It snowed up there!
There's nothing like a good trail workout to get rid of those winter calories!
The Mont Ventoux may be located in the Vaucluse department, but it is still a mountain of 1900m and some more, with all the dangers and inconveniences that you can run into if you don't plan your outing. We equip ourselves accordingly, starting with warm clothes and adapted shoes.
The day's route takes us about fifteen kilometres with 600m of positive difference in altitude from the Chalet Liotard (we leave the car in the car park) located at the Station du Mont Serein in the commune of Beaumont-Du-Ventoux to the summit and back via the D974.
I fit my woolly hat on my head and let's go for a sporty afternoon! Little wind, a beautiful sun, the conditions are ideal to recharge your batteries. The air is invigorating ! We start by jogging on the D974, which is closed to vehicles at this time of year, we branch off onto the Piste de La Tête du Chauva at the first hairpin bend.
The snow layer, untouched by any human trace, covers the ground with an immaculate coat. Here and there paw prints: rodents (I recognised those of a squirrel) and birds.
A muffled atmosphere, hardly any sound, just the sound of our footsteps sinking slightly. Boogie appreciates, as we do, the happiness of having this immensity all to ourselves!
The path we are on is a marked itinerary for hiking and snowshoeing
On the slopes of Mont Ventoux there are several of them with different levels of difficulty.
At the Grands Pins crossroads, we set off on the Piste du Bâtiment. After about 9 kilometres, more or less 1 hour of "tourist running", at an altitude of about 1500 m, we change direction radically to the left by the Sentier du Facteur. We finally discover the Jas des Pèlerins, an unenclosed hut that can be used as a refuge, very spartan!
We go on our way...
And then the snow cover becomes thicker, we are now walking, it is climbing!
A small breeze has risen. Weird feeling of being tiny in front of this immaculate expanse, feeling the majesty of the place! The soft and comforting intimate of the tree-lined single gives way to an immense and silent space.
We can barely make out the landmarks on the ground. The famous red and white antenna flanking the ridge appears and disappears with the clouds. The vegetation is frozen in ice. It is wonderful.
The Chapel Sainte-Croix appears on the horizon.
I appreciate so much these privileged moments where the breath is short, the joy intense, the admiration, a whole range of feelings, of sensations which make one feel quite simply alive!
The Sainte-Croix chapel appears on the horizon.
We quickly immortalize our passage in front of the famous sign "Mont Ventoux 1909m", then it's time to go back down to the chalet via the D974.
Time to return
Come on, everyone trot!
The view is breathtaking, we admire the postcard landscapes enhanced by the light so particular in late afternoon. A delight.
Our journey comes to an end, we get back to the car and drive back to Vaison with stars in our eyes, in the back Boogie has fallen asleep...