9/6 St Dalmas to Le Boreon

This too should be a tough long day as the GR5 is left and we begin the GR52 option. This trail is a high route through Mercantour National Park eventually ending at Menton on the Mediterranean just east if Nice where the GR5 ends.
The first day of this route is another long climb over a high pass with the subsequent descent and long road walk to the resort of Le Boreon. Here is a wolf sanctuary which we were interested in visiting but doubted we'd have the time or energy if we followed the route. So some research developed an alternative which we used. We followed the GR52A out of St Dalmas over the pass at la Colmiane then down to the valley of St Martin Vesubie. Reaching the outskirts of town the trail passes the gendarmerie, crosses the river and up at the main road you leave the GR52a with a left turn on the road heading up valley. This main traffic road quickly turns right but you continue straight on a route called Sentier Vallean de la Vesubie. It goes as tarmac road the at a junction is signed as gravel road / trail with yellow rectangle slashes as markers. It goes all the way to la Boreon and we did the whole walk in 4 hours. It was along a lush river in cool moist air - a pleasure! The was a washed out section with a closure warming sign that was nothing.
We had lunch on a restaurant Terrace then spent the afternoon at the Alpha wolf sanctuary. Very well spent time and we enjoyed hora of wolf viewing. . Generally they ignore people, but at one point a large one looked up at me and we locked eyes for what felt like a long time - amazing blue piercing eyes. We then viewed a film on the wolves which showed a night vision segment where the wolves attack a sheep herd and the defense out up by the guardian Patois dogs. Amazing footage which tied into much of what we'd personally seen in the last month.
Our Gite was basic although we did have a private room.
A basic meal of soup and pasta then to bed.