Cheiron top

Seeming to defy the imposing mountains of the Cheiron massif, this pretty village, built on a small plateau halfway up the escarpment, dominates the entire the Wolf valley. During its history, the Gréolières economy was mainly linked to agricultural activities. Now beekeepers and farmers are developing quality products.

Cited for the first time in 1312, this chapel is built to serve the parish church at the Hautes Gréolières castrum. The apse in cul-de-four is built from the creation of the castrum, but the nave is only raised at the end of the 13th century; it has four vaulted spans in broken cradle.

This castle built around 1230 under the order of the Count of Provence, is in the form of a polygonal enclosure pierced with loopholes, which is kept on three sides and which closes a rock platform. During the civil wars that marked this region, the castle was besieged. After this period, the enclosure is partially reinforced by false pitch. A new access ramp is located to the south-east.

The Barri Cross marks the first step of this route. Located at an altitude of 1350 m, it overlooks the Gréolières village, a first point of view to appreciate a moment and take the time to contemplate the Wolf valley and the beautiful village of Cipières in the distance.

The Griffon Vulture is one of the largest raptors in France that can reach nearly 3 m wingspan for a weight of 6 to 7 kg. Like all scavengers, vultures recycle corpses and thus participate in the great life cycle. If luck is with you, you will be able to see it at Cheiron's summit.

The Cheiron summit offers an exceptional panorama. To the south we discover the Côte d'Azur from Cap Camarat (Saint-Tropez) to Mont Agel (Monaco) passing the Lérins Islands. In the north, the peaks bordering the Italian border are identified from Menton to Haute Tinée. With a little luck, we can see the mountains of Corsica off the Mediterranean..

Espèce protégée, le vautour fauve se distingue du vautour moine par son plumage brun clair et sa tête blanche. Il niche dans les falaises entre 200 et 1600m d'altitude et peut pondre un œuf tous les ans. Les vautours observables sur cette étape nichent dans les gorges du Verdon et survolent les Préalpes d'Azur à la recherche de nourriture. Ils jouent un rôle primordial dans la chaîne alimentaire car c'est une espèce nécrophage ou charognarde : elle mange les carcasses des animaux morts tels que le mouton, la vache, la chèvre ou bien même les animaux sauvages, limitant par la même occasion la prolifération de maladie. Pensez à observer autour de vous, vous aurez peut-être l'occasion d'en apercevoir !

Tout au long de la randonnée, vous serez amenés à rencontrer des formations rocheuses calcaires de ce type. Le mot lapiaz vient du mot latin “lapis” qui signifie la pierre. C’est une formation géologique causée par le ruissellement des eaux de pluie. A son contact, l’eau dissout le calcaire d’où la formation de sillons, fissures ou crevasses de taille variable, certaines pouvant atteindre plusieurs mètres. Dans le Jura, certains lapiaz deviennent même des labyrinthes complexes. On associe ces formations à des paysages karstiques et des reliefs uniques !