Inspiration for French artist Paul Cézanne, this imposing mountain is visible from the market town of Aix-en-Provence where he lived.
Its vertiginous walls rise from the lavendar fields and olive groves that surround it. Facing south the rocky walls can create booming conditions in the summer months, great for XC hounds heading north.
The site record is over 200km. During autumn and winter it offers smoother soaring conditions.
You won’t find a road to the top – the nearest crosses the ridge at Col des Portes from where it is a 45-minute walk along an easy path. The preferable route if your kit isn’t too heavy is to climb the south face via the path that starts close to the landing next to l’Auberge du Relais de Saint-Ser. Rocky steps on the route up are protected with a handrail. It’s worth it for the spectacular views in flight.
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Photo: Michel Farrugia / frg-sport.com
This appeared in the 2016 Travel Guide as part of Golden Ticket, a collection of sites where the Alps touch the Mediterranean on the Cote d’Azur and you’ll find spectacular year-round flying.
