped fresh tomatoes and black olives can be added to the reheated stew. When the weather is very hot carbs on the plate can be omitted and the vegetables served with a piece of meat or chicken.
In the first photo, ratatouille is served with rolled turkey escalopes. Flatten the escalopes, coat with Dijon mustard, roll and fasten with cocktail pick. Fry on both sides in olive oil until golden brown. Add chopped shallot and garlic in the pan and sauté for a few minutes. Pour in some white wine, add a bit of chicken stock and balsamic glaze. Partly cover and continue cooking until the sauce has reduced and the turkey is done. Stir in some crème fraiche for a nice sauce, grind over black pepper and serve.
The next day ratatouille is served with organic fried chicken breast. Fry the chicken breasts in olive oil until golden brown on both sides. Sauté some chopped shallot and garlic in the pan and pour in the white wine. Add some chicken stock and Dijon mustard and continue cooking until the chicken is done and the sauce is reduced. Again just before serving stir in some crème fraiche and grind over black pepper.
Ratatouille with fresh tomatoes goes also nicely with a steak, duck breast or lamb. In the second photo, ratatouille with fresh tomatoes is served with a fillet steak.
During the hot summer weeks one does not wish to spend a lot of time in cooking. Luckily local tomatoes are at their best and don’t need much preparing.
The following recipe is my twist of a recipe that I happened to see in a French magazine. The marinade in that recipe was influenced by Japanese cuisine and used soy sauce, sauce ponzu, and sesame oil.
I have used Provençal ingredients for my marinade: the very best olive oil and balsamic vinegar. And topped the tomatoes with sliced and pitted black olives and chopped basil leaves.
Serve the tomatoes as a first course or in the centre of a lunch salad combined with some protein such as ham, smoked duck slices, cheese, and so on.
2 servings
2 beef heart tomatoes
Sliced and pitted black olives
Chopped basil leaves
For the marinade:
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
Freshly ground black pepper
Plonge the tomatoes in boiling water for 1 to 2 minutes, then in cold water. Peel the tomatoes and cut into sections into a bowl.
Mix the marinade and pour over the tomatoes. Let marinate for 5- 10 minutes. Sprinkle with sliced black olives and chopped basil leaves.
If serving the tomatoes for a lunch salad, divide them in the centre of two plates. Place some baby salad leaves and your choice of protein around the tomatoes. Decorate with chopped basil and serve with some good country bread.
Posts
