Monte Clapier

Monte Clapier (French: Mont Clapier) is a mountain in the Maritime Alps, on the boundary between the province of Cuneo (Piedmont, northern Italy) and the French region of Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur.

Monte Clapier Mont Clapier
Highest point
Elevation	3,045 m (9,990 ft)[1]
Prominence	219 m (719 ft)
Coordinates	44°06′58″N 7°25′09″E
Geography
Monte Clapier Mont Clapier Location of Monte Clapier in the Alps.
Location	Piedmont, Italy Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France
Parent range	Maritime Alps
Climbing
First ascent	1832, Luigi Giovanni Fecia Cossato, approaching from Entracque[2]

Geography

It is part of the Mercantour massif.

Monte Clapier is home to the southernmost glacier in the Alps, located on the Italian side at some 40 km from the sea. Furthermore, it is the southernmost mountain in the Alps exceeding 3000 meters in height.

Geology

Geologically, the mountain is formed by granitoid gneiss, with outcrops of amphibolic agmatites (granitoid migmatites).

Climbing

It may be climbed from the Refuge Nice in around two-and-a-half to three hours,^[3] initially northward along a narrow path towards the Lacs de Mont Clapier, then eastward along a cairned route (no path visible) across rough, bouldered ground.

View

The view is extensive stretching from the Mediterranean to the south to the high Alps to the northeast. Monte Viso is prominent to the north and 4000m peaks like the Matterhorn, Monte Rosa and the Weissmies,^[4] and even Corsica,^[5] are visible on clear days.

See also

• Col de Clapier
• Valle Gesso

References

1. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-05-23. Retrieved 2012-09-29.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
2. Lorenzo Bagnoli, Quando non esistevano i satelliti. La cartografia alpina del Capitano Cossato, in "Le rocce della scoperta", Glauco Brigatt, Genoa 2009
3. Personal experience and quoted time from staff at the Refuge Nice.
4. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-05-23. Retrieved 2012-09-29.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
5. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-06-12. Retrieved 2012-09-29.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

Maps

• Italian official cartography (Istituto Geografico Militare - IGM); on-line version: www.pcn.minambiente.it
• French official cartography (Institut Géographique National - IGN); on-line version: www.geoportail.fr

Bibliography

• Villani, Nanni (April 2002). Monte Argentera, tre metri sotto i tremila e trecento, in Piemonte Parchi - speciale Cime Tempestose. Regione Piemonte.