Trekking – Soubeyran Tour
Soubeyran, or Tête de l’Alp for the French, stands on the watershed between the Maira Valley and the Ubayette Valley, overlooking the beautiful Munie plateau, dotted with remains of fortifications among lush green pastures. An easy two-day tour, ideal for a weekend on our Montagne Sans Frontières!
The tour takes place between Campo Base and Larche: on the first day, the Vallone della Pausa is followed to cross the Alpine watershed at the historic Colle Sautron, and then descend to the charming village in the upper Ubayette Valley. The next day, the trail leads to Colle delle Munie, from where the summit of Soubeyran can easily be reached, before descending to Sorgenti del Maira, passing by Lago d’Apzoi and Lago Visaisa, and returning to Campo Base.
THE STAGES
From Campo Base (1,650 m) to Larche (1,690 m)
Elevation gain: 980 m
Maximum altitude: Colle Sautron, 2,687 m
From Campo Base, take the paved road downhill past Chiappera. Turn right at the first switchback (yellow marks of the Percorsi Occitani), then soon leave the main trail and follow the path to the right that climbs the lower slopes of the Vallone della Pausa. Through a series of switchbacks, you reach the military road and, after Grange Pausa, keep left toward Colle Sautron.
Climb gently through the beautiful valley, then tackle a final steeper section to reach the pass.
Descend the French side to the bottom of the valley carved by the Riou de Rouchouse, where the trail from Colle delle Munie joins in, and continue downhill to reach Larche.
From Larche (1,690 m) to Campo Base (1,650 m)
Elevation gain: 1,030 m
Maximum altitude: Colle delle Munie, 2,542 m
From Larche, follow the same trail as the day before, but instead of heading toward Colle Sautron, keep left, remaining in the valley bottom and following the Riou de Rouchouse stream. After passing the fork to Col de la Gipière de l’Oronaye, reach Colle delle Munie, from where the summit of Soubeyran can be reached in about half an hour via an easy path.
From the pass, descend toward the wide grassy plateau in the direction of Lago d’Apzoi. Skirting the lake and the rocky slopes of Auto Vallonasso, descend steeply at first with tight switchbacks, then with a long traverse to reach the saddle above Lago Visaisa. Continue descending through the larch forest to Sorgenti del Maira, and from there, follow the yellow marks of the Percorsi Occitani to return to Campo Base.
Mountain sports are potentially dangerous activities and should only be undertaken with the proper equipment and preparation. We recommend checking the weather and avalanche forecasts before setting off on a hike and/or contacting a guide for accompaniment. Campo Base S.r.l. disclaims any responsibility for the advice and itineraries provided here, which should be personally assessed based on weather and snow conditions.