FKT: Colin Brearley - GR® de Pays Tour du massif de Tabe (France) - 2024-08-01

Athletes
Route variation
Standard route
Multi-sport
No
Gender category
Male
Style
Unsupported
Start date
Finish date
Total time
6h 57m 50s
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Tour du Massif de Tabe, Solo unsupported, onsight. 
On holiday I the region and spotted this obvious horseshoe loop. All the information online suggested it as a 2-3 day outing, but actually quite doable in 1 day. 
Set off in warm (25°) but overcast conditions, but about half way up the long first climb to Mont Fourcat climbed above the cloud and into clear blue skies. Lovely running along the ridge, then a drop down to the lake ETA g d’Appy, where is was able to top up the water. Ideally should have carried more than 1l given the heat, but that’s all the capacity I had. The climb back up to the ridge line was sapping and legs started to feel it as I approached the high point of the route at Pic de Saint-Barthélemy.

From the map I thought it would be a long steady run down from there, but the first 4-5km were a mix of loose rock and then quite dense vegetation which slowed things down, but after that it was nice running, with a nice small waterfall to top the water up again, down to Mont Segur and back into the overcast conditions. A short climb up to the chateau then a nice run back down another valley back to the start at Montferrier.

Run anti-clockwise in just under 7 hrs (6:57:59), but would be easily beatable by many I think, particularly on a cooler day.