It can be quite difficult to tell the terrain from a small scale road map. So it was that an intended small milestone on the way to the main goal in fact became the story of the day.
The western edge of the Vercors is pierced with gorges. Combe Laval is one where the road skirts the upper perimeter rather than following the river. To reach this height the route zig tags up through the trees where oak and hornbeam eventually give way to pine and box.
We made several stops along the way being tired from the previous day but we reached the col and followed the road along the gorge with spectacular views. The road itself was quite breath-taking as it clung to the side if the cliffs at times overhanging with little tunnels cut into the rock.
There were house martens nesting on the cliffs and what may have been a pallid swift(?).
The climb was 7km and the descent back down to the heat of the plains required a jacket as we dropped through the shade.
Local ravioles filled with ricotta and spinach washed down with a Cotes du Rhone rounded off a great day. As they say "when in Rhone ...".
So, what's the excuse when you're in Builth ?! Was the box topiaried ? Apus pallidus diff to tell from Apus apus according to books and suppose they could be flying together in that area ?
ReplyDeleteThink, the plant which looks like rosaceae family, is poss sibbaldia Sibbaldia procumbens. Very nice, not seen before. The pink from previous days, may be large pink Dianthus superbus. Ditto.
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