Cime du Gélas

Cime du Gélas
Monte Gelàs
Southern side of the Cime du Gélas
Highest point
Elevation	3,143 m (10,312 ft)
Prominence	669 m (2,195 ft)
Isolation	8.51 km (5.29 mi)
Coordinates	44°07′30″N 7°23′20″E
Geography
Cime du Gélas Location in the Alps
Location	Piedmont, Italy Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France
Parent range	Maritime Alps
Climbing
First ascent	1864
Easiest route	snow/rock climb

Cime du Gélas (Italian: Monte Gelàs) is a 3,143 m (10,312 ft) high mountain on the boundary between France (Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region) and Italy (Province of Cuneo).

It is the highest peak of the Mercantour National Park (French: Parc national du Mercantour) and of the Alpes-Maritimes department, while on the Italian side it is part of the Maritime Alps Natural Park (Parco naturale delle Alpi Marittime).

Name

Cime du Gelàs

The name of the mountain comes from the Occitan verb gelà that means "to freeze" because the glaciers that are in the northern side; the glaciers have reduced their sizes during the late 20th century but they are still there.

Geography

Cime du Gelàs is part of the Maritime Alps, southeast France. Geologically, it is part of the Mercantour-Argentera massif, and is mostly formed by gneiss.

The peak is composed of two smaller ones, divided by a gorge called Sella del Gelàs. The highest peak is the northern one; it is the easier to climb and has, on the top, a small wood sculpture of the Madonna and a cross on the top that was built here by order of priests from Cuneo.

History

The first recorded ascension of the peak was made on 1864 by Paolo di Saint-Robert. in 1894, Victor de Cessole was the first to climb the mountain in winter.

Other websites

• Cime du Gélas at Altituderando.com (in French)