Area: Peone, Maritime Alps
Mounier has been a big gap in my Maritime Alps CV for years. It is perfectly straightforward, in fact it is one of the most popular peaks in the entire southern alps with a very clear marked path. It is also very prominent, and towers above most other mountains in this south-western corner. However, from my usual stamping grounds it is hard to reach - which is some explanation for the fact that I've never got round to it before. It was time to put that right, and I left my gite above Peone for the short drive to the Col d'Espaul and set off around 8.30am in the most perfect weather of the trip so far: deep blue cloudless skies, not outrageously hot. Mounier is eminently suited to a running approach, but sadly I had to take water and a few other precautions and the only sac I had was my big 30 litre number, which wasn't ideal for fast movement. So, a gentle jog was the right approach, and I quickly reached La Colle on a broad track before heading off uphill towards the limestone crags of the Barre des Moulines. A few hairpins negotiate this, and then there are some open meadows before the lunar landscape that characterises the upper sections of Mounier is reached. Then comes the subpeak of Mont Demant, barely an independent summit but noticeable from below, hence its status I suspect. The route levels off through limestone screes across Mont Demant until a junction with the GR5 is reached along with a superb view of Petit and Mont Mounier across a dry valley, the entire ridge visible. The route climbs up to the Col de Crousette on the left, and then up a broad ridge to the summit of the Petit Mounier, with the remains of an mountain hut which used to stand on this site. A short jog and then the classic view of Mont Mounier, a perfect mountain rising in parallel lines. To reach it, a perfect horizontal ridge which was pure pleasure throughout. It was a mixture of limestone shelves and short scrambly sections, very mildly exposed but a wonderful catwalk. Where this ends, the final summit cone rises, and I reached the summit cross is 1.45 from the Col d'Espaul, not great but not too shabby given the size of my rucsack (I hate the weight penalty that water carrying imposes, but there really wasn't much choice on Mounier). The prominence of the mountain means that the views are those of the 'aeroplane' variety, very far reaching but perhaps not the most photogenic. I picked out all most of the peaks I'd climbed in the Mercantour (Argentera particularly notable, distantly above the Tinee valley) and admired the view over Cime Negre down towards my gite, with the upper valley above Peone clearly visible 2000 metres below. The most notable feature is the lack of vegetation - these limestone hills have a dessicated, desert mountain feel to them that is very distinctive and memorable. I skipped back to the Petit Mounier where I had a brief snack before continuing downwards at a sustainable loping pace: 2.48 for the out-and-back to the Col d'Espaul, 17k/1100m.
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