Vallon de Lanchatra in late summer

At breakfast this morning we made a last-minute decision to head for the hills. Within 15 minutes of deciding I'd slung slices of ham between bread, filled up the water bottles, grabbed the shades - and we were out the door. A well rehearsed routine this end of summer. It is still summer, of an Indian kind. Mellow and ripe - there's no need to worry about early starts to avoid strength-sapping heat.

It was Juan's choice to revisit the Vallon de Lanchatra (my last time was with Kelli and her friend Scott in 2012). Juan has a romantic obsession with (semi) abandoned villages and, from the comfort of 21st century living, the extreme hardship of the lives people used to live there. The spot is one of his favourites.

Lanchatra village is a steep 30-minute hike from the main road, and unconnected by road. Recent work sponsored by Feadr (Fond Européen Agricole de Développement Rural) is aiming to make the upper pastures of the valley more accessible - presumably for quad transport. This has meant widening and levelling the path in such a way as to remove much of its original charm, and at the same time massively increase the risk of erosion. Whoever manages this kind of project has only to look at the approach bridge - bent into a zigzag by mid-summer flash-flooding - to understand the forces of nature at play here. There is no way the current path will last more than a season. And then what? Grrrrrrrrrr.

Beyond the village the valley continues towards high pastures. The rowans were weighed down with berries. Along the path raspberry-laden bushes slowed us down. We ate as many as we could - and picked enough for supper, too.

Thanks, Juan: a good choice and a lovely day.