Hiking

Port Cros, French Mediterranean island


Port Cros, French Mediterranean island

Port Cros, the French island National Park in the Mediterranean off shore between Toulon and St. Tropez, isn't listed in many hiking guides but it features a huge variety of Mediterranean environments, marine and land, which are relatively unspoiled. Many of the trails are through vegetation tunnels, usefully protecting the hiker from the heat of the sun or the violence of the storms. Individual Mediterranean environments exist to some extent on the mainland but here on Port Cros they are all together.

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My photos of a hike round and up Skiddaw from Keswick

Skiddaw Man, 931 m., is the fourth highest peak in England so any hike up is a reasonable day’s outing. I took one of the quieter routes by starting right down in Keswick. Leaving the B&B on foot, I walked alongside the river Greta at Keswick, 85 m., then took the path along tthe track bed of the abandoned Pernith to Keswick railway through the gorge of the river Greta. The path is crossed by the A66 trunk route, the modern bridge framing the Lakeland fells beyond the wooded riverside and the town of Keswick. I was early enough to see a pair of Osprey riding the breeze and also I heard a cuckoo in the woods.

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Postcard of a hike along the sentier des crêtes to Gilette and then to Boston via the Col de Rostan (645 m.)

A hike high above the valley of the river Var on a cliff footpath to Gilette and on to Bonson via the Col de Rostan (645 m.) as a rest day from the the GLME Camp d'Ascension 2015. These are big hills: I hiked 450 m. altitude up and 450 m. down in about 10km round trip.

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 Latrigg, Keswick, Derwent Water and Arnside estuary in Cumbria, May 2015

Moor gate from forest out to open moorland, gateway to the prettiest views of the Lake District. Leaving London on the early train and enjoying the cooked breakfast delivered to the table at my seat and still included in the ticket price, set me up for a lunchtime walk up Latrigg, a kiddie peak of just 368 m. altitude and prominent in the view from my room in a B&B in Keswick. Squally showers and a strong wind but fine views from Latrigg of the fresh green... due recent and abundant rainfall.

Read more: Init pretty!

My photos of a hike on the Plateau Justin the the Pré-alpes near Die

A hike of many cols and a visit to an aeronautical crash site on the plateau Justin of the Montagne de Beaufayn. First, we enjoyed the view from La Croix Justin, 988 m., overlooking the town of Die on the river Drôme under the southern cliffs of the Vercors massif.

Under cliffs and walking on exposed rocky ledges typical of these limestone mountains, we hiked on to the Pas de Tripet, 1093 m., then Pas de la Dame then the Col de Beaufayn 1099 m., visiting a different aircraft crash site than this week's A320 crash nearby at La Seyne, also in the Pré-alpes. This unfortunate glider failed to over-fly the Col de Beaufayn about twenty years ago. Some twisted metal survives amongst the leaves in the forest; the two pilots did not survive.

Then on to the Pas du Corbeau, Pas de Reynard, Col du Lion, 1001 m. and the Col du Loup, all on the Montagne de Beaufayn. Although the altitudes seem quite similar, our total altitude up was 333 m. plus the same down as it was a cirular walk.

Again lucky with the weather. Die is on the frontier between the northern and Mediterranean systems. It still surprises me just how few birds live or pass through there, not many sparrows or blackbirds at all, although there are a very few large native raptors. A few primroses and wild crocus in flower amongst the autumn leaves now dried by the winter winds. Now past the equinox, as the day lengths increase, the plant life will come on fast, even at altitude.