Muntanyes de Begur, Cami de Ronda

Long time no blog ... well, commute runs along the city streets between home and work, same old trails around and about Edinburgh, no complaints, same time, no new eye candy ... anyway, yay for summer holidays, a couple of weeks in the sun, and the odd journey run.

Base camp is a low key resort sprawl at Platja da Pals on the Costa Brava. The beaches are beauties, for sure, and the sprawl is surrounded by pine forest clad hills, apparently Muntanyes de Begur. I can reach them along the roads, less than 1km from base, and the satellite images provide clues of dirt tracks and switch backs. I have no maps here, just a vague idea of a route, I guess it'll be a follow-the-nose run. I'm up and ready just a little before dawn, the colours of the early sky above the sea from one of the apartment windows, they are gorgeous, enticing. So off along the roads to explore the woods, but first I must find a witch. Really, a witch.

Lovely early morning skies from the apartment

On the roads through the woods ...

... to find a witch!

Looks like a nice restaurant, off the beaten track, away from the madding crowds, maybe have dinner there sometime. The hintings of the satellite images were spot on ... pine needles over sandy soft earth tracks. The sun is up now over the ridge to the north-east ... oh, wait, ... that's the ridge I'd intended to ascend, oopsie ... oh, well, never mind. The wide track has petered out, and given way to narrow footpaths, this is very fine running. Soon steep and the sandy soil has become, well, just sand, and roots, and stones. Every two steps forward comes with about half a step sliding back. Kind of like nano-scree! Difficult going, I'm breathing hard, I'm drenched in sweat already. Just three sounds for me here, my heavy breathing, my clumsy footfall, and the birdsongs, mostly wood-pigeon.  Bit of a shame about the dress choice, bright yellow t-shirt, the flies are finding me very attractive. Maybe four sounds, the dratted buzzing flies. Ok, five sounds, my cursing muttering about the flies. Good job there's nobody else around at the moment, just imagining what might happen if someone came across an older gentleman of not ungenerous girth, running through the woods, wearing ridiculously short shorts and a bright yellow shirt, waving his arms about wildly and muttering ...

The with has good trails!

Sun up over the ridge to the east-ish.

Lovely pine needle clad paths ...

.. and soon sandy rooty steep, puff, rasp.

The ground levels off and the going gets easier, but the path has twisted to the west and I really ought to be heading east. There's an enticing small side track which will take me in the general direction, but too soon is lost in overgrown undergrowth. Short back-track and all of a sudden I'm out of the woods and onto the roads. Not much of an idea where I am, but I'm kind of facing the sun, and it's morning, so at least the road is heading eastwards-ish. Ok, I'll take that for a while. The hilltop village of Begur is visible toward the north-west-ish a short distance away, I'm starting to get a bit of an idea where I might be now, and it's all good. Steep switchbacks should lead down toward the coastal village of Sa Riera which, luckily, is a key part of my vague route plan.

Enticing side-track soon lost in overgrown undergrowth

The roads again, heading about in the right direction now 

Hilltop village of Begur

Easy but somewhat boring downhill road running along the switchbacks, the camera has been stowed, but what is this I see below me. Looks like a little river, and dirt trails, and steps down. Oh, a river, always flows downhill, must lead to the coast ... and what's this thought ... river = riera. Aha, I'll definitely take that! The trail meanders up and down along the river side, getting rougher, and crossing the water a couple of times before a short stretch on the streets, a brief uncomfortable encounter with over-excited barking dogs, then depositing me at the beautiful beach of Sa Riera. Bullseye on nav!

Looks good, steps down to river-side dirt trail ...

... nice ...

... very nice ...

... and more of very nice, stepping stones over the river.

Platja Sa Riera, beautiful!

There's a footpath clinging to the crumbling cliffs from here back to the beach near base camp, Platja d. Raco/Pals. The path seems to be part of a bigger affair, a long distance coastal path, Cami di Ronda. Its roughly paved here, so no soft dirt trails, but a great view back over Sa Riera. It's easy to imagine that in times past, here was a quiet little fishing village. Of course, now tourism is the industry here, and the place seems to be popular with the sailing folk.

Cami de Ronda along the cliffs

Sweet view of Sa Riera behind

Lots of steps, a steep climb to the headland, but oh the views, gorgeous. Soon at the top of the climb I'm looking down to Platja Illa Roja, a super little beach. Junior calls it "shady beach", the free-standing red rock which gives the beach its name provides welcome shade from the fierce sun. This is a beach of two halves, the footpath charges steep downhill to the larger half, and then through the cliffs to reveal the grand sweep of Platja d. Raco/Pals. I decide to scamper over the rocks and down to the sea edge for a bit of a run along the sand, but before long I can withstand temptation no more, and a dip in the water cools my overheated body. I am thinking to myself, back here for several spots of barefoot at the water edge over the next week or so of mornings.

Steep, steps, but the views ...

... lovely little Platja Illa Roja ...

... a beach of two halves.

Cami de Ronda runs through the cliffs ...

... and over the rocks to the sweep of Platja d. Raco/Pals, lots of barefoot to come here.

Its not altogether clear where I've been today, except for some woods, and then some roads, and then the coastal footpath, along a few beaches ... worked out pretty well. How far? I don't know, didn't set the watch ... my head is guessing, about 12km. How much ascent/descent? I don't know, my legs are guessing, about 300m. How long have I been on the go, not sure, didn't set the watch ... maybe about 1:30. Nothing open for an early espresso break en route, family still sleeping when I get back to base.

Enjoy!