Mont Pelat

Peaks: Mont Pelat (3050m)
Area: Mercantour Alps, France
This peak dominates the northern end of the Mercantour and was an appealing objective from the refuge. I left just before 6am: the idea being that I'd run up the peak and return before breakfast was over. I achieved this, just! Despite its height, Pelat is an easy tourist mountain with a superbly engineered path all the way to the top. As such, it can be treated purely as a run/fast walk and was relaxing and hugely enjoyable throughout. Again, totally different in character from the peaks I've done in the rest of the Mercantour. I scampered through the woods towards a flat meadow, then began the climbing after I crossed the Meouille stream. An enormous zigzag contoured up through the Barre du Pelat, a large rockband, gaining more grassy slopes further west. I half jogged, half walked up this steeper section - already slowing in the thin air, to gain the desolate moonscape of the Combe de Pelat. No big clapier fields to slow progress here, as is typical further south. Instead, a vast cwm of scree: entirely featureless, yet quite dramatic. To the east, the curiously named Trou de l'Aigle towers impressively. I kept a decent pace going and finally emerged into welcome sunshine at the summit ridge. The east ridge then gives easy but enjoyable scrambling to the top (64 mins from the hut: guidebook time is 3hrs). Superb views in all directions, although I was particularly taken with the view north over la Grande Cayolle towards Le Cimet. Weird wispy strands of lenticular cloud moved over the summits, constantly shifting position. From the summit, I picked out Viso, Gelas, Argentera and the peaks done last year like Corborant and Tenibre. The much higher Ecrins were obvious further north, reminding me of my trip there in 1994 - and I could also pick out the Castellane summits much further south. It was cold enough to require hat and down jacket - still just after 7am. I ran down without incident in around 50 minutes to the hut, where I just caught the tail end of the petit dejeuner - although the coffee was getting cold. After airing our stuff, we then enjoyed a delightful stroll around the Lac d'Allos. It was still early, before the crowds arrived, and we had it to ourselves. The weather was crisp and perfectly clear, and the children enjoyed it: a memorable hour. We strolled back to the car later that morning, driving to Nice via Annot.