Hut-to-Hut Hiking in Mercantour National Park

It's maybe a bit hard to imagine, but Mercantour National Park is part of the French Riviera. On a stone's throw from Nice on the world-famous Côte d’Azur, you can find one of the last proper wild spots of the Alps. While the Côte d’Azur sees more than 10 milion tourists on a yearly basis, only a fraction makes the 1-hour drive to this terresauvage.Mercantour is one of the 10 French national parks and is over 40 years old. Within the park, 20,000 inhabitants are living the life you might want for yourself. Here the century-old traditions of the montagnards continue forever. Shepherds, beekeepers, cheesemakers, cows, even wolves. Did we say that Mercantour is wild?

Because the park is so close to Nice, this is a logical starting or entry point for hikes in Mercantour. From here, people make their way to Saint Martin Vésubie. From there, you have easy access on the Mercantour parts of the GR52. Because yes, just like you can find Grand Randonnée routes in all of France, even in Corsica with the GR20, you can also find these in Mercantour National Park. For the GR52, which is more than 200 kilometers long, you need more time. Some of the highlights of this GR are however right in Mercantour and allow for a shorter hut-to-hut tour.

Hiking in Mercantour is slightly less Alpine than for example the Walker's Haute Route or the Peter Habeler Runde in Austria. This, and the fact that the Alpes Maritimes have a rather mild climate, allows for a lower doorstep. If you are looking for a relatively mild but unspoiled hut-to-hut trekking experience, hiking Mercantour is definitely for you. In Mercantour you can find 1.700 kilometers worth of trail. The sections that we have focused our itineraries on are designed for people who have a healthy appetite for mountains but don't want to go too extreme.

The route has no technical difficulties and is suitable for anyone with a decent physical condition. This leaves time for long picnic breaks at the mountain lakes, fantastic views from the peaks, and a drink on the terrace of a mountain hut at the end of the day. Long story short? Yes, Mercantour is most likely for you!

At Bookatrekking.com we like to do things properly and when it's about accommodation on our Alpine treks, this means, where possible, you should stay in refuges. Refuge is the French name for a hut where mountaineers can enjoy a bed, a meal, and, in most cases, even a fresh draught or good glass of wine. In some cases, refuges are owned by the Alpine Club, in France, this can be the Fédération Francais des Clubs Alpins et de Montagne (FFCAM). What all these mountain huts have in common is their unusual locations: In the most remote spots in the Alps you can check into these little safe havens.

Most huts offer a half-board package, which includes breakfast and dinner. We highly recommend choosing this option. Having a warm meal waiting for you at the hut is not only a great way to end a long day of hiking, but it will also make your luggage lighter. Carrying your own food during the trek will obviously mean extra weight on your back. Availability in the mountain huts is limited during the season and securing your spots in Mercantour National Park is not easy. We at Bookatrekking.com maintain warm contacts with the hut keepers and are happy to take this burden off your shoulders.

The official season is from mid-June to mid-September, but when you hike Mercantour between mid-July and late August the chances for good weather and snow-free trails. It’s peak season, so make sure to book as much in advance as possible. If you decide to go trekking in September, you’re still in for a treat and it’s not as busy on the trail. But this could also mean that some accommodations might be closed for the season already. Also, the days are shorter, the weather is colder and, although you are close to the Med, there is a chance of snow on the trails. July and August are the best months for hut-to-hut tours in the Alps, don't wait too long with making arrangements.

A situation is defined as an emergency whenever human life (yours or someone else's) is endangered and there is nothing you can do to resolve the matter. You should call for help if there has been an accident, if there is somebody trapped, if you got lost or in trouble and are unable to continue because of the time of day or weather conditions, or if you are trapped because of technical climbing challenges that exceed your capabilities.

The most important thing to do in an emergency is to stay calm and survey the situation. Do not panic or take useless risks if the people in trouble are difficult to reach. In an emergency, first and foremost, call for assistance. When calling for help, make sure to provide your location and the number of victims and type of injuries. Then, protect the victim from cold and other environmental threats and administer first aid, if you can.

Useful emergency phone numbers

• France General Emergencies: 112
• PGHM Alpes Maritimes: +33 4 93 02 01 17

The trick to getting to Mercantour National Park for your hut-to-hut tour is to get to Nice first. Nice, right? Jokes aside, it really is nice to be able to combine Mercantour with the French Riviera. You can visit epic beach towns like Cannes, Fréjus, and Saint-Tropez. Surf and turf all the way. From Nice, you have a direct line with St.-Martin-de-Vésubie, your base for any kind of adventure in Mercantour.

By plane

Nice has its own airport under the name Nice Côte d'Azur Airport and airport code NCE. You could also fly to nearby Marseille or Genoa, on the Italian side. If you fly to Nice, you will arrive exactly at the right spot to catch a straight bus to St-Martin-de-Vésubie.

By bus

From Grand Arénas, outside the airport of Nice, you catch line 90 towards La Bolline. The bus will take about 1 hour and 15 minutes and will cost you less than 2 euros for a ticket. You are in for a very scenic ride!

By car

Assuming you come out of the direction of Paris or anywhere else in Western Europe, you will first want to get to the French coast. Then you can approach St-Martin-de-Vésubie from Cannes and with that Nice.

The prices for hut-to-hut tours in the Alps are quite varied. There are several variables to take into account when it comes to how much this trek costs: the type of accommodation, which can be in a shared dormitory or a private room in a hut, or also at a hotel in a town; How many days you will be spending on the mountain and whether you will be doing the full circuit or only a section; whether you will be doing it self-guided or with a guided group. The price of the trek will depend on your expectations for the tour.