A pootle up an 'ill

From tomorrow, I am away for a couple of days so with the gloriously warm weather continuing, I was keen to get out today. Mont Fourcat (2000m) was the target. From a distance, we could see that a few patches of snow remained up at that altitude which we didn't think would present us with a problem in our trail running shoes

We parked up in the hamlet of Frémis at 1000m and picked up the GR du Tour du Massif de Tabe which led us on excellent leafy tracks, steadily climbing for 4kms through woodland until it popped out below Mont FourcatWe had a great view over to Foix in the valley way below.... in the other direction, over to the Mont d'Olmes ski centre which was looking rather bare!and the cabane de Coulobre stood out against the distant landscape
But the going got steep, the snow patches were actually frozen solid and we hadn't taken our microspikes. Just 100m or so below the summit of Fourcat, I chickened out, more concerned about the impending tricky descent than reaching the top! So we had a brief lunch break in the wonderfully warm sun before turning around and heading back down. We were soon back on the gently inclined tracks and enjoyed a lovely run back to Frémis. But what a lovely way to spend a Sunday afternoon. My only concern has been an occasional twinging pain which I think originates from the base of the vastus medialis muscle of my right knee. I have a feeling it could be related to my biking and the position of my cleats but some fiddling about needs to take place to know for sure. Hmm, there's always something!