Tuesday 17 November 2009

Cabane du col de rose circuit

The snow from last week has all but melted now. Even up at 1600m little is left. But there is talk of another spell of winter weather next week, as some Atlantic lows are forming and have started their steady but sure march in our direction. This week may be our last opportunity to get up into the hills in our running gear, so today we stayed relatively local and did the 20 minute drive up towards the Etang de Lhers and set off up the zig-zag track which leads up to the cabane du col de roseIt's a pretty area and the circuit I had in mind was approx 11kms, taking us up to the cabane then down to a path which contours the hillside below Pic de Fontanette...leading to the Port de Lhers from where an indistinct footpath down the valley would take us back to the car. It was 22 degrees C when we left the car with a warm but gusty wind blowing from the south. Small drifts of snow were all that remained of the snow near the cabaneand the view towards the high mountains showed the extent of the past week's thaw
The last time that we did this circuit we had great difficulty route-finding on the traverse of the hillside, but today we had no such problems and quickly made it to the Port de Lhers where some nice running took us back down the valley in the direction of the carIt was a really enjoyable walk/run in a beautiful spot. Hopefully we will manage another outing before the winter reappears.

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