Mont Faron ↑ all posts

One of the last big climbs on my list was Mont Faron, which rises abruptly above the port town of Toulon. Some extremely steep suburban streets led to the start of the one-way road to the summit, but the gradient eased off as I rose above the buildings. A loud chorus of crickets followed me upwards, still air and an oppressive heat making it more difficult than it should have been. The reward: great views over the Toulon and out to sea, and a fantastic fast winding descent back into town.

I made the mistake of taking an inland road towards Marseilles and quickly found out that the lack of any sea breeze made things a lot hotter. I cycled with my top off for an hour or so, resulting in a burnt back. Turns out I’m not flexible enough to get sun cream everywhere it’s needed.