Tête de Siguret
3,032 m
France
- Elevation
- 3,032 m
- Prominence
- 705 m
- Difficulty
- 3/10
- Mountain hike
- Best Season
- Jul–Sep
- Routes
- 2
Routes
2Sources differ: T2 (Camptocamp (loop via Crête des Lacs Froids))
The usual way up, from the Ubayette valley on the Col de Larche road: a largely unmarked, often faint line through larch forest, up the Vallon de la Duyère to the La Draille saddle (2,368 m), across into the Vallon Long and up scree to a saddle just east of the summit, finishing along a short, slightly airy ridge. About 1,450–1,500 m of ascent, 10–11.5 km return.
About 67% of this line is approximate (no mapped trail; drawn from the terrain). Check it against a map before relying on it.
Why? 7 check notes
- 67% approximate geometry
- DIN time up 6.53 h vs published 4.0 h (+63%)
- DIN time down 4.65 h vs published 2.5 h (+86%)
- Certamussat → La Draille: bridge (snap_failed; one off-graph gap, 2.9 km)
- La Draille → Crête des Lacs Froids: dem (snap_failed, 1.5 km)
- Crête des Lacs Froids → Tête de Siguret: dem (snap_failed, 1.4 km)
- unresolved waypoints: Ubayette footbridge, Vallon de la Duyère, Vallon Long
Elevation Profile
approximate line- Distance
- 5.8 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +1,615 m
- −208 m lost on the way up
- High Point
- 3,032 m
- Time Up
- 6h 32m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 4h 39m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
Park at Certamussat (about 1,620 m) on the D900, about 3 km above Meyronnes on the way to the Col de Larche; space is limited. A path drops beside a small stream to a footbridge over the Ubayette (1,592 m), then the yellow-waymarked path towards Fort Supérieur (Roche-la-Croix) climbs through the larches. After crossing the Duyère torrent, leave the waymarked path and stay with the Duyère: from here there are only cairns and the path fades in the pastures, so keep the map and a GPS track handy. Above the sheepfold, pass a silted-up marshy lake and climb to the ill-defined saddle of La Draille (2,368 m), criss-crossed by sheep tracks. Traverse into the Vallon Long losing as little height as possible and follow it up to the foot of the final slopes below the Crête des Lacs Froids. A steep scree gully leads to the obvious saddle east of the summit; from there an ascending ledge gains the final ridge, described as a little airy but easy, on folded flysch rock, to the cross on the summit. Descend the same way, or from the eastern saddle go down the Combe de la Motte past Lac de la Motte and weave through rock bands back to the ascent line; a 2025 report found a GPS track leading into a very steep gully here and skirted the cliffs at their southern end instead. Published times are about 4 hours up and 2.5 hours down (about 5.5–6.5 hours for the round trip).
Start
Certamussat1,628 m
- Not verified; the route is normally reached by car up the Ubayette valley from Barcelonnette.
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Certamussat → Tête de Siguret | 5.8 | 1,615 | 208 | 6h 32m |
Waypoints
- Parking: Certamussat1,628 m
Small roadside parking; the hamlet was destroyed in the Second World War
- Col: La Draille2,368 m
Also called Col de la Draille or Col de la Duyère
- Feature: Crête des Lacs Froids2,743 m
- Summit: Tête de Siguret3,032 m
Key Passages
- Unmarked section in the Vallon de la Duyère
- La Draille saddle and the traverse into the Vallon Long
- Scree gully to the saddle east of the summit
- Short airy ridge to the summit
Equipment
0/5 packedDownloads
Route confidence 56%Overview
A 3,032 m folded flysch pyramid rising 2,000 m above Jausiers in the Ubaye, the highest point of the ridge between the Larche valley and the Vallon des Sagnes. A long, mostly unmarked hike from the Ubayette with a short airy finish; few people go there.
The Tête de Siguret is the high point of the ridge separating the Ubayette (Larche) valley from the Vallon des Sagnes above Jausiers, in the far east of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence. From the Barcelonnette basin it shows as a big folded pyramid nearly 2,000 m above the valley floor; the rock is grey, crumbling flysch, and the slopes are scattered with old military works from the defence of the Col de Larche.
The easiest ascent is from the north, from Certamussat on the Col de Larche road: about 1,450–1,500 m of ascent and 5.5–6.5 hours return, mostly off waymarked paths through larch forest, pastures and scree. The finish is a short ridge that is a little airy but easy. A longer and more spectacular line follows the Cuguret ridge from Jausiers, past a battery and two lookout towers.
The area is wild and quiet, with no huts on the route. In fog, the changes of valley make navigation genuinely difficult. The summit view runs from the Écrins to the Vanoise and over the Italian border peaks.
Climbing Notes
Fitness for a 1,500 m day and confident route-finding without waymarks are the main requirements. Carry the IGN TOP 25 3538ET map and a GPS track, and choose a clear day. Ordinary walking boots are enough in summer, but in early summer snowfields can lie above about 2,900 m; take crampons and an axe if they are hard. A helmet helps in the final gully and on the Cuguret ridge, where the flysch is loose. Flocks with guard dogs graze the valleys in summer: walk around them calmly and avoid bringing a dog. In winter and spring the north side is a ski-touring objective (about 3.2 on the Toponeige scale per Camptocamp), usually with skis on the rucksack for the last part.
Season
Best Jul–Sep- January: Not advisable
- February: Not advisable
- March: Possible
- April: Possible
- May: Not advisable
- June: Possible
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Best (best window)
- September: Best (best window)
- October: Good
- November: Not advisable
- December: Not advisable
- Jan
- Winter; ski-touring only, for experienced parties
- Feb
- Winter; ski-touring only
- Mar
- Ski-touring season on the north side; avalanche risk
- Apr
- Spring ski-touring; not a hike
- May
- Snow on the upper slopes
- Jun
- Snowfields often remain above about 2,900 m
- Aug
- Afternoon storms possible; flocks with guard dogs in the valleys
- Oct
- Shorter days; outings reported into late October before the first snow
- Nov
- Early snow likely
- Dec
- Winter
Access & Permits
- Rules
- Livestock guard dogs (patous) protect flocks in the Duyère and neighbouring valleys in summer: keep your distance and do not bring a dog
- The slopes carry old military fortifications from the defence of the Col de Larche: ruined forts and bunkers can be unsafe to enter
- Getting There
Barcelonnette (Jausiers and Meyronnes are the nearest villages)
Turin (TRN) via the Col de Larche; Nice Côte d'Azur (NCE)
- Car: from Barcelonnette follow the D900 up the Ubaye and Ubayette valleys towards the Col de Larche; Certamussat is about 3 km beyond Meyronnes, with limited parking
- Car (Cuguret ridge): Jausiers lake car park on the road towards the Col de la Bonette
- Public transport: not verified
Hazards
- Rockfall
- Exposure
- Weather
- Remoteness