Calanques

 I was in the Calanques yesterday: a small range of limestone inlets between Marseille and Cassis. Jagged and stunning. It's the first day of reconnaissance for a self-guided walking tour that Walk Inn will have on its website within the next few weeks.

One of the paths I took, which looks worse than it actually is: up the natural limestone steps. I guess you could call this an easy scramble...

The first Calanque reached: En Vau





 



The Port-Miou Calanque, closest to Cassis, lined with boats

 



Arriving by foot in the centre of Cassis. It's quite a beautiful port town: a small pictureque harbour, quiet cafés and restaurants, and just a handful of narrow cobbled streets in the centre:

At dusk just before leaving.

"Recyclage"

Every sixth year professional mountain guides need to revalidate their diplomas -- a three day session of first aid, rope work, and everything legal and administrative relating to the profession...

I chose a workshop in Chamonix, along with 24 other peers. In the photo below we visited the mountain rescue team of Chamonix, the revered PGHM squad. These are the guys you don't want to have to call when out with a group...

Chamonix sits in a deeply encased valley just below the 4808m summit of Mont Blanc, pictured below.

Using three backpacks, two walking poles, and one jacket to make a makeshift gurney...

After a lesson about hypothermia...

Some rope-work...

The streets of Chamonix by night, completely deserted during this in-between season, after the summer hiking and before the winter skiing. On one evening I went to see a movie and was the only one in the theater...

Mont Blanc at dusk...

Looking through my photo archives I found some pictures from my initial training, which began in 2004. The coursework begins by a fairly selective entrance exam, involving a strenuous hike, obstacles course, orienteering race, and then an interview. The picture below was taken just after my entrance exam in 2004... Had I taken just 90 seconds longer for the orienteering race I would of had to return the following year...

The coursework takes about two years of intermittent workshops and other practical (and wtitten) components, and then a final exam before getting your national diploma.

The picture below was taken after a winter's orienteering race. It had snowed all night, and trying to descend a steep valley to reach my first marker I got stuck in the snow for quite some time...

Snowshoeing on the freshly fallen snow...

My pal Gustav adding a bit of laughter to a fairly gruelling winter session:

A beautiful winter's scene:

Building an igloo with Audric, one of my classmates:

The most imposing part of our workshop was a two-day trek...

...complete with an overnight in a snowcave we built. It was -20°C outside but inside the cave the temperature always remains at 0°C...

The following morning at sunrise...

With my colleagues at the end of the trek:

brothers climb Ventoux

 What better way to end my brother's visit to Provence than to climb Mont Ventoux by bike? We begin in the village of Sault, some 1200m in altitude below the summit.

The first 20km are relatively easy, first through the lavender fields and then up through the quiet beech forests...

The views get better and better as we climb:

The last 6km are the toughest, with the summit now in sight but seemingly never getting closer. The clear Provençal skies are always a deep blue above the summit, and the conditions are perfect today for the ascent: crisp autumn air and barely any wind:

Michael and I at the top:

Enjoying a break at the summit:

After dozens of ascensions of Mont Ventoux (mostly by foot but 7 by bike), this is the very first time for me that the Mediterranean Sea is in clear view to the south...

...while the Alps -- as usual this time of year -- offer their majestic panorama to the north:

But what better sight than a plate full of fries at the Chalet Reynard?

Nearing the bottom of the descent, with Michael in the lavender fields:

The village of Sault highlighted by the evening sun:

Sunset over the Rhône Valley:

The Dentelles de Montmirail at dusk:

Next time we climb up from Bedoin my brother...

A bike ride with Michael

When Peregrine meets Flight Centre

 As they say in the industry jargon, it's a "familiarization" trip: when those who are selling the holiday get to experience it themselves. And so that's what brought 11 Aussies (actually it's 10 Aussies and one Kiwi) to Provence, to take part in our Hidden Villages of Provence trip.

Below the towering Papal Palace in Avignon reaches up towards the clear blue skies on our first day together: the only day of mild weather we'd have all week...

Enjoying a glass of Vacqueyras from left to right are Sarah, Natalie, Patrick, Anna, Michelle, Lauren, Mark, Chantel, Bianca, Kim, and Zoe... All are representatives from Flight Centre except Anna (from Peregrine) and Chantel (representing Korean Air).

The skies above the village of Lacoste look ominous as we begin our first walk. Perhaps the ghost of the Marquis de Sade (his castle ruins atop the village) is haunting us?

Michelle admires the market produce in the village of Bonnieux as we begin our walk:

Our picnic lunch is taken in a borie: a centuries-old dry-stone shelter in a farmer's field. It's raining outside but we're nice and cozy with our baguette sandwiches...

...and our tartes aux citron:

Later during the walk we find shelter in a Romanesque chapel before putting on the ponchos and heading back into the driving rains. We'd finish the walk soaked to the bone, with the sun coming out just as we arrived at our hotel...

Natalie concentrates while throwing her boule in a tight game of pétanque later that afternoon:

At our place of stay, the 17th century Auberge des Seguins:

Our second day of walking takes us high above the Auberge, and while the rains stopped the winds were strong...

Nearing the crest of the Luberon mountains the views become far-reaching, with the perched village of Lacoste in the background:

Reaching the rounded summit on the crest of the Luberon, some 500m in altitude above the Auberge:

Kim relaxing atop the thyme-laden hills:

Our next day would prove a little out of the ordinary. It's October 28th and the very first day on record that it has snowed this time of year. It hardly snows at all in Provence, let alone in the fall. And so with temperatures of 2°C and with gusts of wind over 100km/h we set off for our walk:

Snow is a bit of a novelty for Australians...

We begin our walk in the tiny village of Le Crestet, its Roman-tiled roofs spinkled with a thin layer of snow. Apparently it had snowed about 7cm overnight, most of which had melted by the time we arrived...

Braving the conditions we take an easy, winding track down to the town of...

...Vaison la Romaine, its medieval town hovering above the Ouvèze river.

The town seen from my bedroom at the Burrhus hotel at dusk, with the castle ruins overlooking the medieval town:

The following day's walk begins in the village of Séguret, listed among the most beautiful villages in France:

The air is crisp this morning through the vines, heading to the wine-making village of Gigondas:

Before our picnic lunch in the vines, Lauren finds a 1/2 Franc from 1976. Her new lucky coin...

After lunch we're led through a wine-tasting at Château Redortier. Bianca seems to enjoy the red...

...while Zoe enjoys the views from outside the estate (Zoe enjoyed the wines too...)...

In Vaison La Romaine on Tuesday morning, taking part in its fabulous market, which fills the entire town centre:

Lauren trying to pass incognito at the market:

For our last walk together we're taken to the higher slopes of Mont Ventoux, from where the clear skies give us great views of the Alps:

...and where a mammoth snowball fight begins!

sorry Anna...

And this is what you get for guiding the group all week: a shower of snowballs...

Patrick getting in touch with his inner child...  

Michelle enjoying the beautiful vistas and fresh air neat the summit of Mont Ventoux:

Anna leading the group up a snow-laden path

Mark contemplating the awe-inspiring rockslide:

...and Natalie walking across it:

...while Bianca offers everyone in the group a congratulatory macaron:  

Thanks everyone for a memorable week, even though you made fun of my "abouts" (do I really have a Canadian accent?) ...
I hope you take home fun and positive memories of Provence despite the weather, and please do send more people this way... and their friends...