The Lac du Paty is Caromb’s water supply and, by necessity, is located both near the village and well above it. The fastest way is up the switchbacks; they’re steep. The sun bakes the south facing slope, which is nice in winter and less nice on a day you actually want to go to the lake. There are some gravel shortcuts, but they’re chonky. You can go around the hill and approach the lake from the north, adding miles to lessen the grade, but there’s no getting around the climb. The reward is the cool blue water that, while busy on the hottest afternoons, is often deserted.
