Two-day trek in the mercantour national park
Advice for those who want to scale the heights: Jean-Louis shares his trekking experience with his Mont Pelat climb and amazing view over the Mercantour National Park!
A route shared with the marmots, antelopes and a good group of friends.
Do you miss sleeping under the stars?
Head to the Mercantour National Park, its lakes and its legendary 3,000: Mont Pelat.
Two days of athletic hikes with fellow trekkers.
Duration
2 days
Distance
23 kilometres
Elevation
1500 m D+
Peak: Mont Pelat (3,051 m)
Difficulty
Intermediate level
Total
Freedom (camp under the stars)
Best timing for this trek
From May to September
Route jean-louis in the mercantour
(Trek completed in august 2020)
1. Depart Col de la Cayolle
2. Head to Col de la petite Cayolle for the night
3. Camp below the petite Cayolle lake
4. Climb Mont Pelat
5. Stop at the trou de l’aigle lake
6. Climb the Lausson plateau
7. Garet lake
8. Petite Cayolle lake
9. Descent to col de la Cayolle
Night climb to the petite cayolle lake
Rest the cramps after a hard day's work, it’s a steep climb!
Head to Col de la petite Cayolle for the night with a head torch. On arrival in Col de la petite Cayolle, time for a short break to look at the stars.
In the evening, we set up the camp to spend the night under the stars amongst the antelopes.
In the early hours (3 a.m.), a parade of head torches starts the Mont Pelat night climb.
The more adventurous climb at night to have the opportunity to see the sunrise at the summit.
Climb the legendary 3,000: mont pelat
In the early hours, a herd of antelopes and ibexes keeps us company during breakfast. They don't seem to be disturbed by our presence, quite the opposite.
We pack up the camp ready for the Mont Pelat climb.
A good near-vertical kilometre awaits us to reach the summit. Leaving camp early, we cross several people descending from the summit.
The view is magnificent with a 360° view over the Alps and an amazing panorama over the Allos lake.
The trou de l’aigle lake is accessible by taking a short detour on descent.
The loop of the mercantour lakes
(allos, garet, petite cayolle)
From the small prairie at the foot of Mont Pelat, we climb the winding route to the Lausson plateau. Along the cliffside, we can see the magnificent Allos lake and its retreat down below.
Along the ridges, we reach Garet lake for a short, refreshing break among the antelopes.
The return descent is by the same trail as the previous day's climb.
On arrival, we take a well-deserved break in the Col de la Cayolle retreat, with a Mercantour beer* obviously!
As a bonus...
Wildlife spotted
Antelope, Ibexes, Marmots, Griffon vulture, Eagle.
My sustainable development tip
The Mercantour National Park is rich in flora and fauna so it's important to respect the marked trails as well as the living environments of the animals by being as discreet as possible when camping to avoid disturbing them.
My trekking anecdote
The 3 a.m. head torch ballet. You wouldn’t think there would be so many people prepared to climb at night to see the sunrise!
Good advice for this trek
Leave at night with a head torch to attack Mont Pelat and see the sunrise at the 3,051 metres summit.
My highlight
Meeting a herd of antelope on the ridges at sunrise.
My mountain essential
My Forclaz Trek 900 backpack
Trek experience and write up by jean-louis
Hiking/trekking adviser at decathlon in manosque and global adventurer
His extra advice:
"Don't forget the refreshing break at Col de la Cayolle with the sublime local Mercantour beer* "
*Note from the Forclaz team: Alcohol abuse is dangerous for your health, drink in moderation and, when doing so, choose a local brand to discover all aspects of the region's heritage ;)
