Top of the World
This emblematic Vercors summit is one of the seven wonders of the Dauphiné. This stone needle is isolated from the rest of the Vercors, to which it was once attached. Today considered as the birthplace of climbing, the Mont Aiguille has 30 climbing routes, suitable for beginners to expert mountaineers. The tour of the Mont Aiguille lets you appreciate all the facets of this majestic summit, a true beacon that keeps watch over the Trièves. Dominating the Trièves, this magnificent giant attracts the eye of intellectuals and is coveted by sports people! The Mont-Aiguille, the icon of climbers, can also be appreciated from a distance, by taking the hiking circuit that goes round it. The first ascension of the Mont-Aiguille took place in 1492, a few months before America was discovered, signalling the birth of climbing. The expedition led by Captain Antoine de Ville was ordered by the King of France, to whom nothing could resist. And certainly not a mountain, even one named Mount Inaccessible by the inhabitants of the Trièves! This sacred mountain nourished all sorts of legends and myths. And its historical conquest has only partially dispelled them... the Mont Aiguille was once attached to the Vercors chain. Erosion decided otherwise, drawing a block with multiple facets. The Mont-Aiguille's abrupt cliffs contrast with the soft landscape of the summit meadows. This "suspended garden" is now accessible thanks to the thirty climbing routes equipped for all levels. From the summit, the panorama over the pastoral landscapes is simply magnificent.
