Mount Chenaillet(France, Hautes Alpes, Dauphiné),
2634 meters high, is a mountain in the shape of Trinacria (equilateral triangle). From its top branch out three tiny rocky spurs, the Replatte of the the northern, the western one that is directed towards the position of Gondrans and finally the east, looking toward the boundary line in the direction of Mount Gimont and Green Hill.
Its position is dominant on the Central Hills and is a wonderful observation deck on the italian-french border.
The trail coming from France is a wonderful historical geological path, illustrative boards explain step by step the ancestral origin of the various layers of the mountain.
In June 1940, Chenaillet was one of the protagonists of "Battle of the Alps", short and bloody war between Fascist Italy and republican France. The Chenaillet was the most forward position of the French defensive line to the Col du Montgenèvre. In the bowels of the rock had been taken two long tunnels that led to two casemates for guns, outdoors there were several locations for open space mortars and machine guns, across the top was surrounded by a thick barbed-wire fence.
The primary purpose of a location so close to the boundary line was to act as an observatory for the French artillery. Not even an inch of ground could escape to the attentive observation of French Chasserus des Alpes.
On 23 June 1940, two companies of infantry division: "Assietta", conquered the summit of Chenaillet with cold steel, capturing the small French garrison. It was one of the few successes of the war of aggression against France, commissioned by Mussolini.

Aerial Views.

In Winter.

Mount Chenaillet seen from the Green Hill(Italy).

Map.

Red Tape

None.
Both in French-Italy you can't run on the path with your jeep, only feet, mountain bikes or horses.

Getting there.

From France:
Starting from the town of Briançon (cité Vauban), you take the N94 road, direction Hill of Montgenevre, once you arrive in the town of Montgenevre, leave the car in front of the Telecebine :"Chalmettes" (open also in Summer). From here start the path direction :" The Gondrans". After two hours and a half feet you arrive at the Créte du Gondrans (ancient French fortified site). Several signs will lead you on the geological trail which leads to the summit of Mount Chenaillet (about an hour and a half).

From Italy:
Take the A32 autorute from Turin (Turin-Bardonecchia), exit Oulx direction Claviere-Hill of Montgenévre. Once you arrive in Claviere, you can take the dirt road with your jeep, direction La Coche, Valley of Gimont (since one hour by car). You have to leave your car at the Mountais of the Moon and follow the path in direction Peak Saurel-Colletto Verde (since two hours and a half).
You will have all the way to your right the beautiful valley of Gimont, which is part of the winter ski resort of the "Milky Way" (Via Lattea). Once you reach the green hill, opens a beautiful plateau in the center of which is Mount Chenaillet; with an hour and a half when you reach the top through a sinuous path.

The Path.

The path that I recommend is from Italy. The ideal is to climb the slope facing east (border) and go down the slope to the west (Replatte des Gondrans). The path steph from Italy is more challenging, the landscape that surrounds you is amazing. At the height of the Green Hill you could admire the "Cushions Rock", is all that remains of an ancient undersea volcanic eruption. A path extremely suggestive is the Couloir of North-East, where it climbed the Italian infantry in June 1940. It is a steep scree and insidious, and to think that they have gone up there, under a murderous fire of cannon, mortars and machine guns, leaves a lot to think about.
The area is very wide and all to visit, I recommend you set up a camp on Mount Chenaillet. There is absolute lack of clean water, then the stock should be plentiful!
On the top you can find a lot of objects that are witnesses of the hard life of the French Chasseurs Alpins, they are there abandoned from more than seventy years.
Be very careful when you drive along the mountain, there are still many signs of the battle of the past. Unexploded artillery shells jump out almost everywhere.
The weather changes very quickly on the Col du Montgenèvre, better check the weather for at least a week.
The most reliable are:
MeteoFrance (Montgenevre).
Nimbus (Claviere).

A panoramic terrace.

The French-Italian border seen from the top of Mount Chanillet

The Hill of Montgenévre seen from the top of Mount Chenaillet

Gallery of the Past.

Images