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Photographer’s Note

October 8, 2007
Valleraugue 300339 30570
Gard Languedoc-Roussillon
44.083 3.633 436 m

Top of the Aigoual mount, 1567 m, known as Signal of Hort of God, "Signal de l'Hort de Dieu", or Tourette de Cassini

Located in the french commune of ValleraugueThe Aigoual mount, granitic mountain, climax of Gard and second climax of Lozere after the mount Lozere 1702 m, is a south-eastern projection of the Massif-Central. the Aigoual mount is remarkable by its panorama, its climatology. In clear weather, one discovers on 300 km of ray, the Mediterranean, the large causses, the mount Lozere, the Mounts of the Cantal, the Pyrenees, the Alps.
Of course the surrounding Cevennes

There are discovered High place of the history of the camisards and men of the maquis, it inspired by many Cevennes writers such Andre Chamson, Jean-Pierre Chabrol or Jean Carrière.

The watershed between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean crosses the summit part. Several rivers take there their source of which Herault.

The weather station was built of 1887 to 1894, a such strong castle. Its weather observatory is the last in France with being occupied by the men. The climatic conditions are very hard, Aigoual recoit on average 2,5 m of rain per annum. In more than one table of orientation, the station proposes a museum on the history of meteorology.

Some statements records:
Maximum temperature: 28,7 °C on August 11, 2003, minimal: -28°C in 1956.
Maximum speed of the wind: 171 km/h on average on a day, gusts exceeding 360 km/h on November 1, 1968.
Quantity of maximum rain of 24 hours: 607 mm enter on October 30, 1963 to 6 p.m. and on October 31, 1963 to 18h.
Maximum height of fresh snow cumulated in 1 year: 10,39 meters (winter 1995-1996).
Numbers average annual days of freezing: 144; days of heat 25 °C: 0; days of rain: 170; days of strong wind 16 m/s: 265; days of fog: 241; days when the ground is covered with snow: 118.
It is also the place of Metropolitan France where the most important office pluralities of rain over short periods are recorded, in particular during the "Cevennes episodes" in autumn. The strongest annual office plurality, 4 015 mm was recorded in 1913.
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mont_Aigoual

In this mountain of the area of the Cevennes, one discovers very varied and wild landscapes. Immense forests, deserted moors, steppes, tracks, brooks, falls of water, canyons, swallow-holes and caves, causses, a vegetation and a typical fauna. One discovers there also people and their habitat, of the disseminated firm hamlets and, architectures which merge with the rocks.

It is a captivating country which one cannot escape from the charm.

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Additional Photos by joel berthonneau (jlbrthnn) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 4365 W: 0 N: 12243] (38055)
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