I took these shots in June 1995, in Mercantour. Mercantour is the southernmost range in the French Alps; it's about 60km north of Nice, the well-known city on the Mediterranean coast.
June is still early in the season, so there was still quite a lot of snow, and few other people. Ever had a whole valley for yourself, with plenty of animals?
Have a look at the photos to see what it was like. Clicking on a thumbnail will download a large version of the image (fit for 1024x768 screens).
Jean-Christophe jumping over a torrent. He felt the tree trunks I had used as a bridge were too slippery.
In the valley of Sallevieille. This rock wall marked the limit between the bottom of the valley, already green, and the top, still covered with snow.
Fresh snow in the valley of Sallevieille. There had been a dreadful snow storm the day before, and nobody else had seen fit to walk into the valley that morning. As a result, the two of us were alone with marmots, only recently awakened after their winter-long sleep under the snow. We also spotted marks left by a lonely wolf's paws.
In the "Vallon du Barn". I knew this place would make a good screen backdrop...
T'was about 6:20 in the morning - dawn near the Madone de Fenestre.
Near the Valley of Marvels, a chamois wanders about in the rocks. In the background looms the impressive shape of the Caire Colomb.
This pass is called "Baisse du Basto". One can see the trail in the snow which goes up to the pass on the crest. A rather tiring climb!
While going down on the other side of Baisse du Basto, we walked alongside this little frozen piece of water. It was a calm and cold atmosphere...
I hope you enjoyed these pictures...
