Le Boréon: Hike to Lac Nègre and Pas de Préfouns
This was a super hike we made on 14th of July!
The hamlet of Boreon north of St-Martin-Vésubie has become a
centre of both winter and summer sports activities.
In the summer, the hiking trails offer numerous options and grades of difficulty. The hike presented here is one of the most popular ones because of relatively easy access and stunning views. The parking of Salèse is already at 1670 meters. Even so, the ascent to Lac Nègre is roughly 700 m vertical, and if you opt for the Préfouns mountain pass at the Italian border it’s about 300 meters extra.
The trail is well marked up to the lake. There are some steep parts before the lake. Some parts were even covered with snow in mid-July 2013. From the lake upwards, the trail is marked with cairns only. The view from Pas du Préfouns (2615 m) is dramatic enough but experienced hikers may wish to continue by climbing the nearby mountain tops of Tête des Tablasses(2855 m) and Tête des Bresses(2824 m). This variant is well described in French in the book:” Les plus belles randonnées les Alpes du Sud” (Bernard Ranc; editions Gap) page 26.
The tour from the parking to Pas du Préfouns and back takes about 6-6,5 hours. The distance from Nice is 70km.
Climb: 720 m (Lac Nègre) 980 m (Pas du Préfouns)
The booklet Les Guides Randoxygène “Haut Pays”, also in French, gives excellent basic information.
Map: Moyenne Tinée 3641 ET.
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