Day 2: Meet the many Ubayes

This route takes you to the old Maurin green marble quarry, also called serpentinite because of its green color veined with white and which evokes the skin of a snake. This etymology is also found in the word “ophiolites”, a generic term which brings together all its rocks coming from the depths of the earth's crust: ophios means serpent in ancient Greek.

For the geologist, marble is a rock containing at least 50% of calcite or metamorphosed dolomite which has undergone a transformation in the solid state following a rise in temperature and / or an increase in pressure. This change in condition allows the marble to be polished. It is the presence of impurities that gives it its color.

The history of marble is linked to men and their tools, to transport and to the state of the roads. Extracted in the mountains, transported through the territories, it travels to the cities and their monuments!

To know where to find the marble works in Ubaye play the game of Barcelonnette.

Level: Easy
Duration: 2 hrs 45 mins + career detour
Type: Loop + detour
Departure: Maljasset, 32 km north-east of Barcelonnette via the D 900 and D 902 and D 25 / Parking church of Maurin
Elevation gain: 400 m (250 m without a career)
Vigilance: Crossing a torrent by fording, do not enter it when the snow melts, in heavy rain or thunderstorms. Keep dogs on a leash in pastoral areas.