Mercantour - Alpes Maritimes - Around Mont Ténibre - Stage 2
Randonnée Tinée. Lumières du crépuscule en haute-Tinée depuis les lacs de Vens, jeux de nuages.
Randonnée Tinée. Lumières du crépuscule en haute-Tinée depuis les lacs de Vens, jeux de nuages. - Anthony Turpaud - PNM
Saint-Étienne-de-Tinée

2. Mercantour - Alpes Maritimes - Around Mont Ténibre - Stage 2

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1 point of interest

  • Refuge de Vens
    Refuge de Vens - CAF / DR
    Refuge

    Lac de Vens and refuge

    The Vens refuge only has a warden during the summer months. In winter, only one room is open to allow hikers to shelter. The Vens refuge overlooks a series of lakes of the same name. These lakes are of glacial origin, they are the result of a long erosion process by glaciers. The lake below the refuge (the biggest) is 31 metres deep. Ibex, chamois, mouflons and golden eagles can often be seen at the site. Very close to the refuge, you can see the endemic plant which was for a long time the symbol of the Mercantour National Park: Saxifraga florulenta.

    Club Alpin Français: Capacity: 45 in summer and 30 in winter (no warden)

    Reservations only be e-mail in summer: http://refugedevens.ffcam.fr/reservation.html

    No shower, meal included

Description

From the refuge, head down along the right-hand shore of the upper Vens lake then pass by the middle and lower lakes on the right. Cross the spillway over a footbridge (2285m - m.26) and climb up the opposite side towards Lac des Babarottes along a path which is scattered with cairns. 

Continue the climb until the wide ridge of Les Babarottes (2506m), then go downhill on the southern side to reach the beginning of the Energy Trail (m.113). 

Continue along this flat walkway to Plan de Ténibre (m.112, 111). Continue by heading slightly uphill, still walking along this magnificent piece of work towards Lac Pétrus (m.110), the Sélasse ridge (m.103), then the EDF houses (m.104), which are perpendicular to the CAF refuge at Lac Rabuons (2523m).
  • Departure : Vens refuge
  • Arrival : Rabuons refuge
  • Towns crossed : Saint-Étienne-de-Tinée

Altimetric profile

Recommandations

Is in the midst of the park
The national park is an unrestricted natural area but subjected to regulations which must be known by all visitors.

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