Tête de l'Homme

Tête de l'Homme is a mountain summit in the Cottian Alps standing at about 3,200 meters (10,500 feet) and marking the border between France and Italy. The terrain is steep and rocky, with exposed stone faces and alpine meadows that vary with the season.

The peak served as an important landmark for Alpine traders crossing between French and Italian territories for centuries. This geographic marker helped establish trade routes that connected communities on both sides of the mountains.

The name 'Head of Man' reflects a traditional practice of naming Alpine summits after human body parts, a custom common throughout this mountain range. This naming tradition helps walkers and climbers remember and identify peaks more easily.

Reaching this summit requires mountaineering skills and proper equipment, as climbing routes are technical and exposed. The best climbing season runs from June through September when snow coverage is minimal and weather conditions are most stable.

The rock formations at this summit display clear layering patterns that reveal millions of years of Alpine mountain building and tectonic movement. These geological layers tell the story of how collision between continental plates created this dramatic landscape.