The single-track road up the valley of Mardale runs up past the dam and continues along the side of Haweswater; the road ends at the foot of Gatescarth Pass. This is an aggressively wild and desolate place. Twice I was blown over whilst at a standstill on the bike with my foot down but I couldn’t hold the bike against unexpectedly strong gusts.
Minor scratches on either side of the bike now and I have a couple of strained muscles from my attempts lifting it up before help arrived. But maybe worth it for the extreme natural beauty and the fun crossing the fords and floods. There’s a Traffic Regulation Order for the rest of the track up to Gatescarth Pass (572 m.) so a permit is needed to continue past the gate. Anyhow, this was no day to attempt the pass on my bike on my own so I turned back to the lush growth lower in the valley. Plenty of leaves, mud and washout on all the roads, which the CRF300 rides just fine.

More photos: Haweswater and the road to Gatescarth Pass (572 m.) - Lake District National Park

The filling stations near me in Marseille having run dry as the refineries are continuing to be blockaded by an industrial action, my last ride of tis stay was limited by range anxiety to the fuel remaining in the bike’s tank, including enough to get me home. So just a local ride to the Route des Crêtes on beautiful Cap Canaille above Cassis. The road’s a challenge but the views are so fantastic that it’s a ride to enjoy the place whether in a group in hired cabriolets or on two wheels or the hikers I spoke with who are down from the Jura.
Then time to ride back to Marseille, lock up my RR, finish packing and set off for Marseille-Provence airport at Marignane for take-off as the sun was setting.

More photos: Range anxiety on the Route des Crêtes - Parc National des Calanques

Pont du Galetas, Lac de Sainte-Croix

A day out twisting the throttle and grabbing the brakes on my CBR600RR in almost ideal riding conditions, low wind and low twenties centigrade. Bit of uncertainty with fuel shortages due to strikes at the refineries but I found a refill just before it became critical.
Lunch break on the beach near the lower end of the Canyon of the Verdon but not at the water’s edge as the water level in the lake is still at least 15 metres lower than normal.
Great pleasure running again these roads in the Alpes-de-Haut-Provence which suit the CBR600RR so well.

It’s a precarious ride up from Barcelonnette. The north side road to the Col d’Allos (2240 m.) is pretty, rural and most of the precipitous drops in to ravines are still unprotected. Last night’s rain has stripped the leaves from more of the trees and left them as mulch on the road. Views at the old refuge to peaks of more than 3000 m, now with small deposits of snow but mostly in the clouds.
Down from the quaintly named “Foux d’Allos” ski village (literally the “madness of Allos”); the road becomes flowing, gathering width as I ride it, leaving the alpages, forests and crossing in to the high valley of the River Verdon, a major tributary to the mighty Durance.
Stop for fuel thankfully available at Barrême, and a picnic from the artisan boulangerie. Napoléon stopped here also.
Then back down the wide valley of the River Durance before hitting metropolitan Marseille. Passing queues of almost biblical length at fuel stations, I arrived just in time for the horrors of the Marseille rush hour.

More photos: Col d’Allos (2240 m.)