Cousson, Free flight site and mountain summit in Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, France

Cousson is a 1516-meter mountain in the Alps of Haute-Provence situated between the valleys of Bléone and Asse. The location offers sweeping views across the surrounding mountain landscape and the town of Digne-les-Bains below.

The chapel Saint-Michel de Cousson stands at the foot of the mountain's secondary summit, not on the main peak. From the 11th century it was a dependency of the abbey of Saint-Victor in Marseille, and it still hosts a pilgrimage on Whit Monday.

The chapel of Saint-Michel de Cousson stands at the foot of the mountain's secondary summit, not on the main peak. It has been a dependency of the abbey of Saint-Victor de Marseille since the 11th century, and a pilgrimage is held there each Whit Monday.

The climb from the village of Entrages takes roughly four to five hours and passes through pine and beech forests that change with the mountain elevation. Visitors should wear sturdy shoes and carry sufficient water, particularly during the warmer months.

The Trou Farnès, or Cousson cave, opens on a flank of the mountain and holds rock paintings from different periods. It also shelters cave-dwelling fauna studied by the French entomologist Paul-Marie de Peyerimhoff de Fontenelle.