Mare a Mare Centre - Stage 3 (a)

The third stage of the Mare a Mare Centre is not only the longest, but it also takes you to the highest point of the whole hike, the Col de Laparo.

Even though the initial climb is only about 3 kilometers far, it will take you around 4 hours to make the 1,000 meter climb. For the distance, you can count 10 minutes per kilometer, thus 30 minutes. But there is a rule of thumb that says you have to count an extra 20 minutes for every 100 meters climbing. 1,000 Meters therefore equals 200 minutes. Plus you probably need to rest once or twice. It all comes to a total of 240 minutes, or 4 hours, to get to the Col de Laparo.

The first hour leads through a lovely valley, where you can see a number of beautiful waterfalls on the other side. You're walking in a dense forest. After about 2.5 hours you reach an open area known as Bergerie de la Scanciatella. Then you enter the woods again, and after crossing several streams, you reach the summit, the Col de Laparo.