Description
Like most climbs, the ascent of Le Mounier begins in a bucolic setting that gives no hint of the challenges awaiting at the summit. A pleasant warm-up takes you past larch trees and hay meadows. Marmots and small songbirds keep you company in this agrarian and pastoral setting.
Once you reach an altitude of 2,000 metres, you enter the heart of the Mercantour National Park. This area is strictly regulated. The ground becomes arid and stony. Yet it is in this austere environment that some of the most beautiful and rarest mountain flowers thrive. The harsh conditions associated with the altitude account for their vibrant colours.
It is hard to imagine, but these slopes were once wooded. The last remaining copses were cleared in 1624 and used for shipbuilding. Since then, this land has been used for sheep grazing, which keeps the vegetation short.
