The GR52 is a deviation from the end of the GR5 which should end in Nice but with the detour you end in Menton on the Italian border. It is a wonderful week hike with steep climbs and remote overnight huts and combines prehistoric rock art.
The Stages
Day 1 - 04.09.21 St Dalmas to le Boreon 19.74 km 8h:57min Ascent 1392m Descent 1140m Avg Speed 2.2km/h Stay: Hotel Restaurant le Boreon If this is the place it was poor rooms not good and food was terrible 3/10
There had been some terrible storms through here and had washed away big parts of the end of the walk. It was a long day through forests in bad weather one to forget.
Day 2 - 05.09.21 Le Boreon to Refuge de Nice 13,33 km 9h:14min Ascent 1490m Descent 864m Avg Speed 1.4km/h Stay Refuge de Nice beautiful setting isolated refuge good hearty food showers and rooms packed and not the best 6/10
Given the storm damage we needed to go an alternate route first along the valley and then a very steep climb to a col with breathtaking views as we walked a long a difficult ridge then down to a refuge and a difficult milder clim to a very steep and narrow col difficult bolder field down and then a walk around a lake and up to the refuge
Day 3 06.09.21 Refuge de Nice to Refuge des Merveilles 9.68 km 6h:55min Ascent 690m Descent 802m Avg Speed 1.4km/h Refuge des Merveilles another beautiful refuge in an isolated spot but rooms very not great but dinner and breakfast were hearty 7/10
Weather was bad which made the boulder fields slippy and difficult to navigate. Saw some goats with big horns on the first descent then another steep up to a col and then down through the valley marseilles and the rock art and finally around a lake to the refuge. Tough going all the same.
Day 4 - 07.08.21 Refuge des Merveilles to Camp d'Argent 12.2 km 6h:06min Ascent 637m Descent 1746m Avg Speed 2km/h Stay: L'Estive gites d'etape Pretty ropey place staying in basement food ok opened late checkin had to sit around give it a miss 4/10
Ridge walking day with beautiful views stopped in a lovely place for picnic ended in a ski area not the best
Day 5 - 08.09.21 Camp d'Argent to Sospel 19.2 km 8h:11min Ascent 457m Descent 1831m Avg Speed 2.3km/h Stay: Auberge du pont vieux Beautiful village loads of places to eat worth a stop over hotel was fine with a good breakfast 7/10
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Day 6 - 09.09.21 Sospel to Menton 16.6 km 8h:52min Ascent 1136m Descent 1457m Avg Speed 1.9km/h Stay: Stayed with friends a wonderful end to a fantastic thru hike
A forested climb which went on for a long time and then it flattened out and we saw the first views of the Mediterranean . Then it was dirt roads down followed by a steep final climb and then a very steep and difficult walk down to Menton and a stony slippery surface. Difficult to find the way to the beach to dip the hand and finish. What a fantastic trip