Once again I journey into fabulous pine woods and through soon-to-be summer meadows. Reaching an open area of sparse trees beside the track, I set off across a large clearing of soft hummocks. The only people I saw was a small party on snow shoes until I got closer to the nordic ski centre at Pre Poncet. For the next three days I follow the race course of the world famous Transjurassienne. This will go someway to explain the many lycra-clad racing teams whizzing pasts me at high speeds.
I leave the racing track behind and venture once more into the forest. Snaking through the tightly forested slopes offer more challenging descents and I eventually pop out in the wide glaciated valley of the Combe des Cives. The terrain angle eases and I trudge the rest of the way to Chappelle des Bois for an early finish to consume my daily diet of local hams and Morteau sausage, honey beer and the extraordinary liqueur de sapin, an aperitif produced in nearby Pontarlier whose distinctive flavour comes from pine-shoot tips.
Distance: 19.5km
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