A summer's evening in Badby

Not a "normal" route, but I was out in the village one evening, the light was brilliant, I had a camera, so I took a photo of the entrance to the woods.

Poppies and the Gatehouse - Badby Woods, Northamptonshire

Link to Badby leaflet and village walk:
Village History and Walk Leaflet

MARE E MONTE - NORTH - CORSICA 2011

Excellent website with many links to relevant blogs, photo galleries and websites: http://corsica.forhikers.com/mare-monti-nord  

(Note - we finished the route at Porto)

After a day exploring the beautiful coastal town of Calvi 

Calvi - harbour and Citadel

we transferred to Calenzana to begin the trek. The first day’s walk was to Bonifatu - a distance of 14km, 800m of ascent and 540m of descent - the climb out of Calenzana gave us fantastic views of Calvi and the plains surrounding it -

climbing from Calenzana

- as well as our first introduction to maquis - very scratchy if wearing shorts! Some of the route was through the Foret du Sambuca, crossing the lovely river Figarelle and its' many rocky pools, then a climb up to the Bocca Rezza and on to the night’s Gite.  In the afternoon some of us took the opportunity to go on a walk in the woods - offering us excellent views of snow capped Monte Cinto (Corsica's highest peak at 2706m), as we climbed out of them.

Views of Monte Cinto 2706m

Day Two took us 18km to Tuarelli, with 1100m of ascent and 1400m of descent - several long climbs through the Foret du Bonifatu to Bocca bi l'Erbeghiolo (1200m) and Bocca de Bonassa (1153m) and its' superb views.

Bocca de Bonassa 1153m

The day ended at Gite Tuarelli - not quite what we had expected in that we had our meal on the terrace and were frozen to death as night came!  Nevertheless a superb spot.

The third day to Galeria was of similar length to the precious day - 13.5km - with 500m of ascent and 600m of descent - the first part of the trek followed the beautiful river Fango with its' many deep and clear rocky pools -

River Fango

and onto the small fishing village of Galeria, anticipating the next two days, which are, in my opinion, easily the best of the trip.

Day Four is therefore from Galeria to Girolata - about 13km and involving 900m of ascent and 900m of descent.  The route from the village takes you amongst really beautiful chestnut and oak forests, climbing steadily upwards - with constant views back towards the Gulfe de Galeria -

Gulfe de Galeria

- eventually reaching the plateau in glorious weather, fantastic views in every direction and time for lunch.

Galeria to Girolata - Plateau and views

Views of Gulfe de Galeria

Wandering down through ancient oak trees (see picture below) the Gulf de Girolata came into view and the start of a long but wonderful descent into this magical village - only accessible on foot or by boat.  Although busy with day visitors when we arrived, by about 5pm we were virtually alone -time to relax and have a cool beer (or two). A beachfront restaurant and rather quaint wooden huts for bedrooms (though they did the job perfectly)

descending to Girolata

Girolata

Next morning the route was from Girolata to Curzu - as we later found out, in many books, the official route misses a lot of this day out in a shorter and far easier variant. This was quite a tough and long day in the heat - however, it was a fantastic walk which I really enjoyed and I would recommend that you do it if you feel up to it.  Keep your wits about you - some of the path is overgrown and route markers sometimes difficult to locate.  It is an 18km walk with a stiff 1300m ascent and 1200m descent. The morning starts with a pretty relentless climb from sea level to 900m but what a fantastic walk - with constant views back to the Gulfe de Girolata, over to the next headland at Cap Senino and across to the Gulfe de Porto.  There are also stunning view to the east of many Corsican mountains.

Views to the East

Capu |Cadamalzi 698m

The climb from Girolata - stunning views back to the Gulfe de Girolata

Then a long descent (for some time it seems as though you are heading down to the coast again) to Curzo.

Descending to Curzu

Our final day was a short 8km to Serriera - arriving mid morning in the village. Although a very different day scenically it had its compensations especially the gite d'etape in Serriera - a conveted mill - full of character, friendly owners and superb Corsican food (brilliant breakfast too).  I walked to Porto in the afternoon and enjoyed exploring this scenic port. 
The final days of the route we didn't have time for, look good on the map and if you have the time, I would certainly recommend doing them.

For more pictures, click on the following link:
Mare e Monte Nord Album

Alta Via  2  - Gran Paradiso, Italy

We walked the AV2 (140K) in superb weather conditions – it was sunny every day – a feat unlikely to be repeated for a long time! All that rain gear we carried really was unnecessary! The main hazard was dust kicked up from the trails and the resulting sore throat and runny eyes.
This area is definitely my favourite part of the alps – as one of the oldest protected parts of the alps and with high deep valleys unsuitable for major ski development, the Gran Paradiso is unspoilt and relatively quiet – even in the busiest summer holiday periods.
Our main guide was Gillian Price’s guide – Gran Paradiso – published by Cicerone, and this, (as with all of Gillian’s books), is highly recommended. An excellent guide can also be downloaded free from the internet by following this link:

http://notes2.regione.vda.it/dbweb/uit/contatti.nsf/D8ED464095AD775BC12571DC005E88BA/$File/altevie6.pdf?OpenElement

Our route was:
• Chardonney to Rifugio Dondena – a straightforward and short acclimatization day of about 3 hours.
• Rifugio Dondena to Rifugio Peradza. For most of this day the trail unfortunately is followed by electricity pylons, but a mixture of sun and rolling mist gave a slightly surreal atmosphere to the walk – especially around Rifugio Miserin and Lago Miserin.
• Rifugio Peradza to Cogne (we couldn’t find anywhere suitable here so we walked on to Cretaz. A highlight here was walking into Lillaz towards the end of the day and seeing our first sight of Monte Bianco at the end of the valley. From here onwards the beauty of this trip is that you constantly see both it and the Gran Paradiso from various vantages
• Here we took a day out – laughingly called a “rest day” when we walked up Punta Pousset – the so called “Gornergrat” of Cogne – with a very hefty 1600m ascent – it was a very hot day but the views compensated for the effort involved. A lovely ascent – with a very entertaining final summit climb to negotiate.
• Next day we moved from Lillaz to Rifugio Vittorio Sella and from there on to Eaux Rousses.
• Here we took a three day detour, leaving the official AV2 – to do this catch the bus to Pont, then walk to Rifugio Benevolo via Pian del Nivolet and Col Rosset. On the second day walk to Rifugio Bezzi via Col Bassac Dere. On the third day walk to Rifugio Chalet de l’Epee rejoining the official route. This detour, for me, was the highlight of the trip – since it takes you into the higher mountains and a world of snow and ice in the upper parts of the Valsavarenche,Val di Rhemes and Valgrisenche. Highly recommended.

Gran Paradiso

• The next day is a quiet 4 hour trek to Planaval and a stay at the only accommodation there – the Hotel Paramount – friendly enough, but memorable for the flies! (situated as it is, amongst vast herds of cattle).
• A lovely day followed from Planaval to La Thuile across a long ascent by a meandering stream to Haut Pas with great views back over the Valle d’Aosta and Gran Paradiso – then to Rifugio Deffeyes and then a long descent alongside a fantastic cascade – this section proved to be quite busy but deservedly so.
• The following day involved, it has to be said, a very tedious and seemingly never ending trek in searing heat along the Vallone di Chavannes to the Col de Chavannes. However, the misery was all made worth it on arrival at the col because from here there is a truly breathtaking view of the whole of the Mont Blanc massif.

• We spent some time here just taking in the views and watching paragliders on the summit –
• For a film of what it must be like see this clip:
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kC1NNyb6K04&feature=fvw
- then down to Rifugio Elisabetta Soldini. For me, this was the best location we stayed in – situated as it is at the foot of the spectacular Lex Blanche glacier.
• The final day of the AV2 takes you down into Cormayeur – although mostly downhill – the day was not without its moments – the morning was calm and we had some stunning shots of the peaks reflected in the lakes in the valley.

Morning Reflections

At the end of the trek we had several days left in Cormayeur and we filled this with three walks – all of which I’d highly recommend. A good tip is to avoid staying in expensive Cormayeur – we stayed in Dolonne, a charming village just over the river, about 5 minutes walk from the centre of Cormayeur at the excellent Hotel Ottoz.
One day we caught the bus the Arnex and walked to the Grand Col Ferret and then the Tete de Ferret (this was the only day when it looked as though it might rain………. it didn’t!).
A two day trek – the Val Ferret circuit – saw up catch a bus to Planpincieux and walk to Rifugio Bonatti (3 hours) – after an overnight stop we then went via the Pas Entre Deux Sauts, Cos Cepin, Rifugio Bertone (lunch) and down into Cormayeur – 7 hours. This great walk gives superb panoramic views of the Mont Blanc Massif throughout – the other highlight was seeing a family group of Chamois high up on a rocky ledge. The Bonatti hut received top marks from the group for food and comfort!
Our final day walk was a classic – Mont Chetif (2343m) from Cormayeur – a great rocky route with a superb view over the town, the tunnel, MonteBianco and Val Ferret – back via Notre Dame De La Garrison (6 hours) – highly recommended if you are there and have just a spare day to fill.

To view all my photographs of this trip, click on the link below:   


                 https://plus.google.com/u/0/?tab=mX#photos/117937698555759210767/albums/5678259601343908081                                                                                       

December in Badby Northamptonshire

December in Badby Northamptonshire, originally uploaded by matthew.nobles.

Took the dog through the woods this morning and into Fawsley Park - it was gloomy when I set out, but I decided to take my camera with me. As I reached the church in the village, things were starting to clear and the morning really developed into something special - perfect for photography - crystal clear air and the brief snow of the previous night which has stuck to the branches of the trees was picked out perfectly in the blue sky. Follow this link to see the photos:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/matt-in-the-mountains/sets/72157622925695517/

GR221 - The Drystone Route, Mallorca

GR221 OFFICIAL SITE
ROUTE GUIDE (In German)

A week on The Lycian Way

Just back from a week in Turkey and a wonderful opportunity to enjoy a few days of summer - long before it arrives in the UK (if it arrives at all!)

Six days of beautiful coast and mountain walking were arranged for us by Jon and Sue at The Ottoman Palace Hotel in Adrasan. Their organisation made it possible to cover a lot of ground during the week with the luxury of returning to their hotel each evening. It's a great place to stay (not just for walking) and I'd recommend it to anyone!
http://www.jonnyturk.com/Welcome.htm?gclid=CKqEndiq-JkCFQVaFQodIGc4FA
I guess one of the most fascinating elements to the trip for me was the contrast between 21st century life and how things used to be - this is really evident in this part of Turkey. Arriving in Antalya you are in a gleaming metropolis of high rise flats and hotels as far as the eye can see, yet a short drive away you will see a way of life that is pretty much unchanged - like the women we came across in a Yayla washing clothes on flat stones, or mules carrying supplies. My highlights of the trip:

Favourite walks:

• The mountain day - Beyick to Yayla Kuzdere

• Olympos to Adrasan (particularly the beautiful woods carpeted in pink flowers)

• Gelidonya Lighthouse (for it's stunning coastal views)

Best memories:

• The smell of orange blossom - everywhere!

• the beautiful cedar trees at Tahtali Dag

• tortoises

• meadows full of wild flowers

You can view a selection of my photos by clicking on the link below:


http://www.flickr.com/photos/matt-in-the-mountains/sets/72157616951513144/


Please leave some comments here as it would be great to know what your highlights were!