"Giant of the Provence"

In my posts I've mentioned Mont Ventoux numerous times and in the photos I've posted it will sometimes be visible in the background. The mountain is also known as the "Giant of the Provence" or "The Bald Mountain." Bald referring to the peak of the mountain having very little vegetation with mostly just bare limestone which from a distance gives the appearance of snow.

I would consider Mont Ventoux to be a small mountain at 6,273 feet, but it towers over the rest of the region. The mistral winds can be extremely strong at the peak with the highest recorded winds at 200 mph! The views at the top are outstanding and on clear days you can easily see the Alps towering to the east.

It was a fairly warm day over a week ago that we decided that a trip to the peak would be a good idea just to see how much cooler it might be.  Since there is a temperature gauge in the car we were able to see and feel the warm weather gradually turn cold. By the time we reached the top the temperature had dropped more than 20 degrees and the wind was blowing with a vengeance. Note to self: Take a coat next time.

The mountain is a favorite of cyclists in the area and is sometimes included in a stage of the Tour de France.

Tower at the top

The Alps in the distance

A little hotel and restaurant below the peak 

Looking south towards the smaller Vaucluse range. 

Looking down from the north side of Mont Ventoux 

Alicia, her mother and daughter enjoying the views at the peak. 

The afternoon sun casting shadows on all that bare limestone.