One For The Road

Happy Days in the Maritime Alps - here's a pic that missed the cut a few days ago.

Note that I've now replaced the original image with a better version taken with a proper camera!

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A Stroll from Tende to La Brigue

6km, 400 metres ascent, 3 hours, lots of flowers.

Waking to another bright sunny morning (once the shutters had been opened) we enjoyed a leisurely start on our last day in these hills for the time being.

Our host, Julie, took today's photo outside the gite when we were packed up and ready to leave. You may see (if you can spot it) that Sue has succeeded in preventing further damage to her neck by carrying just a light bum bag. Her neck has survived the trip, even if I did find it a little difficult to keep up at times.

Today's relatively low level stroll was taken very slowly as it was hot, and there were lots of flowers to photograph, starting with masses of Melampyrum nemorosum (a kind of Cow Wheat) and moving on to Red Lily and an assortment of stonecrops, including banks of White Stonecrop.

The path started up from Tende's shady campsite, heading through trees towards Col de Boseila, before which it emerged onto an open belvedere with airy drops and fine views back to Tende and south towards the coast.

At the col we admired Julie's friendly and very placid horses before strolling down the path for a welcome beer in La Brigue, a much smaller and less vibrant place than Tende.

It didn't take long to visit most of the village's attractions, after which we wandered down to the station to catch the Italian train to Ventimiglia. This connected with a French train that in the company of Chris from WA (Western Australia - hi Chris) brought us here to Menton, and a comfortable room with a bath (these things can be important) at the Hotel Moderne.

Menton yields happy memories as it was from here that we started our 'Italian Border Route' trip some three years ago.

Sue has been for a swim in the Med, our dirty clothes are now clean and dry, and we are looking forward to a nice meal in the old town of Menton before returning home in the morning.

So, that's it from the Maritime Alps for the time being. It's a wonderful area, great to visit, and you may be 'quite rare' if you are English. James and Helen are the only English we have encountered since the train to Breil.

We hope to encounter SAHH tomorrow....

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A Day in Tende

After nine consecutive days of exercise we've taken a day off.

We waved goodbye to James and Helen, who are off to walk the 'Mont Bégo Loop' over the next couple of days*, and then settled into a couple of chairs outside Hotel du Centre and proceeded to fill ourselves with coffee and Danish pastries whilst enjoying the progress of the Fête, to and fro along the main street of Tende. A jazz band, muletiers, various carriages, dancers, and much more, all conducting a full tour of the town before congregating outside the town hall.

We chose the best possible day for our wind down here.

Then we embarked on a tour of the town that I may describe in fully illustrated detail when we get home. Today's picture is of the Collegiale, a church passed on our tour.

A visit to a bar, then to the fine museum of rock engravings, brought us all the way to 5pm, entry time for the gite d'étape, where we could use the kitchen for a most welcome brew, enjoyed from outside the gite with the fine view of Tende from an earlier posting laid out before us in the soft evening light, and the familiar whistles and acrobatics of the resident swifts to keep us entertained.

*J + H enjoyed walk number 22 from Palanfré after leaving us. They even saw a Man Orchid. Hope they have a photo...

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Saturday 9 July 2011 - A Walk from Refuge des Merveilles

16km, 600 metres ascent, 7.7 hours.

Today we completed the 'Mont Bégo Loop', all the way back to Casterino by 3.45, in plenty of time for the 4.30 bus to Tende.

We slept surprisingly well in the huge dormitory at Merveilles, perhaps because it was well ventilated.

Breakfast was sparse but well organised. "Terrible" commented the organiser of Gilles's trip, on the content of his repast. Plenty of bread, and a decent sized bowl of coffee, but just one little cube of butter and a single mini-carton of jam.

But the setting beside Lac Long Superiore on this brilliantly sunny morning was wonderful. Everyone seemed cheerful as they set off, mostly in large groups, some with guides.

The path led past numerous information boards for the Copper and early Bronze Age rock engravings that date back 5000 years. We lingered to admire the engravings and catch up with our diaries after the turmoil of last night's socialising! Marmots and wheatears monitored us closely.

In rock dominated scenery strewn with small lakes, the path led through fields of spring and trumpet gentians, bright blue amongst the multi-coloured pansies.

Finally, we exited the zone that is protected as a National Monument, and after chatting to a warden who was guarding the engravings I was allowed to reinstate my walking poles for the steep ascent to Baisse de Valmasque, 2549 metres. This was the highest we got today. It has commanding views back along our morning's route, and onwards to Lac du Basto and the ring of jagged peaks beyond.

From here, the ascent of Mont Bégo looks an easy undertaking. I think Susan went up from here. There are apparently great views towards the Mediterranean, especially early in the morning. Perhaps a bivouac near the summit would yield a huge dividend.

Sadly, plan C's time constraints didn't permit us the indulgence of that ascent, and after lingering on the sunny col we descended regretfully towards Refuge de Valmasque, stopping for lunch above Lac Vert (pictured, with the Refuge in the background just above the lake).

Of the three lakes, Basto, Noir and Vert, two were very scenic despite their conspicuous dams, but Noir, the central one, looked rather sad in its half full state.

We called in at the Refuge for refreshments. You are correct, Susan, in conjecting that Plan D could have involved staying there. We didn't enquire, but judging by the number of people we saw today, it may well have been fully booked.

Turning to Alan's comment about this area's perceived likeness to the Picos de Europa in Spain...
Well, it's hotter here, less temperate (ie drier), more Alpine, with perhaps a wider range of flora and fauna, higher mountains, more mountain huts, fewer canals, more towns, better constructed paths, etc, etc. So, I wouldn't really say there's much of a likeness, except that both areas sport wonderful mountain scenery.
Congrats on booking a trip to NZ, Alan, we are sure you'll enjoy that one.

The route back to Casterino from the Refuge started along a narrow and twisting rocky path, eventually passing below some fine waterfalls before ambling along a steadily improving jeep track to join a metalled road for the final thirty minutes of this fine two-day excursion.

We lazed in the sun at Casterino before cruising down the hairpins back to Tende to a frantic Tour de France commentary blaring from the radio of the battered bus. It occurred to us that Casterino would be a fine finishing point for a stage of that race.

Back in Tende, who did we find already installed in Hotel du Centre? James and Helen - no doubt as a result of the recommendation in Gillian's book. (You should get a commission, Gillian!) Thanks to Gillian's efforts on our behalf - Plan C - we were also booked into an excellent double room for €45 for the two of us. Thanks again, G.

We think it may have been one of the last rooms in Tende as this weekend the town celebrates the Fête de Saint Éloi.

So after a welcome shower we adjourned to La Margueria for a leisurely salad and pizza (we arrived early, it would be wise to reserve a table if dining after 7.15), during which the festivities of the Fête slowly began to wind up, with the main action commencing shortly before 10pm.

Crowds gathered in front of the flag bedecked Town Hall. As darkness fell and the birds came in to roost, folk dancers accompanied by a squeeze box (JJ would have been in his element) started the fun. A fire was lit under a pine tree erected for the occasion, and bangers attached to the trunk exploded when the flames reached them.

The crowd was large, but we were tired so went to bed, missing an unexpected firework display that according to Helen was excellent. The explosions were still echoing around the hills as we drifted off to sleep.

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Friday 8 July 2011 - A Walk to Refuge des Merveilles

12km, 1300 metres ascent, 6.25 hours.

Having shed James and Helen from the reconstituted 'famous five' yesterday, we shed Susan this morning, as she has to catch a flight from Nice to JFK tomorrow morning. We did enjoy your company, Susan, and your less expected company, James and Helen - we hope to see you again at cider pressing time.

Despite her living in Glastonbury, Connecticut, we anticipate more adventures with well-travelled Susan a bit sooner than some may expect.

Anyway, on another fine, sunny morning we said our goodbyes and jumped on the big old bus that now plies the 20km or so route between Tende and Castérino. A bargain for €1, but a challenge for the driver who has to manoeuvre the old vehicle around countless hairpin bends.

Our first objective in Castérino was to book accommodation for tomorrow night; our second was to relax with a coffee. We achieved the latter, but the village is full tomorrow - not a single bed remains. Plan B was implemented - go to Tende tomorrow and try to find somewhere. Only when a vague sort of 'phone signal appeared several hours later did we realise that Plan C could be an option.

Meanwhile, we set off on Gillian's walk number 2, the Mont Bégo Loop. Up a pleasant jeep track through pine woods where nutcrackers were in evidence. The otherwise deserted track was luxuriously lined with a plethora of flowers - martagan lilies with huge blooms, our first sightings of black vanilla and burnt orchids, cow wheat and large clumps of globeflower and marsh marigolds, to name but a few of the countless species on offer.

Refuge de Fontanalba provided welcome refreshments. It was otherwise deserted.

A short way further along the track, we branched to the right towards the site of ancient rock engravings. A guard (warden?) was in situ to check that our walking poles were stashed and would not be adding to the ancient markings, some of which are apparently reproductions, the originals having been taken for display in the museum at Tende.

We spent the best part of two hours wandering around this 'Fontanalba Rock Engraving Circuit' (walk no 1 in Gillian's book). We found it interesting, but just a little over-hyped. The section known as 'La Voie Sacrée' was shut, apparently for health and safety reasons due to some of the slippery stones having themselves slipped. Pathetic!

There were a few people around, including three Germans seen at Rif Soria-Ellena.

A 'phone signal appeared. I had a brainwave. Plan C for tomorrow night was hatched. The role of a guide book writer can be tough at times. This time Gillian far exceeded her duties and within a few minutes we were booked into a hotel in Tende. Thank you, Gillian.

Moral: pre-book your weekend accommodation in this area, even out of the main season.

Our afternoon stroll to Refuge des Merveilles was undertaken on virtually deserted, but delightful, paths, so it was a bit of a shock to find hordes of people outside the refuge. We knew the score, as this refuge has an internet booking system requiring a €10 deposit, and we obtained - a couple of weeks ago - two of the last places for tonight. It takes 79 people, and was full. Still a shock to find so many people after encountering so few all day.

We finished up on a table with lots of 'hut to hut' walking enthusiasts, including Gilles Clement from Paris, with five friends, on an annual pilgrimage. It was great to meet you Gilles, and your friends, and thank you for being so gracious about our failings in relation to the French language. Your English is excellent.

Back to our route - we encountered our first edelweiss on Baisse de Vallauretta, where I no doubt had Gillian puzzled by mis-naming it. Descending to Vallon de la Minière, we encountered chamois, and a group heading up to wild camp, with a pony carrying their tents and other gear.

It was perfect walking weather. Sunny but not too hot, with a cooling breeze. This enabled us to speed up to the refuge with 15 minutes to spare - we had been told that our places would only be reserved until 5pm! I don't think we'd have been turned away though. We then had to wait outside in the sunshine until 6pm, when we were shown to our beds in the huge dormitory. Meanwhile we could purchase a litre of hot water for €1, and I finally found the teaspoon that I'd packed to accompany the mugs, tea and dried milk.

One of the hut guardians spoke very good English - Kevin, who told us his father was English, one Steve Peacock, said as if we should know him...

The evening passed quickly in the company of our new found friends, and the four course meal was very good considering that nearly 80 people were being served in one sitting by a handful of staff.

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Tende

We are back in France.

Here's the view from the balcony of our private room in Tende's gite d'étape.

Yesterday afternoon Dario's taxi efficiently deposited James and Helen near their lodgings in Entracque, and took us on to the station at Borge San Dalmazzo. An hour's journey from there saw us arrive here in plenty of time to wash all our trek soiled items before heading off for some fine dining (it was Susan's last night with us, but no excuse was really required) at La Margueria.

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Thursday 7 July 2011 - An Alpi Marittime Trek, Day 6, Rifugio Pagari (2650m) to San Giacomo (1210m)

11km, 250m ascent, 5.4 hours.

Trek Totals - 80km (50 miles), 6000 metres ascent, 40 hours including breaks.

Last night we enjoyed our best meal yet, at the hands of Maria of Pagari. Antipasta > lasagne al forno > polenta with vegetables, carrots and mushrooms, all with exotic flavouring > crostata della casa. Delicious. Vegetarian.

Yesterday's posting was written before dinner, after which despite the apparent presence of a phone signal from time to time, it took until we reached the village of Entracque this afternoon before it finally 'sent' and we received comments from the last day or two. We hope we didn't worry Gillian into thinking we may have come to grief on the high route to Pagari! The guardian there tells us that some years the high route is not possible at all without ice axe and crampons, but in other years the snow may be safe for ordinary pedestrians by mid July. Just now conditions are dangerous, with a layer of hard ice underneath steep soft snow on a 500 metre section of the crossing. Perhaps a rope would also be handy.

Thank you as always for your comments...

Alan, you are so kind! EasyJet to Nice beckons for you and Sheila; we are sure you'd enjoy it here. The opportunities for wild camping are exceptional as well.

Nick, we have Yaktrax Pro footwear. As you surmise, they are good for icy pavements, but also can be kept in a day sack for steep snow and other conditions where more grip is desirable but full mountaineering kit isn't needed. It's important that you test them in order to know their limits. I did that in the Lakes and on Ben Lomond last year and found them to be grippier than expected, but no use on steep ice.
How are you getting on BTW?

Nightbird, I feel ashamed to have distracted you from important work, and also to have found a temporary replacement for you in the 'Famous Five' team. You'll be pleased to hear that the finely tuned restructured team has now been disbanded, but we do hope to have a reunion. Neither Susan nor Helen could match your 'Nightbird' performance, though their ability to cope with steep snow slopes was ... well ... better?
There will of course be a slide show.

We enjoyed muesli for breakfast! If they can do that at the highest rifugio, why not at all of them?
So we set out well fortified on stage 2 of Gillian's walk number 19, the descent to San Giacomo via Lago Bianco del Gelàs.

It started as a sporty route along a narrow rocky path interspersed with steep snow traverses (pictured). Luckily the snow wasn't hard enough to create any particular dramas. The most difficult section was a short traverse across a collapsed gully. After that, a minor route finding dilemma was resolved by following the marked path to Bivacco Moncalieri, as far as Lago Bianco del Gelàs. Here, a family group of ibex watched as we investigated the memorial to a man killed in 1971 whilst working on the construction of a rifugio here.

All that remains of the structure is its concrete base and a few piles of rubble.

But Rif Pagari is about to be extended.

The long descent to San Giacomo was steep but delightful, with 'new' flowers to record and a plethora of butterflies to enjoy. We also saw a ptarmigan and a black grouse, and heard a chiffchaff.

There was nobody else on this route, and little sign of anyone else having been there this season.

The weather teased us by producing a short shower out of nowhere shortly before we reached San Giacomo and the end of this excellent trek, but by the time we reached the café there, we were able to sit outside to enjoy our celebratory platters of meats and cheeses, etc.

Delicious!

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Wednesday 6 July 2011 - An Alpi Marittime Trek, Day 5, Rifugio Soria-Ellena (1840m) to Rifugio Pagari (2650m) via San Giacomo (1210m)

18km, 1500m ascent, 7.3 hours.

Yesterday's picture, if it wasn't obvious, was taken whilst we were enjoying a pot of tea outside Rifugio Soria-Ellena shortly after arriving last night.

From the window of our private room (still only €37 for half board) the morning sky was deep blue in hue. Marmots were whistling (perhaps Clever was out chasing them) and birds were chatting - there are small red breasted birds here, linnets I think.

It was with regret that we turned down the valley when we set off at 8.40, but with ice axe and crampons still being needed for the high route to Pagari, we knew it would be crazy to try with just walking poles and Yaktrax.

So we pottered down the stony 4WD track to San Giacomo. The flora was again superb, and now at the end of the day there is much discussion as to what we have seen. One definite ID is Spiked Bellflower, seen above under the spell of Sue's camera.

There were numerous people coming up the path towards Rifugio Soria-Ellena, which must do a good elevenses and lunchtime trade.

Shortly before reaching the beech woods that herald the arrival of San Giacomo, we came upon a vehicle containing a tank full of large trout. These were transferred into buckets and released into the river by the fisheries team. We weren't sure whether this re-stocking was for fishing purposes or for breeding, or both.

San Giacomo sports an excellent café that provided coffees, packed lunches and the booking of a taxi for when we return tomorrow.

The five hour, 1500 metre ascent to Rifugio Pagari could have been quite a slog. It wasn't. A most pleasant ascent in the company of myriads of butterflies, including the apollo, small blue, large blue, swallowtail, black-veined white, fritillary, small tortoiseshell, ringlet, comma, large copper, skipper, orange tip, painted lady, brown argus, brimstone, cleopatra, small fritillary, plus several unidentified. Thanks go to James for identifying most of these, and to Sue for capturing images of some of them. Butterfly afficionados may spot some rarities here.

Amongst all this butterfly spotting we couldn't help but be distracted by herds of chamois and ibex, the latter being particularly curious as to our passing, especially two young males who broke off their juvenile sparring to come and investigate.

Sadly, whilst the flowers are too numerous to record here, our bird count reflects the historic oppression of many species hereabouts. We've seen dippers and a heron, and there are plenty of redstarts and wheatears, but not much else other than the occasional alpine choughs and a bearded vulture. Absent from this list are the raven, ptarmigan, black grouse, peregrine, snow finches, and no doubt many more unprotected species.

After a couple of generous breaks, we arrived at Pagari at 4pm, taking just five hours for the well graded ascent. It's a small, friendly establishment. Already installed were two Germans who busily tested a litre of wine, and ten French walkers from Arle who were testing the beer. Our own testing has now started, after the ritual of afternoon tea on arrival at our resting place for day. The rifugio only has capacity for 24, so it's pretty full tonight.

We are high up here (2650 metres) and despite the afternoon cloud (mountain weather) we have great views of nearby peaks and of distant Alpine ranges to our north.

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Tuesday 5 July 2011 - An Alpi Marittime Trek, Day 4, Rifugio Remondino (2430m) to Rifugio Soria-Ellena (1840m)

13km, 1000m ascent, 8.4 hours. (All timings on this trip include stops. Gillian Price's book provides accurate walking times.)

Another fabulous mountain day.

The 'variable' weather forecast for today proved inaccurate. The weather was perfect for this mountain traverse of two halves.

The first half, to Rifugio Genova, was rough and tough, the second half, after an excellent lunch of pasta/polenta, was over a scenic pass involving well graded paths and lots of flora and fauna.

We set off as a 'famous five' at 8.30 after a good breakfast, and headed along the thin and rocky path towards Colle del Brocan (2892m). Soon the rocks mutated into snowfields and eventually Yaktrax crampons were donned by the three of us who had them. J and H managed easily without such aids, and the three German lads who followed us up were probably ok, though (as expected) we didn't see them again. However, a slip on this steep snow could have serious consequences, so those without previous Alpine experience, or dubious about their ability in such conditions, may be wise to leave the Colle del Brocan until the snow has melted - a bit later in the summer.

The effort was rewarded with great views over the Alps and towards the Mediterranean.

The 900 metre descent to Rif Genova was steep and rough, with some steep snow slopes to test Sue's glissading skills. The rest of us slithered along behind, eventually catching up when she stopped to record the passing of yet another wild flower.

Lunch at Rif Genova was a complete contrast to yesterday's dismal experience. Cheerful staff chatted about routes and served up our pasta and polenta with speedy efficiency. We lazed there in the sun for a good hour.

In contrast to this morning's route, the easy path up to Colle di Fenestrelle (2463m) seemed positively decadent, as we wound slowly up to the pass. Chamois and ibex were abundant here, and a lammergeier flew overhead, sending the local choughs into a frenzy.

There had been over 30 people at Rif L Bianco, over 20 at Questa, and 17 at Remondino. But there are just 8 of us here tonight, which means that we received a friendly welcome from the staff here, who remain unchanged from our visit three years ago, and another very good meal. Sadly Matilda the fox has not survived the winter, but Rifugio Soria-Ellena has gained 'Clever' the dog, and has a friendly ibex - perhaps a brother of 'Ronaldo', the ibex of Rif Questa.

Gillian, thank you for your comments, we are glad that you and Nick enjoyed the 'book posting'. No doubt other readers of these pages are too busy reading your book to find time to comment! (Ha ha! Actually they are probably on holiday themselves, not interested in leaving the shores of the UK, or simply bored with these ramblings...)

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Monday 4 July 2011 - An Alpi Marittime Trek, Day 3, Rifugio Questa (2388m) to Rifugio Remondino (2430m)

13km, 1000m ascent, 6.6 hours.

Cloudier today, but fine with sunny intervals until 3pm. At least yesterday's sunburn didn't get any worse.

Breakfast was better at Questa, with plenty of bread and plenty of coffee. Just as well, as although Ennio said we would be able to get lunch at Rif Regina Elena, his optimism was misguided and he could have sold us packed lunches.

It turns out that Sue and I have met Ennio before. He worked at the visitor centre in Terme di Valdieri in 2008 and kindly put on for our benefit an English language version of a film about the reintroduction of ibex to this area. He also helped with accommodation suggestions and with the identification of a lammergeier that we had seen (we had thought it was an eagle).

An 8.45 departure saw us strolling in a minor procession along more of the magnificently constructed King's hunting paths. Imagine 5 metre high dry stone walls laid horizontally through boulder fields. Roger, who spends a lot of time dry stone walling, would be impressed - these 'paths' even have kerbs! We could just imagine the king in his chariot rumbling along them some 150 years ago in his misguided quest to hunt the ibex to extinction.

Sue and Susan are pictured today, at around 2400 metres, near Lago inferiore di Fremamorta, on a section of the hunting path.

We got ahead of most of the Germans (described jokingly by Ennio in more racist terms that I hesitate to repeat here - they are all very nice), leaving two of them to attempt an obscure route to Remondino (they failed to turn up).

Meanwhile, James and Helen headed down for lunch, and the three of us visited first a memorial cross (by mistake) and then the red metal hut of Bivacco Guiglia. We wanted to show Susan that such a place could be home to nine visitors. We succeeded - there was sufficient to confirm that three people could enjoy a comfy night here - but there are basic provisions, cups, blankets, beds, etc, sufficient for nine.

The descent to Rif Regina Elena was steep at times, but not unpleasant. James and Helen were sitting disconsolately outside. We had all omitted to read page 147 of Gillian's excellent guide book. Despite Ennio's assurance, no food or drink was available as we hadn't given them 'at least one day's warning'. We enjoyed the rest of our reserve supplies, James's errant jelly was repatriated and eaten, and water was the food of life. The Rifugio could have taken at least €50 off us, but preferred to continue with a family party. Fair enough!

The 600+ metre ascent to Rifugio Remondino should take two hours based on Gillian's accurate estimate. But the sky had darkened; spots of rain caused us to hasten our pace. I led the intrepid quintet across a river - a risky leap instead of a bridge lower down. Nobody complained! A steady pace enabled us to knock 20 minutes off Gillian's estimate. The raindrops increased. J and H stopped to don waterproofs. I stopped a little higher when the rain turned to serious hail. I then discovered that waterproofs were not needed. I had inadvertently paused under an overhang. In a brief pause before the storm set in, we all managed to reach the Rifugio, fairly dry, at 3.20.

It's an excellent spot with good food and wine. And a hot shower that worked intermittently for some of us as the power went on and off in the storm. €5 for a shower, so the three of us shared it - quite interesting in a small dark room with intermittent power...

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Just for you, Gillian

Your book is very popular in these parts, Gillian.

Other readers of this posting should take note and order their copies before it goes out of print.

The maps may not be available from Stanfords, but can be obtained from The Map Shop (Upton-upon-Severn), and they are readily available locally.

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Sunday 3 July 2011 - An Alpi Marittime Trek, Day 2, Rifugio Livio Bianco (1910m) to Rifugio Questa (2388m)

15km, 1200m ascent, 7.8 hours.

A fantastic mountain day, the memory of which will stay with me for ever.

I have to be reasonably brief as Rif Questa is a most sociable place and it would be out of order to spend the evening writing the blog. I haven't seen any comments as reception today was virtually non-existent.

Breakfast was sparse, but the sun was shining so we were all happy.

The three of us got off at about 8.30, giving James and Helen a 20 minute lead, which they maintained all day.

A few others were seen on the way up to Lago soprano della Valletta, but none appeared to follow us to Colle della Valletta, where we were greeted by a fantastic array of peaks (pictured), with Monte Viso prominent in the middle distance.

We also enjoyed cloud inversions a plenty today. Lots of photos were taken - enough in one day for an entire slideshow.

The Colletto Est della Paur tried to live up to its name ('fear inducing'), but our Yaktrax crampons made the ascent of the steep snow slope very easy. We could, like James and Helen, have managed without them, but hey, we'd brought them with us so we used them.

After a steep but uneventful descent we glissaded (collecting James's jelly on the way) down to a small lake for lunch. Sue waded out to an iceberg and gave it a good trampling. It nearly sunk!

Well graded former hunting tracks (the Kings of Savoy hunted ibex to near extinction hereabouts) then took us all the way to Rifugio Questa, a small, basic refuge manned by Ennio and Temba. A ten year old stambecco (ibex) resides outside, and a redstart is nesting in the wall of our loft.

On the way here we saw more ibex and chamois at close quarters, together with wonderful displays of wild flowers.

Sue, Susan and James (still in remission from dropping parts of his lunch down a mountain) braved the cold shower, which is housed outside in a tin shack.

Dinner was an excellent hearty mountain soup featuring beans, chickpeas, rice, etc, followed by mashed potato and beef, then chocolate mousse.

There seem to be more than the stated capacity of 20 here, including an Italian couple we saw early this morning. They must have taken 11-12 hours over our 8 hour route. They looked exhausted, and were further dismayed when presented with an 8 foot ladder from which to enter their sleeping quarters from the main room of the quaint Rifugio. Everyone seems to be housed in a loft of some sort.

Earlier, James had commented that the timings in Gillian's book seem generous! Sometimes timings estimates can be a thankless task!

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Saturday 2 July 2011 - An Alpi Marittime Trek, Day 1, Sant' Anna di Valdieri (1000m) to Rifugio Livio Bianco (1910m)

9km, 1000m ascent, 4.5 hours.

After a good breakfast at the excellent Albergo Nazionale recommended in Gillian's book, we pottered off to the cash machine (the next five nights will be cash only at mountain huts), and then to the station for the 9.47 train to Borgo S. Dalmazzo, a 15 minute journey down the valley towards Cuneo.

Sadly, the sky was overcast, with slight moisture in the air, but still t-shirt weather down at 850 metres.

At Borgo, after admiring a rally of classic Citroën cars, a call to a local taxi firm advertised outside the station bore fruit, and a few minutes and €30 later we were happily ensconced in a café at Sant' Anna, watching a loudly hooting wedding cortège pass by.

"You must use the path that goes up by the cemetery and contours back above the village" said the friendly lady who served us in the café. We had plenty of time, so we took her advice.

After a 'start of trek' photo we set off past the church towards the cemetery, then up to the ruined village of Bartola, finally abandoned by its last occupant in the 1960s. Various information boards related the history and other information about the area. Terraced fields had reverted to flower meadows after their previous use for crops and medicinal herbs had come to an end.

From a balcony at 1200 metres, with fine views both up and down the Valle di Gesso, we gently descended 100 metres to the main path from Sant' Anna, where we joined the route described in Gillian's book. Not that a description was required for the straightforward walk up the valley to this Rifugio. First through shady woodland, then up an open valley on a well graded path, one of the paved royal hunting tracks constructed at King Emanuele's behest in the 1860s.

There were plenty of people about on this cloudy Saturday, including a large group of families with children who as I write are livening the Rifugio, albeit deafening the other occupants.

There were also lots of animals about, with brave marmots posing dutifully beside the track, chamois prancing daintily on the snow slopes opposite, and ibex obliviously going about their business in steep rocky gullies.
Alpine flowers of many varieties adorned the hillsides and filled the meadows as we ascended today - wonderful.

We've not had any rain, but here at the Rifugio, pictured above, we are about the height of the cloud base. It is definitely best to be inside; beers on the terrace will have to wait. "A litre of boiling water, please", was our first request. We have no stove on this trip (in deference to my role as packhorse - Sue is in 'bum bag mode') but we do have mugs, tea bags and milk, as well as Austrian Alpine Club membership which gives discounts in certain mountain huts.

We are in a dormitory for 12, in the roof, so it promises to be a hot night.

Dinner was in two sittings. Luckily we were allocated to the first, at 7 o'clock. It would have been tedious to have to wait until 8.30. We were accompanied at our table for five by '2 Germans', who turned out to be James and Helen from the Hereford area, with whom we spent a very pleasant evening, with pasta > meat and mash > cheese/cake, all with red wine.

We are, of course, thanks to our AAC membership, '3 Austrians'.

Amazing, isn't it: Germans and Austrians speak such good English these days that Italians (and the guardians here speak quite good English themselves) cannot identify us as being English!

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Vernante (2)

Jamie, there are lots of places we haven't been! Scandinavia, for example... (You'll have to come on one of our walks to claim your prize.)

Jenny, we do remember that night fondly, and it's true that Notchy and I got less inebriated than the rest of you. ...I didn't have my dancing shoes then!

This year we stayed in the posh hotel opposite the currently shut 'Touring' where we laid our heads two years ago. It was excellent, but we did miss out on the delights of La Diligenza as (like many of Limone's restaurants) it wasn't open. The holiday season hasn't yet started. We did however find very good value food at Pizzeria La Crubarsela.

Today has been another lovely day, with less afternoon cloud than yesterday. Sue and I enjoyed a 5.5 hour, 11km stroll with about 1000 metres ascent, by way of a warm up. We had left a large bag at Albergo Nazionale in Vernante, so my load was lighter than it will be for the next few days.

We started out at 10.30 on a route under a bridge and up past a mediaeval tower to the east of the town, soon leaving the tarmac and progressing to dirt track and then a mountain path through beech woods. These provided good shade but didn't stop us from dripping in the heat.

Paths thick with leaf litter led eventually to a small col where we turned left down an indistinct contouring path. After a while we found ourselves drifting gently down through the woods to a point about 150 metres below where we should have been.

There was only one thing to do. Regaining that 150 metres was a bit of a thrutch up the leafy slopes of the beech wood, but it was hardly a jungle. We were however surprised to emerge onto the crest of the hill by a signpost. We must have been just to the north west of Rocco Baila, as surmised in the previous posting.

We rewarded ourselves with a long lunch blessed with formidable views from this final outpost of the Ligurian Alps, to the Maritime Alps across the valley. It was perfectly quiet here, apart from the call of a cuckoo, other random chirpings, and the occasional rumble of a train in the valley some 800 metres below us.

Dragonflies flitted around us, whilst a bird of prey floated on the air currents high above us. Just for fun, or marking its territory?

A right turn took us slightly to the east of the crest and to a fine viewpoint that looks across to Bec Rosso and a line of high mountains to the east, with Cuneo and the plains that lead shortly to Turin to the north east.

Heading along the crest of the ridge on a path not revealed by our 1:25,000 map No 2, we made it to Passo Ceresole at 1620 metres. Hereabouts were the unmistakable rootings of wild boar hunting for truffles. On the way we had passed lovely wild flower meadows flaunting orchids, lilies, broomrapes, houseleeks and many other striking plants, and the pleasant aroma of thyme accompanied us as our boots smothered the small plants.

A steep descent from the col led to a contouring path and the welcome shade of the trees in the beech woods.

There were several more open sections where the views could be admired, before the dense cover that marks the domain of mushroom hunters in these 'private
woods'.

A visit to the mediaeval tower concluded our little jaunt at around 4pm. Despite our proximity to Cuneo and Turin, we had seen just two people low down on the walk, which had proved to be an excellent choice for the day.

Reunited with Susan, who in turn had been reunited with her jacket, we booked into the hotel and then pottered around Vernante, where hundreds of paintings on the walls of the houses depict the story of Pinnochio.

'Half Board' was a good choice tonight. Lots of tasty morsels have contrived to bloat us into submission!

Tomorrow we plan to start a six day 'hut to hut' trek in the Maritime Alps, based on walk 12 in Gillian Price's excellent book 'Walks and Treks in the Maritime Alps', published by Cicerone. Thanks for your advice and encouragement, Gillian.

There may be some transmission delays as we'll be in a relatively remote mountain area.
Should be fun though...

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Vernante (1)

Here's Sue, at lunch time, looking down towards Vernante from near Rocca Baila at around 1500 metres, with the Maritime Alps sheathed in a haze in the distance.

Susan has popped back to Tende to recover a misplaced jacket, so it's just as well that we chose the 8 minute train journey to Vernante today, rather than the longer trip around to Terme di Valdieri. Besides, Vernante is a lovely place to stay.

Comments: I'll now be replying to comments on this trip by way of the following posting rather than by further comments, as signing on in Google etc is just too much of a faff. In that context, thank you Gillian for your good wishes - Sue now wishes she had read your book more carefully before we set off (re transport, accommodation, etc) - we are already having a little adventure by way of an experimental route - as you may gather from the guess at our location (more of that later).

Alan, you are absolutely correct, the message to those having problems viewing this blog should be "please update your browser to the latest version - eg Internet Explorer 8 or 9, or Firefox 4 or 5 - and that should solve your problem - a Google search 'how to update browser' will no doubt reveal how to do it if it isn't already obvious".

Now then, let's get back to that wonderful view towards the high mountains that are our destination on this trip!

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Limone

Here is Limone's main square, where we are savouring the delights of this pleasant Italian town a couple of hours north of Nice.

It has been a lovely day, but the mountain weather has temporarily darkened the skies.

Thanks go to Mike for getting Sue and me to Liverpool by 5.30 this morning, following which we enjoyed an 'easy' journey all the way to our apartment for the night at the Grand Palais Excelsior Hotel here in Limone.

By coincidence, as our train passed through Tende, Susan hopped onto it, having already been here for a few days. So our planned rendezvous in Limone proved pretty straightforward.

The apartment (suite?) is excellent and we are enjoying a welcome beer before popping out to La Diligenza for something more solid.

Another day, another trip. Let the good times roll!

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Out with the Old, In with the New

Do all good things come to an end, or does life simply move on?

Both, I suspect.  My trusty old Crocs were purchased 4½ years ago at Ottawa airport for the purpose of river crossings and evening wear whilst backpacking.  Since then they have been on five TGO Challenges and numerous other backpacking trips and holidays of all descriptions, as well as accompanying me on wet day walks when it has been handy to have spare footwear for the pub.  At 285gm they are really no trouble to carry around.

I’ve also backpacked for around 100 miles in the Crocs, an activity for which they are not ideal, especially when the sole wears down to a smooth piece of plastic (or is it rubber?).  Anyway, they slip easily in the wet, and aren’t all that secure when being used for river crossings.

So, I’ve been keeping my eyes open for a successor to the Crocs, not really expecting to find anything as light as they are.

Then Alan Rayner discovered the Hattori running shoe, from Saucony.  I investigated this minimalist piece of kit and am now the owner of a pair of running shoes that weigh just 245gm, 40gm lighter than my Crocs!

I can run in them!  They have (a bit of) cushioning, and a grippy sole, and they will be great for river crossings, evening wear and for backpacking generally, when the boots become tiresome on hot dry sections.  And I can use them for running – not that I do much of that.

I took this picture earlier and should have taken one of the grippy sole as well.

I’ll have to add the sole picture later, as the shoes are now stuffed deep inside my bag for our next trip, which starts shortly.

Meanwhile, the Crocs are not dead, they are very useful for trips into the back garden, and they do slip on rather more easily than these Hattori shoes…

Finally, I notice from Alan’s blog that Inov-8 have some lightweight shoes – 190gm is quoted – that’s excellent if it’s for a pair, but I suspect it’s per shoe, as in the case of the Hattori’s quoted 125gm.

PS You’ll note that I’ve changed the header, footer and background images to some taken on the TGO Challenge.  Poor Michael now features on the header, at a spot that many Challengers will recognise.  Not so many will be able to identify the Munro from where the footer image was taken, probably because they have never been there.  Even fewer will recognise the Munro from whose trig point the background image was taken, and in truth, it could be anywhere.  It just happens to be Meall Chuaich, early on 20 May, before the snow melted.  I hope that those of you who have your computers set to bring the background image to the foreground on your screens will appreciate my effort to provide you with a clear background/foreground for a few weeks.  If anyone is aware of this problem and knows how to sort it out, I know a couple of readers who would appreciate the sharing of your knowledge!

The Vaude Soft 111 Baby Carrier (Papoose) – A Review

[Note that on 5 September 2012, Webtogs Limited went into liquidation, but its business has legitimately been continued in the name of Dorset Mountain Sports Limited, t/a Webtogs, with whom I have had no contact whatsoever, nor did the liquidator of Webtogs Ltd respond to my enquiry as to whether any members of the public had lost money as a result of the liquidation.]

Webtogs delighted my daughter by sending the Vaude Soft 111, one of their range of Baby Carriers, for me to review.

Here’s what she thinks of it:

“I first took Jake out in the papoose when he was five weeks old.  At this age he was beginning to hold his head up and I was confident that the papoose provided him adequate support.  I tightened the adjustable straps at the top of the outer facing part of the papoose to help support his head.  He seemed comfortable, and must have been as he fell asleep as soon as I started walking.
I had help putting the papoose on the first time I used it, but have subsequently put it on myself without difficulty.  I fasten the strap that goes across my back first (pictured),



then put the papoose on over my head.  With the buckles undone I  hold Jake against the part against my body and then carefully do up each buckle, making sure his hands and feet are not trapped.
My husband helped me to adjust the back strap and the two lower side straps (on either side by my waist) to make the papoose comfortable the first time I used it.  The side straps have stayed in that position and don’t need to be adjusted each time I use it.  I can reach the back strap and pull it to tighten it to myself, which I do when I feel I need to – the strap is shown below, with the buckle obscured by my hair.



I’ve now used the papoose quite a few times whilst taking the dog for a walk as well as Jake.  It makes walking with both Jake and Oscar (the dog) really comfortable and easy to do. (Oscar is usually on a lead!)



To make sure I’m comfortable and safe, I make a conscious effort to walk with a good posture, bend down using my knees, and support the outward facing part of the papoose (where Jake’s back is) with my hand if I have to lean over when I bend down.

So far, I’ve only used the papoose with Jake facing me, and every time he has fallen asleep as I walk.  He always seems comfortable and I can feel his hands, feet and head to check that they are warm enough.  His body stays warm as it is close to mine, so he doesn’t need extra clothes, just a hat if it’s sunny or cold, socks/shoes and gloves if it’s cold, and suncream when sunny.

I intend to use the papoose with Jake facing outwards when he is around three months old and can hold his head up: I don’t think his head would be well enough supported at the moment (he’s now 8 weeks/11½ pounds).

The papoose has been excellent for taking the dog out on terrains that don’t permit a pram (and on terrains that do permit a pram) as it makes holding his lead easy, enabling me to walk comfortably.  There’s even a pocket for Oscar’s biscuits!”



So, that’s Kate’s comprehensive appraisal of the Baby Carrier to date.  She’s delighted with it and sees it as accompanying her for another 6-9 months, after which time a more substantial carrier, such as the Littlelife Cross Country S2 Child Carrier, with space to store clothes etc will probably take its place.  In the meantime I’m sure that when Jake gets a bit bigger, she will try using the carrier on her back – that does not seem appropriate for a very small baby – and will notate this review accordingly.

So, to summarise:

Fit and Finish:

• this is a well made piece of kit, thoughtfully designed
• the baby carrier can be adjusted (within reason) to suit any user

Features:

• baby can face forwards or backwards and be carried on the user’s back or front
• fully adjustable for custom fit
• useful mesh compartment for dog biscuits etc

Weight:

• not an issue for this product

Practical Use:

• ideal for babies up to 9-12 months old

Price:

• £44.99 from Webtogs, whose service is excellent, with free delivery in the UK, and you won’t be charged until the goods are dispatched

Alternatives:

• there may be alternative products around, but Kate has no desire to seek them out; this one is perfect for her present needs.

Conclusion:

• a well constructed carrier for a very young baby, this piece of kit frees mum from the drudge of pushing a pram and sends the baby to sleep instantly.  Brilliant!

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Note: Whilst the gear was provided by Webtogs, this review, over which I have total editorial control, is totally independent of that on-line retailer.
__________________________________________________________

Finally, a view more images, as I was asked to provide ‘lots of cute pictures’.  That isn’t so easy when the baby falls asleep immediately he’s inserted into the baby carrier!

Sunday 26 June 2011 – The Mam Tor Classic Bike Ride

Richard has only recently taken up mountain biking, having volunteered to do the tough ‘gold’ course on the Cairngorm Challenge in September.  It was a pleasure to join him today, on a perfect Peak District morning, for a ride that he found in his book of rides and I found on this excellent website run by Pete Gamble.

We may both have been a bit fuzzy from the previous night’s separate red wine incidents, but we managed to rendezvous and depart from the car park at Castleton by soon after 9.30.  Incidentally, there are numerous free parking opportunities along the route for those who object to shelling out a fiver for the convenience of the car park.

The ride starts with its most boring section, along the tarmac, past the turn to Winnats Pass, which rises steeply past Speedwell Cavern up the valley shown below.

You could choose Winnats as a challenging variation, but it really is much steeper, with more traffic, than the ‘classic’ route we chose to follow, up towards Mam Farm before doubling back above the Blue John Cavern and regaining the road that is open to traffic and heads up to the top of the pass leading to Edale.

It’s good to get this major ascent over with, and the whole route is a delight from hereon in, starting with the lovely path to Hollins Cross, just by way of a warm up for the ‘rough stuff’. 

Although we shouldn’t have ventured onto the footpath, we cycled up the paving to the summit of Mam Tor, where a bystander kindly took the header photo.  Nobody seemed to mind, and we hardly damaged the cobbles as we descended courteously back to the bridleway.

There were lots of mountain bikers about, and Richard’s new bike was a subject of envy.  Mine was also admired, but without envy; at 21 years old it’s maybe the bicycle equivalent of an original Fiat Panda 4WD.

Anyway, from Hollins Cross care was needed for perhaps the most technical section of the entire ride, with one or two bouldery steps to negotiate on our way down to Edale.

Here’s Richard, setting off from Hollins Cross.

The road section from Edale to the turn off to Clough Farm was fast and easy, with little traffic, unlike the narrow nettle lined bridleway up to the farm, down which a succession of mountain bikers roared.

It turned out that the latest Polaris Challenge mountain bike event was being held in the Peak District this weekend, and many riders had chosen to come down this bridleway just as we went up it.  We managed to find a gap in the traffic to slither unimpeded up the narrow muddy sunken lane that comes out at Clough Farm.  Beyond the farm a wide track leads gently upwards before descending steeply to this ford across Jaggers Clough.

We met more Polaris challengers, about half way into today’s allotted 5 hours of mountain bike orienteering, having already done 7 hours yesterday, as we rose steeply up towards Hope Cross.

Instead of going right to the cross, we turned left up a gentle but slightly technical slope, before descending joyfully over rough ground to Woodlands Valley.  I was pleased to be just about able to keep up with Richard on the descents (‘pride before a fall’!), despite my lack of suspension, though he was much quicker on the ascents.

Anyway, we were soon across the A57 and rising steadily past Rowlee Farm to the ridge that separates the two long fingers of Ladybower Reservoir.

Once on the ridge a welcome breather in the sunshine on this beautiful day preceded a much less technical ride along the pleasurable ridge, through buttercup meadows.

Grassy tracks led towards Crook Hill, and we failed to locate the boggy ground mentioned in Richard’s guide book.

Pride comes before a fall.  I proudly shot past Richard on the 30mph descent from Crookhill Farm.  I can’t actually recall having had a ‘proper crash’ on this bike in all its years of ownership, whereas Richard assured me that “I fall off at least once on every outing – you have to challenge the limits”.

You can guess what’s coming.  Richard stayed sedately and securely on his hi-tech stallion all day, and watched as I attempted to brake from 30mph for a right angle bend just above the road beside the reservoir.  It was gravelly.  I did avoid crashing down onto the road, but judging by the expression of the car driver below me it may have been a close thing.  At first I thought I’d just a few nettle stings, but when I noticed blood spurting out of a gash in my knee I decided against just jumping back onto the bike as if nothing had happened.

Anyway, Richard’s first aid kit proved useful.  The hole in the knee was patched up and no lasting damage has been done.

I later discovered that I’d been ‘fingered’ by a local witch who at that very moment was with Sue, saying to her “wouldn’t it be funny if Martin had a crash and couldn’t go on the next trip – I could come with you instead”.  Luckily it was my bionic knee that took the impact, so the witchery failed.  Good try though!

After this incident the rest of the route was uneventful, mainly along minor roads and gentle tracks, passing through the village of Hope, where the annual well dressing was on proud display.

A narrow lane led out of Hope, up the final hill, on which noisy quad bikes tried to scare us.  The views continued to be superb, with Mam Tor, Lose Hill (pictured below) and Win Hill strewn across the skyline to our right.

We got back to Castleton in plenty of time for ice cream in just over 4 hours for the 33-34km ride, with around 800-1100 metres ascent, depending on which gadget you use for measurement.  Garmin says 34km, 820m ascent, whereas Anquet claims 33km and 1120m ascent.

The route plotted on Anquet is shown below.

Here’s the Garmin version:

Thanks, Richard, for an excellent and entertaining (I hope my crash entertained you as much as it did me!) ride, and for the choice of a very good route on which no pushing is required - to me that, together with a high off-road percentage, is a feature of a good route.

There’s a very small slide show with just a few more pictures here.

Wednesday 22 June 2011 – Wheeling and Walking in the Peak District

Today Sue was booked in at a function in Baslow to celebrate the Silver Jubilee of Andrew Montgomerie’s ordainment as a vicar.
I decided to tag along, for a breath of fresh air whilst Sue was busy celebrating with the worthies of Andrew’s congregation.



I managed to find a most enjoyable route, mainly off-road, with no particular difficulties – there’s a link to the route card below.
After the briefest of stretches along the main A619 road, a quiet minor road led up to Pilsley, home of one of numerous ‘Devonshire Arms’ hostelries in these parts, where the Duke of Devonshire – the Cavendish dynasty, has been the principal landowner for hundreds of years.



The scenic ride took me by mistake to Bakewell, then back to Edensor and a lovely off-road section through New Piece and Manners woods to a major junction of paths to the south east of Coombs Farm.
Here’s the view from that junction.



Beyond Coombs Farm, the track passes under a bridge that marks the southern end of the Monsal Trail, six tunnels along which have recently been reopened, making the trail excellent for cyclists as well as walkers.  Previously cyclists had limited access as, with the tunnels blocked for many years, the cyclable sections were linked mainly by footpaths barred to wheels.
My route today didn’t extend as far as the tunnels, but the quiet track made for a very pleasant, relaxing ride after the undulating start from Baslow.



I don’t tend to rush about on the bike.  It gives me a sore bottom.  Tea/coffee shops do a good business – I can’t cycle past them – as happened at Hassop Station cafe – see above.
After leaving the easy trail near Great Longstone, I headed up to Rowland, and on up a narrow lane to an area strewn with these blue signs:



This is obviously one of a number of areas in the Peak District where off-road vehicles have caused damage to ancient artifacts and by-ways.  This particular location is one of many being monitored.
I saw no evidence of off-road vehicles today.  There were plenty of signs indicating where they were and were not allowed to venture.  There seem to be plenty of places where they are tolerated, including some of the better surfaced lanes hereabouts.
Here’s the double dyke that is in need of protection.  Exciting, isn’t it?



Just up the lane, Deep Rake becomes High Rake and the track runs beside this deep quarry.  I suspect that vehicles rather more corrosive than trial bikes and recreational 4WDs may have somewhat damaged the fragile double dyke just here.



Just beyond the quarry, a grassy bridleway leads down Longstone Moor towards a large pond that appears to be a relic of intense mining activity just here.



At another major junction my route led down Rough Side, which is signed clearly as a footpath.  The place was deserted, so I would have cycled anyway, as the surface looked as if it wouldn’t be harmed by my tyres, but another sign, whilst barring anything with an engine, encouraged cyclists and horseriders to be courteous to other users.
The track surface has received recent attention and was excellent to cycle along, eventually turning into a narrow thread of tarmac down Coombs Lane for a quick descent to Calver.



From Calver, another very short section along the main road took me to a gentle climb up the B6001 towards Bakewell, past a lay-by that those wishing to avoid parking charges could use as a base for this route.  A left turn along a narrow lane led to a 30-40 mph sweeping descent back to Baslow.
The route is shown below, and there’s a route card here.  (It prints onto one A4 sheet at 70%.)



Fortified by tea in the church hall, and accompanied by a well fed wife, I stashed the bike and proceeded up the hill towards Baslow Edge, past houses you would love to own.



A few minutes above the village, a shower was swinging in, backed by sunny period.  (Did I mention it was a showery day?)



The Duke of Devonshire’s Chatsworth estate was in clear view to the south.



Just before the delights of Baslow Edge, we reached Wellington's monument, dedicated to the Duke of Wellington and a celebration of his victory at the battle of Waterloo in 1815. It was erected by a local man called Dr Wrench, who as an army man, felt the need to counterbalance the memorial dedicated to Admiral Nelson on nearby Birchen Edge.



Once on the Edge, we passed this huge boulder that I can recall trying to ascend on many previous visits.



There’s a good view from the Edge above Curbar.  In between showers.



Back down in the valley, the River Derwent flows serenely through the village of Curbar.



A pleasant riverside path and a quiet lane led back to Baslow and its noisy weir.



Crossing back over the river by the old toll bridge, we passed a brick booth from which the tolls may have been collected (by midgets?).



It’s thanks to Andrew, the vicar of St Anne’s church in Baslow, that we made this trip, and a very enjoyable day out it was too.



Here’s the route of our walk – 7.5km, 250 metres ascent, taking less than 2 hours.



A slide show for the whole day can be found here, and the route card for the bike ride is here.