Cime de la Palu: 'Vertical Kilometre'

Peaks: Cime de la Palu (2132m/6995ft)
Area: Maritime Alps, France
Route/Time: KmV 'Race'/53:31
This was a perfect opportunity to stretch my legs after the rigours of the last two days: a chance to run unencumbered in the gentle 2200m hills above St Martin in contrast to my more usual mountaineering trips up the higher peaks in these parts. After the luxury of a family room at the Gite in St Grat, we had one more trip from Boreon to the Cougourde hut, which necessitated a visit to St Martin Vesubie, my favourite Alpine town. I haven't been here for two years, and was delighted to find that - as luck would have it - the local council has developed a series of trail runs around the green hills that surround the town. As soon as I saw the 'Vertical Kilometre' outing, it became an unavoidable challenge and I changed into my running kit immediately. Kate and the children went to a cafe while I jogged up Rue Docteur Cagnoli to the start of the route. I'd never seen anything quite like it: an accurately measured and marked out route, with each 100m of ascent signposted, up to the 1000m finish just below the summit of Cime de la Palu - a 2200m peak that towers above St Martin. I set out at around 4.5mins per 100m pace, and managed to maintain this up to a more runnable section as I emerged from the treeline at the 700m mark. Breaking the hour seemed like an obvious target but I had three disadvantages. First, no caffeine. Second, some fatigue after the last two days. Third, midday heat. I treated it as valuable training, though, and really enjoyed the effort - which is obviously quite an intense session with an average gradient of 27% over 4.5km or so. The 1000m mark arrives abruptly, sadly just below the true summit of Palu, and I stopped my watch comfortably below the hour on 53:31. Above this, gentle zigzags lead to a broad col below Tete du Marre, the next peak on the ridge, and I jogged over to the summit to enjoy excellent views up the Cougourde valley, our next destination. The eponymous peak is a magnificent pyramid of rock from this point and I began to think that it would make a nice trip from the hut if I could find the time. The Prefouns and Agnel peaks (2008) also impressed, as did the area I'd visited in 2010 around Lac d'Allos further north. The run back down to St Martin, in warm sunshine, was a delight. More by accident than design, I took a different route down from ? which extended the fun, and we had a picnic of local ham sandwiches and myrtille tart under the trees before driving to the Vacherie du Boreon for the walk-in to the Cougourde Hut. This walk was far more popular with the family than the more demanding outing to the Nice hut. I had deliberately chosen the Cougourde hut because of the scenic contrast: whereas the Nice hut is surrounded by dramatic and stark peaks, the Cougourde hut is situated in a truly beautiful Alpine meadow with a pastoral feel - small copses, boulders and babbling streams - with the amazing Caires du Cougourde towering above. One of my favourite spots in the range, and although I've had a meal here before, I'd never stayed. We passed a relaxing and enjoyable evening in the hut, watching the mist gradually envelop the Cougourde and other peaks.