Cima Maledia, Alpine summit in Maritime Alps, Italy and France
Cima Maledia is an Alpine summit in the Maritime Alps that rises to 3,061 meters and forms a natural border between Italian Piedmont and the French Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. The surrounding landscape features steep rocky slopes with sparse vegetation higher up.
The summit was first reached in 1895 by climbers Louis Maubert and Jean-Baptiste Plent, who established the northwest route as the standard path. These early ascents opened the mountain to further exploration in the decades that followed.
The name Maledia comes from local folklore about three sisters who cursed the mountain, leaving it barren and rocky. This story shapes how people in the region think about the place today.
Climbers can find shelter at two mountain huts: the Pagari refuge on the Italian side and the Nizza refuge on the French side. Weather conditions change quickly at this elevation, so checking conditions before climbing is important.
Two glaciers flow from the mountain slopes: the Maledia Glacier toward the northeast and the Pagari Glacier, which extends toward the Lago Pagari area. Despite the southern location, these glaciers show how extreme conditions remain at the summit.
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