Montagne de Thiey

Peaks: Montagne de Thiey (1553m)
Area: Siagne-Loup, Provence
I always like to have at least one family day among the limestone 'clues' and hills of Haute Provence. Today, the plan was to traverse Bauroux from Seranon. However, it became clear quite quickly that there were access issues, and we retreated to the Col de Valferriere where we all walked up through the Bois de Cornay to enjoy a wonderful picnic in a quite exceptional location - a beautiful plateau dotted with meadows and copses of pine, with far-reaching views over the limestone hills to the north and east. A tremendous impression of isolation despite proximity to the road. I then drove back towards Grasse, feeling underexercised, and parked at the bottom of the Vallon de Nans, where I was pleased to find a path up the Montagne de Thiey. It was the middle of the day, unfortunately, but not desperately hot (still slightly uncomfortable though). Plenty of shady snack spots for the children, but I didn't have much time, so set off without sac or water. The route was very runnable, luckily, with gentle zigzags leading through the forest to a levelling. Then wide forest roads eventually emerge from the treeline to give a final steeper ascent to gain the summit at the end of a big plateau. Instructive views down over the Pas de la Faye towards Grasse and the coast. Slightly hazy inland, but I could still make out previously climbed peaks around Castellane as well as the Maritime Alps. This outing followed two glorious early-morning loops of my favourite 8 mile Esterel 'Perthus' circuit on the 15th and 17th.