Chamonix balcony hike - GR Tour du Mont Blanc
Hiking the balcony route north above the Chamonix valley, facing Mont Blanc. The route varies between about 1950 m. and 2050 m. with noticeable changes in elevation along the way. Starting from the rock desolation of the ski routes around the upper terminal of the Planpraz télécabine, which goes on up to the rocky bergerie of le Brévent (2525 m.). Hiking first on 4WD service roads but then crossing rocky middle mountain terrain. It’s a section of the GR Tour du Mont Blanc but lacks the usual GR trail markers.
The second half of the route was a path through pine forest and over screes including a ladder route up a rocky chimney. This was challenging, not helped by heavy hiking traffic on a small trail, many with inconsiderate hiking manners, ie Me-First.
But beautiful middle-mountain woodland with views to the glaciers and summits opposite of the Mont Blanc Massif. And giddying direct views to the River Arve in the valley almost a kilometre vertically below.
Return to the Chamonix valley by the La Flegère télécabine as a weather front pulled in.
le Brévent (2525 m.)
Climber making progress on a granite face, high up on Le Brévent (2525 m.), across the valley from Mont Blanc (4808 m.) and more than a kilometre vertically above Chamonix. Views from the cable-car of le Brévent télépherique, itself a major engineering marvel.
Club Piaggio Savoie rally
Scooter life. Fun! Colourful scooters and motorbikes of the Savoie group of Club Piaggio out on a rally run. Old, classic and new, some four-stroke but many still leaving the nostalgic smell and smoke of two-stroke oil. We saw them setting off after lunch at Faverges, not far from Annecy.
Carro
A small beach on the Mediterranean on the Côte Bleue, west of Marseille. Multi-coloured box beach flats, wild birds and a sandy beach.
Brighton West Pier
Brighton’s derelict West Pier this weekend. Opened in 1866 and much photographed ever since. The West Pier was gutted by fire many years ago.
Water in Wasdale - Lake District National Park
Pictures of Wast Water and Nether Beck waterfalls in Wasdale in the Western Lake District.
Solway Coast sunshine
Riding the North Cumbria coast; warm summer sunshine on a route that I often enjoy riding my Ninja Z250SL in the winter when the coast is warmer than around the Cumbrian Fells. Clear views of Dumfries and Galloway in Scotland over the Solway Firth.
Yew hedge - Keswick
Cumbrian Mist
Now the weather is back to the Cumbrian Cloud Forest climate and the heatwave is a distant nightmare, I set about tackling a Yew hedge that must be at least as old as the house. A previous gardener trained the young tree to be a hedge, like laying a thorn hedge around a field. Subsequent gardeners have let it sprawl, almost to the point of collapse.
Bassenthwaite Lake tour - Lake District National Park
Ouse Bridge, River Derwent
Underskiddaw
Riding a circuit of Bassenthwaite Lake on my Rockhopper mountain bike: Underskiddaw, Dodd Wood, Ouse Bridge, Wythop Wood, Thornthwaite and Braithwaite. No big climbs, mostly quiet roads, bit of gravel path but unfortunately a couple of stretches with fast traffic. Good use of the wide spread of gears on the Expert version of the Rockhopper hardtail bike.
More photos: Bassenthwaite Lake tour - Lake District National Park
Scottish Borders raid ride
Hartside - Hadrian’s Wall - Carter Bar - Cheviot Hills - Kielder Forest
Raid ride from the Lake District to Northumberland then the Scottish Borders, a sort of Reivers raid in reverse. Up the twisty road to Hartside Summit (575 m.) with photos taken for me by an electric company linesman up a pole while he was waiting for other work to complete. He rides a KTM 990. Fantastic views of my Ninja Z250SL and the Eden Valley beyond.
On to Alston, coffee stop at Haltwhistle; next Hadrian’s Wall and the Scottish Border at Carter Bar (418 m.). Refuelling at Jedburgh then the ride down through Kielder Forest and calling in at the grim fortress of Hermitage Castle before a tea-time stop for a luscious chocolate cake at Newcastleton, still in Scotland.
Going to the Galibier (2642 m.)
Dawn as I gear up to ride north from Marseille
The great pleasure of riding to the Alps of Upper Provence for a few days on my CBR600RR and meeting with my riding mate from Annecy, riding his GSX750. We rode together many of the Alpine cols around and up to the great Col du Galibier (2642 m.) between Savoie and Provence.
Quatuor pour la fin du Temp - Festival Messiaen
Quatuor pour la fin du Temp, Olivier Messiaen - Église de La Grave, Festival Messiaen 2026
An extraordinary concert, marked by the extreme commitment of both the musicians and the audience, resulting in an exceptional partnership for the performance. La Grave isn’t easy to get to so everyone had made effort to be at the concert.
A sunny day in Borrowdale - Lake District National Park
Stonethwaite
Taking advantage of a rare sunny day in Borrowdale and Langstrath for a hike up and down the valley, following the Langstrath Beck. The Cumbria Way long distance path was busy with day and overnight hikers. Blackmoss Pot was busy too with people enjoying the cool water plunge.
My watch thermometer indicated 30.5°C in the shade around 2pm. Borrowdale and in particular Seatoller are known for the high annual rainfall so a sunny day in Borrowdale is a precious thing to be enjoyed.
More photos: A sunny day in Borrowdale - Lake District National Park
