Canigou

The Canigou () or Pic du Canigou is the highest of the mountains in Eastern Pyrenees; it is on the Massif du Canigou, in the department of Pyrénées-Orientales, southern France.

Because it has sharp sides and is close to the Mediterranean Sea coast, until the 18th century the Canigou was believed to be the highest mountain in the Pyrenees. On 21 July 2019, Abdullahi Abbas was officially the first Nigerian who succeeded climbing to the top of the Canigou.Pablo Bucheli, together with his sherpa Abigail White, was the first Ecuadorian on the top of the mountain.

Geography
Canigou is in the Regional Natural Park of the Catalan Pyrenees (; , often shortened as Parc del Pirineu Català), close to the eastern border of the park.

The Canigou peak is  high. It is on a short mountain range, the Massif du Canigou, which is the eastern end of the Pyrenees. The mountain is the 395th highest mountain in France.

History
The first writings where the mountain is mentioned date from 949 with Montis Canigonis and Monte Canigone in Latin. The first written name of the mountain in Catalan (Canigó) dates back to 1300, and from this comes Canigou in French.

The first ascent to Canigou was in 1285 by Peter III of Aragon, King of Aragon. This fact is mentioned in a chronicle written by Fra Salimbene, an Italian monk. It seems that the king did not go to the top of the peak.

Climate
Although the dominant climate is largely Mediterranean at its base, the Canigou has several climate zones:
 Mediterranean climate: from the base to ;
 Mountain climate: from ;
 Subalpine climate: from ;
 Alpine climate: from  to the top.

Although variable from one year to the next, snow is generally continuous over , from mid-November to late May. The mean temperature in July is  and in January is .

Canigou Flame
This mountain is a symbol for Catalan people. On its top there is a cross that is often decorated with the Catalan flag.

Every year on 23 June, the night before St. John's day (nit de Sant Joan), there is a ceremony called Flama del Canigó (Canigou Flame), where a fire is lit at the mountaintop. People spend the night there and take torches lit on that fire in a spectacular torch relay to light bonfires somewhere else. Some estimates conclude that about 30,000 bonfires are lit in this way all over Catalonia on that night.

Massif du Canigou
The Massif du Canigou is a mountain range in the Pyrenees in the French department of Pyrénées-Orientales. It is the part of the Pyrenees nearest to the Mediterranean Sea.

There are two old monasteries at the foot of the mountain, Martin-du-Canigou and Saint-Michel-de-Cuxa.

On 16 July 2012, the Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy of France named the Massif du Canigou as a Grand Site of France.

The main peaks of this mountain range are:
 Canigou peak (Pic du Canigou, 2,784 m), the highest peak of all
 Puig des Tres Vents (2,731 m)
 Roc Nègre (2,714 m)
 Barbet peak (Pic Barbet, 2,712 m)
 Puig Sec (2,665 m)

References

Other websites

Championnat du Canigó - to the summit of Canigou and back from Vernet-les-Bains
The Cady Valley - Walks to the summit of Canigou (PDF)
 Canigo.cat  All information about the Canigou massif: nature, culture and itineraries
  Le Pic du Canigou - Altituderando

Pyrenees
Mountains of France
Pyrénées-Orientales