Grand Capelet Hike in Mercantour National Park, France

Join UIMLA Mountain Leader Fabrice on an exciting Grand Capelet hike in the Mercantour National Park and discover the stunning forests, red-purple rocks and expansive views of the region on an unforgettable outdoor adventure in France.

Alpes

1 Day

Jun - Oct

High

Intermediate

Highlights

* Discover one of the best hiking routes in the Mercantour National Park.

* Let a pro local guide with knowledge about botany and geology show you the way.

* Enjoy the wild nature and awe-inspiring views of this rich region in France.

Description

Would you like to discover one of the best hiking routes in the Mercantour National Park? Then come with me and let me show you the way on this unforgettable Grand Capelet Hike.

The Mercantour National Park is located in the Southern French Alps, just an hour away from the Nice international airport and the French Riviera. This popular wilderness haven boasts an area of 685 km2 (264 sq mi) and is home to beautiful mountains, forests and lakes.

On this 1-day Grand Capelet hike, we will discover forests, alpine meadows, red-purple rocks and more as we climb the stunning Mont du Grand Capelet. At an altitude of 2935 m. (1629 ft.), this gorgeous peak is one of the highest in the Mercantour National Park and offers one of the best 360° views of the region.

We will begin our ascent with a traverse through a subalpine forest rich in fir and spruce trees. Then, we will arrive at a place with mysterious red-purple rocks, and your geologist guide will reveal to you why they are that color. Finally, we will reach the alpine stage of the hike where we will enjoy awe-inspiring views from beautiful alpine meadows that overlook Nice and the Mediterranean Sea on one side and the Mercantour Range on the other.

Please keep in mind that this is a sporty hike that will require a good fitness level. However, although it will take some effort, the route has fairly regular terrain and gradual slope. Furthermore, I will be there every step of the way to help and guide you. This is an ideal hike to experience the adventurous side of the Mercantour peaks!

So, are you ready for an exciting outdoor adventure in the awe-inspiring Mercantour National Park? Then contact me now and join me on this unforgettable Grand Capelet Hike.

Or, if you prefer an easier program in the region, you can join me on this 1-day Fenestre Lake and Pass Hike.

Price includes

- Guiding fee

Price details

Picnic lunch is not included but can be supplied for an additional 11 €.

Equipment you will need to bring

Sunglasses

You will require good real hiking shoes. We also suggest to bring warm clothes, a vest, sunscreen, and sunglasses.

About the guide

Fabrice

5.0

(21)

Mountain Leader

I am a hiking guide (International Mountain Leader) who has been working all over France (including Provence and the Alps), Italy and Portugal since 2001. I speak fluent English due to my frequent trips to Taos Ski Valley (in New Mexico, USA where my family runs a great hotel and ski school), and my hiking trips in the American Southwest.

I live mainly in Nice (French Riviera), but I also move all over the Alps working in different alpine valleys. I often visit Martinique (French Caribbean island), where I enjoy rainforest and tropical hikes.

When I´m not guiding, I also work as a photographer, and like to climb, ski, play tennis, or kitesurf in my spare time. Additionally, I really enjoy botany and history.

I can guide you for a half day or for as many days as you like. I´ll take you to discover my favourite French Riviera alpine region, and the wild and large Mercantour National Park (counting 8 different valleys) near Nice, Monte Carlo and Cannes.

In my region we can enjoy the Mediterranean landscape at sea level. As we move into higher altitudes, we will discover alpine lakes, larch or pine forests, orchids and alpine flowers, open meadows, spectacular medieval perched villages and old baroque chapels and churches, with great historic value.

We can also discover the hiking hotspots in Provence such as Calanques National Park, Verdon gorges, Sainte Victoire and the Var region, with Saint Tropez a particular highlight.

I also love to hike in Italy in the very famous world heritage Cinque Terre (the amazing national park of the "Five Lands"), or in Liguria near San Remo.

And finally, I always enjoy taking my guests to the northern Alps: to Chamonix and Mont Blanc´s amazingly large panoramas or to the great Vanoise National Park, the largest in the heart of French Alps.

Languages

French | English

Certificates

UIMLA

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What people are saying about Explore-Share

Man

Climbing with guide Guillaume was absolutely a highlight of my 2-week Europe vacation. Originally, we were planning on climbing in the Calanques, but the park was closed due to wind and fire danger. Guillaume chose another amazing location (Pic de Bretagne) based on my climbing abilities and preferences and kindly offered train station pick-up and hotel drop off, which I appreciated very much. The multi-pitch route we did was not only fun but also the right amount of challenge, which I thoroughly enjoyed. The communication from the team (Gauthier) was prompt and clear—highly recommend!

Maxine

Luis Silva was a great climbing guide and belayer! He taught me how to do moves that were difficult and encouraged me to try routes that were challenging for me! Because of his encouragement, I managed to complete these routes! I really enjoyed the climbs and completed 8 routes in the Sesimbra/Azoia area. The weather was perfect, no direct sun and cool enough to enjoy the climbs. Explore-Share made booking an outdoor climbing experience in Lisbon extremely easy. Luis, our guide, was fantastic, and the platform’s organization was flawless.

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You’re simply the best!!! :))) Explore-Share made everything easy and stress-free. Will definitely use again.

Joshua

We had Léo as a guide for our day climb in Fonty. We were blessed with a knowledgeable, warm, and instructive guide. Communication with Léo and Ivan was smooth and swift. Explore-Share was excellent in arranging everything for our day climb. The communication was quick, and the platform was easy to use, making our adventure stress-free.

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