We started the summer season with an easy hike at the lower slopes of the Vercors range near Grenoble. This was the area where we did our very first hike just three days after moving to Grenoble. Except for a short attempt for a wintry hike five years ago (the trail’s icy condition surprised us since there was no snow in Grenoble at the time, and we had to turn back), we have not been in this area for more than ten years. Since then the trail system has evolved a lot, especially in the Désert de Jean-Jacques Rousseau area, pictured below.

This hike started in the shade, when it was still quite cool anyway, and then climbed to more open pasture, when it started to get warm, and finished in the shade — It was +13°C when we left from home and walked to the car, and +27°C when we walked home from the car. Very interesting this drastic change in weather has been; in my last week’s walks I was freezing in the brutally chilly and gusty wind, while now it is almost too warm for any strenuous outdoor activity.

Now we have almost three weeks to fully concentrate in our preparations for the marathon race in Madrid: two long runs to run, and final touches to take in testing clothing, accessories/equipment, and nutrition. Bon courage!