A gorgeous winter's day brought me to Mont Ventoux on a reconnaissance walk, putting together a self-guided holiday on the roof of Provence. The photo below is was taken from Mont Serein, at the end of the walk, with the last rays of sun highlighting the bare summit.
There hasn't been snow here for a while, and the last of it is quickly melting away...
From Mont Serein, at 1400m, on a clear winter's day such as this one, the entire chain of the Alps is visible.
I began my walk at 700m in altitude, on a logging road through the pine forest. The pines in the photo below are Austrian black pines, planted 150 years ago during reforestation.
The mornings are crisp up in altitude. Fearing a cold day I brought not only my gore-tex jacket but also a down jacket, stuffed into my backpack. I didn't wear either, sticking with a simple polar fleece all day...
Nearing the end of the walk, approaching the "ski resort" of Mont Serein, some patches of leftover snow still carpeting the slopes:
In the beech forest, one of the very few specimens that survived the intense deforestation of Ventoux over the centuries. Only a few dozen of these "relic" trees continue to grace the slopes:
Nearing Mont Serein, cutting it close with the setting sun:
Moi!
What a wonderful walk, on a beautiful winter's day: didn't cross a soul over 5 hours of walking, crisp mountain air, gorgeous views, and the ever-present Provençal sun. And they pay me for this?
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