Esterel tops

Revisiting old favourite runs this week, all of them pre-breakfast to avoid the ferocious heat that was building (particularly towards the end of the week). On Tuesday, I did my favourite Perthus loop but with a longer twist, first taking in the Piste de Castelli, a 2.5km perfect track that ends on the tarmac near the maison forestiere. From here, the usual Perthus loop is joined (16k in total, so a fair bit longer than the usual route). This morning, after a bad night's sleep, I parked below Pic du Cap Roux and jogged along the road to the Baisse du Sangliers and then the direct path up Pic de l'Ours. I remember doing this in stifling afternoon heat one year, but this wasn't much better, like breathing in hot tar. The path takes a direct line but I then missed the continuation at the road hairpin, taking the tarmac instead: this was really annoying. The true summit is crowned by a giant rocket, and is inaccessible, but I've been here before and enjoyed the descent. From the baisse, I took in Pic d'Aurelle, one of the best views of all, poised directly above the Med and nicely rocky. Later in the week, I ran up Colle d'Allons, the wooded hills opposite the site, and also jogged up Pic du Cap Roux, one of my favourites, from the Plateau d'Antheor. I didn't do Vinaigre from the site, but I did run up the Cabre valley to its terminus, then up to Malavallettes and back via Col Noir, which is almost as long and probably works better as a run.