Cimet, Mountain summit in the Pelat Massif, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, France
Cimet is a 3,020-metre summit in the Pelat Massif of the French Alps, in Alpes-de-Haute-Provence. Its broad, rocky top is built of loose grey stone and dark brown earth, with a pale scree slope on the lower left flank and darker, sharper ridges of bare rock running down the centre and right. Small patches of snow linger on the upper slopes and in gullies near the peak.
On the night of 1–2 September 1953, an Air France Lockheed L-749 Constellation (Flight 178, F-BAZZ) flying from Paris-Orly to Nice crashed into the summit of Cimet, killing all 42 people on board, among them pianist René Herbin and violinist Jacques Thibaud. A metal cross was later erected 350 m west of the summit, and a marble plaque stands in the hamlet of Fours-Saint-Laurent. On 24 March 2015, Germanwings Flight 9525 crashed close to the mountain.
A metal cross stands 350 m west of the summit, and a marble plaque in the hamlet of Fours-Saint-Laurent recalls the 42 people killed when an Air France Lockheed Constellation struck the mountain on the night of 1–2 September 1953. Among the dead were pianist René Herbin and violinist Jacques Thibaud.
Only experienced mountaineers with alpine training should attempt the climb, and it requires proper climbing gear and stable weather. Plan for a full day and check weather forecasts and trail conditions before setting out.
A metal cross stands 350 m west of the summit, and a marble plaque in the hamlet of Fours-Saint-Laurent recalls the 42 people killed when an Air France Constellation struck the mountain on the night of 1–2 September 1953.
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