Lightning strikes the mountain summit of La Croix des Verdons with alarming regularity. I know this because the wooden cross at the top is remarkably new. Locals have had to replace it many times over the years – its lofty position, 2,700 metres up above the French ski resort of Courchevel, making it ever vulnerable to electric storms.
Fortunately, there’s no sign of thunder and lightning on the day I climb it. It’s a warm July morning, a mixture of sunshine and wispy cloud. Leaning on the wooden cross, I can look straight across the Tarentaise Valley, north to the summit of Mont Blanc – the highest mountain in Europe.
I’ve had plenty of altitude to deal with myself. To reach the top of La Croix des Verdons, I first took the cable car from Courchevel 1850 all the way up to La Saulire.
