Mercantour Alps backpack

A forum that'll feed your need for exploring the limitless adventure possibilities found in "other" places. Post trip reports or ask questions about outdoor adventures beyond the Sierra Nevada here.
Post Reply
User avatar
edhyatt
Topix Regular
Posts: 139
Joined: Tue Mar 03, 2015 12:16 am
Experience: Level 4 Explorer

Mercantour Alps backpack

Post by edhyatt »

Date: Early July
Participants: me and him (my brother)
Weather: Sun, massive thunderstorms, mists, high winds, stillness, hail
Duration: About five days of walking in all
Accommodation: Four nights wildcamp – 3, then 1. Two nights Hotel (incl. rest day)
Distance: 120kms – 75 miles
Ascent: 6200m

Image

The plan: A high-level traverse of the frontier ridges of the Mercantour Alps from St Etienne de Tinee heading South-East to St Martin Vesubie

Image


Friday evening. Nice Airport, Southern France, 32 degrees. Muggy. A hotel looms from the heat haze…..

Image

Saturday morning. Nice Novotel Arenas, Southern France. Air-conditioning; double espresso, breakfast…..packing...


Day 1: 4km – 2 miles, 672m

Image

The arrival of my brother. Hunt for a screw-in gas cartridge. Leisurely lunch and a two-hour bus ride into the valley that parallels our ridge. Pierre-Yves and taxi there as arranged for an eight kilometre trip to our kick-off point at Le Pra (a subtle tactic that dispenses with 300m of ascent :D )

A fine time of the evening to be setting off – around 20:00 in warm and still conditions. Typical mountain paths zig-zag lazily up our easy first stretch over the Plateau de Morgon....

Image

Image

Image

We pitch at 2250m after 600m of climbing and a few Km’s at a ruined hut in a grassy clearing. Thankfully I hang my undies to air after our dinner of ripe cheese and bread. Not sure which was the most offensive...

Image

A considerable tempest roars throughout the night (outside I hasten to add). Rich does not sleep much....my earplugs ensure I do.....


Day 2: 20km – 13 miles, 1672m

Image

Flip open seeing device....

Image

We break through the Crete de la Cote, contour awhile and then drop to the Pas des Pecheurs..

Image

The descending trio of the Lacs de Vens are crossed in light rain....which strengthens as we climb towards the higher Lac des Barborrotes at 2400m.

Image

The ‘hat’ – christened ‘my gay hat’ by its non-PC owner makes its first (sadly not last) appearance....

Image

I consider a DNA test.

Image

Or perhaps not....

Dropping down into an area of jumbled moraines we are en route for the Chemin de l’Energie, a 1900’s hydroelectric scheme that never reached fruition and now a very gently rising footpath chopped into the hillside.

Image

Image

A pause for a rather tasty omelette (€5.80 each) at the 2523m Refuge de Rabuons seems a worthy idea.

Image

Image

The route augments and as it is past 2400m (my normal ‘getting used to it’ altitude) I begin to labour somewhat as we crest an unmanned 2705m col near the Tete de Jassine by a rough track to gain the huge moraine field of the Vallons de Clapiere and subsequently a fine route that contours the slopes – the Balcons de Mercantour (not on the IGN 1:25,000 map).

Image

Image

Proof :oops:

Image

The Balcons de Mercantour

Image

Image

Along these we poddle; looking somewhat desperately for water which burbles down just before a fine-looking bivvy spot (the French call brief overnight stays in National Parks ‘bivouacs’ and I’m sticking with that; 19:00-07:00 pitch/strike is the norm).

Image

A wander while dinnering, then retirement....

Image

It blows an absolute pole-shuddering hoolie for much of the night. Some of the more forceful blast even awaken me; it must have been gusting to 70mph with whipping winds gaining momentum as heavy air dropped down through the cirques stacked above us.


Day 3: 12km – 7 miles, 1200m

Image

Morning peace ensues.

Image

The Balcons seem to follow ancient glacial shelves and the path switches back now and then to gain height and climb from one to another.

Image

Image

Image

Tha Balcons are left behind as we climb towards the frontier at the 2500m Pas de Colle Longue amidst old fortifications and much rusted barbed wire.

Image

Image

A howff and a half :D

Image

The border drops us down into a bleak and shattered landscape; quietly dripping, old snow rotting, cold. No hint of Gelati :(

Image

Image

The path such as it is fades in and out under dank and vaguely menacing cliffs and screes skirting the massively rocky flanks of the Tete de Lautaret which is somewhere above us, lost to view in mists. I can’t shake off a vague feeling of insecurity.

Image

An entertaining ‘hunt the path’ scrunch later we emerge to switchbacks decked with pretty flowers. And Richard.

Image

Pant up to an unnamed Italian Col at around 2700m....

Image

Image

Image

You don’t really want to slide off this....

Image

Before further progress leads us to the 2458m Col de la Guercha
Image

We get briefly lost (hand up) before finding the traverse to the Pas de Bouef.

Image

Image

Image

A lack of water is remedied by Rich stuffing his Platty with old snow.

Image

More amusing terror tweaking and we arrive at the aforementioned Pas de Bouef at 2610m

Image

Image

Image

From here I have ‘planned/imagined’ a bit of off-trail scampering along a fine (if you could see it :cry: ) ridge...which...

Image

...leads to the Tete de Rougnouse de la Guercha at 2694m...

Image

...and a little more off trail – off the right bloody direction too :oops:

Suitably chastened we pay attention and gain a cairn line.

Image

This, the track of a ski-touring route, is fairly rough with some exposure...but it gets us where we want to be; alive.

Image

Alas the ‘hat’ severely undermines the ‘hardy mountaineer’ image I am trying to impart here...

Image

But all good things come to an end (he’s taken it off 8O )

Image

After a complex day of route finding in damp mists and a mere 12Km we call it an early afternoon at Lac Lausfer Superieur.

Image

Image

Image

The tent going up on the only patch of grass not battered by fallen boulders. Smart roulette.

Image


Day 4: 31km – 20 miles, 1500m

Image

The tent is sopping after a still, clear, and cold night – no matter, Rich has caught up on the last two nights broken sleep and looks refreshed. I slide a little more stuff into his pack :lol:

Our only Boquetin of the trip wanders by…

Image

Over a small col and past smaller lakes towards the sun and breakfast….I’d have had a bit more to eat if I’d realised we were going to have a 13 hour day on the hill.

Image

Image

Sunny this Col might be….but it’s not the one we want; early morning bleary mistake :oops:

Scuttle back..

Image

Image

…to arrive (looking as though we meant to do that anyway) at the right Col, the 2430m Col de Lausfer. The sun is seriously out :D
Views into Italy are superb..

Image

Image

A fantastic old military path sweeps around to the North and East on the way to the Col de St Anne.

Image

Image

Image

Image

After dropping down into Italy (still no Gelati) a foul steep ascent of a rough and rocky airless sun-blasted corridor is undertaken to gain the rolling 5km ridge of the Crete de la Lausetta. Love it :(

Image

Image

Image

I rally sufficiently to improve Rich’s picture…

Image

And at last salvation rises from the heat haze…

Image

I do like a cold spigot.

The Col de la Lombarde is bedecked with cyclists and walkers who are descending the Cime that rises above it. This had been on my route plan but I’m too knackered and we decide to head via a couple of lower cols to camp somewhere. Meanwhile the tents and sleeping bags air and dry. Then it is off to cut through a ski resort – Isola 2000 – huge; they have kindly bulldozed all the path signs….bastards.

Image

We leave all this behind on our way to the Col Merciere (2342m) and en route I grind to a rather pathetic halt, hurling myself petulantly to the ground and refusing to continue. Scampering septuagenarians descending from far higher passes shame me into continuation. Not sure if my insouciant air fools them though :cry:

Image

After a few days of shattered rocks and hard ground the grassy Col is a nice change. We consider a bivouac but it is far too early. Continue.

Image

The sky looks a ‘little’ threatening. Such meteorological foresight. No pictures for a few hours as it buckets down. A huge thunderstorm that is hard and cold (some nice hail therin) for two hours. The forest road we were dancing down becomes a stream. Stopping invites the insect hordes to come out and nibble at extremities. We cannot pitch in this. Continue. For three hours. At least the direction is down. Ten miles down.
I’ve not been this wet for a while. We arrive at Le Boreon – tomorrow’s destination; jump into the first hotel we see. Dinner 10 minutes later. Salvation :lol:

Image

Very hot showers – wearing and washing clothes at the same time. Sleep.

We were going to have a rest day anyway and so drop down to the valley as we need to get more food. A fine hotel with a balcony facilitates work, play, and watching another near-day-long thunderstorm.

Image

Image

Image


Day 5: 7km – 4 miles, 1100m

Image

Our penultimate day of walking will be a bit of a dally (apart from the 1100m ascent) as we have to finish tomorrow and get down the valley to Nice and flights. Still, this gives lots of time for chamois spotting.

There’s one...

Image

A relatively easy climb from the valley affords shade as we move above the treeline.

Image

More of the pesky little blighters...

Image

The ascent to the initial cirque which harbours the Lac des Trecolpas at around 2200m is easy and pleasant; the next section up to the Col looks slightly less so. Time being a moveable feast on this day we tarry awhile before moving on....

Image

...towards that central notch on the skyline...
Image

Still smiling (doltish simplicity 8) )

Image

The 2449m Pas de Ladres arrives eventually. We are seeing more people in a morning in this relatively popular area than we saw in the first four days of the trip.

Image

Ho hum.....

Image

Cute....tasty?

Image

Neither tasty or cute....

Image

A lazy afternoon of Col hanging and exploration of old war fortifications remains...

Image

Image

:oops:

Image

At last the chamois-spotters depart ‘our’ lake and descend to the sanctity of the refuge below; we can put the tent up....

Image

Image

A fine last pitch.

Image

Rather than champagne we decide to celebrate with the finest of libations from the last town.....alas there is no park bench handy....

Image

Image

Another fine still (comatose) night follows.....

Image


Day 6: 14km – 9 miles, 181m

Image

Morning.

Image

The (un)likely lads.

Image

An easy downhill wander leads us into the (relative) fleshpots of the Refuge Madonna de Fenestre. People. Many of them.

A local bus would take us down to the town below but is a two-hour wait. We decide to walk it as certain matters are pressing....

Image
User avatar
maverick
Forums Moderator
Forums Moderator
Posts: 11821
Joined: Thu Apr 06, 2006 5:54 pm
Experience: Level 4 Explorer

Re: Mercantour Alps backpack

Post by maverick »

Another great TR, some of the areas in your photo's remind me of the Uncompahgre Wilderness in Colorado.
Professional Sierra Landscape Photographer

I don't give out specific route information, my belief is that it takes away from the whole adventure spirit of a trip, if you need every inch planned out, you'll have to get that from someone else.

Have a safer backcountry experience by using the HST ReConn Form 2.0, named after Larry Conn, a HST member: http://reconn.org
Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 22 guests