Les Randonnees des WT&MC a la Cote d'Azur

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Les Randonées des WT&MC à la Côte d'Azur Neil & Glynis Woodrow A year in the Côte d'Azur! ur first thoughts were that this meant beaches powered repeater for the emergency radio service at and flesh, the glitz of Cannes and thet film festi- 2,604m. Glynis and Stephanie return to the highest of val, Monaco's casino and royal family, marinas the lakes, Le Lac Gros (fat lake) for lunch. There are with luxury yachts, and the Provençal food. We were another four parties also dining around this lake which expecting a glamorous strip of coastline with a perfect is no more than 30m in diameter. Another difference to climate and no real opportunities for tramping. NZ mountains there is none of the solitude you ex- When we arrived we discovered why this part of perience back home in most mountain areas. France is called the Alpes Maritimes. From the IBM of- After lunch we amble down, this time alongside the fice window you could see snow-covered mountains. lakes and the valleyitself, until the place where we must These are within two national parks the Mercantour climb out to get to the cars. Matthew races ahead and in France, and the Argentera in Italy. This is real moun- manages to tell a local group that he is a Kiwi despite tain territory with peaks of up to 3,000m, glacial val- them having no common language. We talk for a few leys, and cool fresh air. While they are covered in snow minutes but after the weather and explaining that we in winter and spring by summer they become very ac- are not tourists but are living and working in France, cessible an interesting place for T&MS who have lived Neil's French is getting stretched so we part company. in mountain-less Auckland for almost 10 years. The track system in the Mercantour is well marked On the other hand the coast, which attracts SO many and every track is graded. Some of these tracks are sectourists from northern Europe around Nice the tions of Grande Randonées, which is part oft the national beaches are stony, there is no tide and no waves, it is track system a bit like the NZ walkway concept. too hot in summer, there are too many tourists, and Two of the trips we have done have been in the France/ anywhere your walk you havet to side-step dog droppings. Italy border area. At each pass or col there is a small Really nothing on the NZI beaches. Monaco and Cannes marker with an "F" on one side and an "I" on the other, do live up to their reputations, however, and are well the only evidence of it being the border. Around the worth a visit. border area there are relics from WW2, such as old gun During the summer months we managed to get into emplacements and in some places, rusty barbed wire thel Mercantour or Argentera for several tramps. Tramps plus old and obviously hand constructed cart tracks in is an overstatement as the going was very easy by NZ amazingly good condition. On the Italian side on one tramping standards perfect for our family; however, trip, we started from a monastery and all around the the French Randonées is a good description. peaks were Madonnas and crosses. A typical trip starts after a quick breakfast and we The grasslands in the high valleys, even those above depart St Paul de Vence, the small village just outside the treeline, are farmed well, not real farming as we Nice where we live, at around 7.30 am. We drive up a know it. The farmers in this part of France have a few branch of the Var Valley to St Martin Vésubie, a moun- cows, sheep or goats (15-20) and complete with tain village at 1,000m. The roads up to the mountains cowbells they wander in small groups around the unare amazing feats of engineering, cut straight up steep fenced countryside, ding-dongs echoing off the peaks. gorges with overhangs above the roadi in places and tun- The trees in the mountain areas are largely pines and nels where there is no other option. above the trees there is grassland, herb fields and sub- We head over a 1,500m pass towards the next valley alpine scrub consisting of dwarf rhododendrons, which then continue up a side road which apart from being look like azaleas to me. There is an abundance of flowsealed the whole way is like a NZ skifield road it ers bluebells, gentians and some yellow daisies the zigzags up and up. only ones that I can rec ognise. The wildlife consists of The walk we have planned is graded "not difficult but marmots, chamois and ibex although we have not made remote" and is open during summer and autumn only. acquaintances with wildlife other than seeing a marmot Wet follow the graded track that sidles up the valley into in the distance. At lower levels on exposed tops the scrub a cirque where there are a series of lakes Lacs de is often thyme and lavender. In late summer there are Millefonts. The treeline here is around 2,000m and up also wild raspberry plants with plenty of fruit, but as it to 2,200m on slopes facing southwest. The small lakes has been a very dry summer they were not as juicy as are really tarns to us and could easily be somewhere in those in the shops. NZ, but the track is well worn and there are balises We have been pleasantly surprised at the amount of (signposts) at every junction. We head up to a small col opportunities for good family walks into interesting at 2,452m where there is a track which continues over mountain areas. There are plenty of lower level walks into another valley close to the Italian border. closer to the coast, which we are planning to do once Matthew and Neil go up the ridge above the col to the winter snow has closed down the mountains that Mont Pétoumier, a nearby peak complete with a solar is, when we aren't skiing. Tramping and Mountainieering 1998