Tag: France

Le Petit Tour de France (Normandy, Brittany & Pays de la Loire) – Day 4

Le Petit Tour de France (Normandy, Brittany & Pays de la Loire) – Day 4

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Etape 4 –Carteret to Granville (Monday 23rd June)

We woke to moody, grey skies & damp roads, evidence it had rained overnight. The breeze from the North-North-East had already blown it away & would be giving us a slight tailwind for much of the day! As if that wasn’t good enough news, breakfast was a delicious, locally sourced hot & cold buffet – it was all you could eat for €25, so I enjoyed bacon & scrambled egg, bread & jam, pain au chocolat, almond cake, quiche & a couple of small pain-aux-raisin washed down with fresh OJ & coffee.

Leaving Carteret, we quickly joined a white, gravel track, similar is style to Strade Bianche. The track ended after a couple of miles & we picked up a small back road that took us through the small communes of Les Rivieres and La Huellerie.

When we reached Portbail, we joined up with the Voie Vert, a series of old railway lines that have been converted into hard-packed cycle routes. For the next 7 miles we had the track to ourselves & we reminisced about the different trips & countries that had similar cycling infrastructure.

As we passed through Le Haye, I spotted a café next to a patisserie & we stopped briefly to watch the world go by as I tucked into a tartlette de fraises washed down with a café au lait. We rejoined the Voie Vert for another 5 miles or so, before joining a deserted country lane, which in turn directed us onto a mud trail.

We learned from yesterday’s fiasco & quickly turned back. I then had to find an alternate road to get us back on course after our detour. Luckily all worked out well & we soon joined up with the planned route again.

The skies had clouded over again by early afternoon & there was a field of cows who were expecting rain, as they were all laid down – unless of course it’s only British cows that lay down when it’s about to rain!

We were now in the hilly part of today’s ride & although our pace slowed as a result, the views across the valleys were worth the effort. After 1 long descent, we left the lanes & joined the larger D20 that connects Le Pont de la Roque with Montmartin-sur-Mer.

We stumbled upon the fact that Pont de la Roque was a key part of Operation Cobra during Worle War II, when the old bridge was destroyed by Allied bombers, with the aim of trapping the German troops on the peninsula. It was a sobering reminder of the consequences of war.

The route into Montmartin took us across a plateau of wheat & corn fields, before delivering us onto more deserted lanes. There was just enough time for 1 final surprise, as my Wahoo re-routed us onto a sandy lane that took us between a golf course & a gallop for horses. We had to get off & push our steel steeds for a few hundred yards.

The final part of our ride took us along the seafront, with big views of the Atlantic Ocean in all directions.

Carteret to Granville was 54 miles in length with 1,900 feet of climbing. We made good progress & made our way to our hotel by 4pm, so I had some time to relax before we head out for a beer & some dinner. A large number of restaurants close on a Monday evening in France & Granville was no exception. In the end we found something in between a fast food joint & a greasy spoon cafe where we had a burger & fries. On the way back to our hotel I watched parascenders making the most of the warm evening thermals, as they soared high above the town.

Le Petit Tour de France (Normandy, Brittany & Pays de la Loire) – Day 3

Le Petit Tour de France (Normandy, Brittany & Pays de la Loire) – Day 3

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Etape 3 – Poole to Carteret (Sunday 22nd June)

This morning was all about crossing La Manche to commence the French leg of this year’s cycling adventure. We were booked on the 8.30am crossing from Poole to Cherbourg, so we were on the road by 7.15am to ensure we were checked in on the Barfleur by 7.30am.

The early start gave us a great excuse to try out the buffet breakfast as we set off past Sandbanks & the Jurassic Coast – I would have no hesitation recommending it! We had blue skies & calm seas as we made our way to Cherbourg & the 5-hour crossing seemed to fly by.

We had disembarked & made our way through Passport control within 30 minutes of docking, so we were on our way by 2.30pm. Having navigated our way across town, we soon picked up some lovely lanes on our way through small communes.

The main roads were a joy to ride as we bounced up & down the rolling landscape on our way towards Breuville where we spotted a tribute to 100 years of the Tour de France, with a huge bike dedicated to Benoit Cosnefroy.

We took a right turn the immediately took us up to ancient woodlands that reminded me of Sleepy Hollow & as we summitted we were both surprised to encounter a loose gravel descent. For the next hour or so, we experienced a bit of wild exploring.

The RideWithGPS directed us down an even sketchier mud descent – I had to stop at the bottom, when we encountered a small stream!! We trusted the route, took of our shoes & socks & forded the stream, then walked up a rough gravel track until we were confronted by another even deeper stream with a field protected by a barbed wire fence.

Frustrated, we accepted our fate & retraced our way down the unrideable gravel trail, took off & shoes & socks & cussed as we spent 10 minutes walking back up the mud track!! The road we were trying to join was less than 100 yards from the barbed wire, but it remained the road less travelled, as we never found it!

I was certain that Surtainville was in the general direction of our destination, so we picked up the D66 as it took us up to a ridge where we occasionally saw glimpses of the Atlantic Ocean way off in the distance. Just before Surtainville we joined the D650 for the final 8-mile ride in Carteret, our base for this evening.

We celebrated with a double scoop ice cream (coconut & cherry for me, strawberry & mint choc chip for Sean), as we looked out over the beautiful estuary next to our hotel.

We found another historic railway station to add to our collection – Gare de Carteret has been converted into a food & drink paradise, where you can choose from 9 different food vans, plus a bar. We toasted our 1st day in France with a burger & fries, washed down with a pint.

Cherbourg to Carteret was 29 miles in length with 1,900 feet of climbing. The hiking & biking element of today’s ride added about an hour to our time in the saddle & it was 5.45pm before we made it to the hotel.

Le Petit Tour de France (Normandy, Brittany & Pays de la Loire) – Day 2

Le Petit Tour de France (Normandy, Brittany & Pays de la Loire) – Day 2

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Etape 2 – Mere to Poole (Saturday 21st June)

Saturday 21st June is Medieval Mere Day. In May 2023, St Michael’s The Archangel Church in Mere received £250,000 of lottery funding to restore the church tower & today was a an opportunity to celebrate the completion of the work & also recreate some of the scenes from when the church was first built. This meant that that the local café wasn’t serving its standard Saturday morning full English fry-up, so we enjoyed a bacon bap & coffee, as we learned about the history of the town from the owner of the Angel Corner Cafe.

We re-traced the final mile of yesterday’s ride under a sky of bruised, grey clouds, with the likelihood of rain at some point on the ride. Within 5 minutes we picked up the B3092, before joining a series of lanes that took us through the small village of Milton-on-Stour & around Gillingham.

For much of today’s ride we followed the National Cycling Route 25 (NCR25) – at various times this involved riding small lanes, cycle paths, gravel trails & occasionally relatively quiet B roads. The section from Wyke to East Stour was all on deserted lanes with a few birds of prey monitoring our progress, before briefly rejoining the B3092 for about a mile.

Today’s route was flatter than yesterday, but when we climbed, it tended to be short, sharp ascents which left us short of breath on the heavy bikes! East Stour to Child Okeford was memorable for 2 such climbs & because the threatened shower finally arrived. After putting on our rain jackets, we joined the old Bristol, Temple Meads to Poole railway line (the same route as the Bristol to Bath & Two Tunnels cycle paths we were on yesterday) which had been turned into a gravel cycle track.

We stopped for coffee & cake at Shillingstone station, has been restored to its former glory after Dr Beeching’s decision to close the Somerset & Dorset Railway in 1966. It was a lovely look back in time to the days of steam engines. A bonus was that the rain shower had also stopped by the time we were ready to start riding again.

We followed the gravel trail all the way into Blandford Forum, before picking up a small lane that climbed 1 side of the Stour valley (another naughty, steep climb!). We bounced along the ridge of the valley, before eventually dropping down into Wimborne Minster.

Once we’d made our way across town, we rejoined the old railway line on a hardpacked gravel track that took us to the outskirts of Poole. From there, it was a 4-mile ride along segregated cycle paths into the centre of town, where we quickly found our accommodation for the evening.

The Antelope provided a delicious pint of Moretti to toast another glorious day in the saddle. Dinner was steak & ale pie, chips & broccoli, plus a 2nd pint of Moretti to wash it all down!

We’re on the 8.30am ferry to Cherbourg tomorrow, so we decided to stop after our 2nd pint. Mere to Poole was 42 miles in length with 1,500 feet of climbing. After a month off the bike, my body let me know what it thought of the steep climbs & doing back-to-back 4-hour days of riding. We have a short day of riding planned tomorrow, so hopefully I’ll have a chance to recover a bit!

Le Petit Tour de France (Normandy, Brittany & Pays de la Loire) – Day 1

Le Petit Tour de France (Normandy, Brittany & Pays de la Loire) – Day 1

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Etape 1 – Mangotsfield to Mere (Friday 20th June 2025)

This year’s summer cycling adventure is on my touring bike, so I’m carrying everything I need for the next couple of weeks in front & rear panniers – I’ve packed quite light, so apologies for the lack of different on-bike & off-bike attire!!

As some of you may know, I was knocked off my bike a month ago by a jogger in Bath. The 1st week of my recovery was waiting for the cuts to heal, the bruising to come out & my ribs to stop hurting so I could lie down. I only add this context, as I haven’t been able to do any training since I came off.

I’ve had quite a bit of physio to get the mobility back in my elbows & wrists so I can change gear & brake safely, but I still experience some discomfort when cycling. I’ve been taped up to help reduce the pain & there was no way I was going to cancel an adventure that I’ve been looking forward to for 6 months!

I met my cycling buddy Sean at Bitton Railway station, where we had bacon baps & coffee before setting off towards Bath on the cycling path. The sun had its hat on, so we were in for a hot & humid day in the saddle.

In Bath, we picked up the two-tunnels cycle path out towards Midford. It’s a lovely route along an old train route, with the highlight being a cooling, 2-mile long tunnel that was a welcome break from the heat.

From Midford, we picked up a gravel track to Wellow, where we joined almost deserted country lanes as we climbed & descended the surrounding hills. We were following a National Cycling Route, so were a bit surprised when a couple of the climbs hit 15% plus – not what we needed on heavy, steel bikes weighed down with about 25 pounds of luggage!!!

We skirted round the edge of Radstock on more cycle paths, as we headed towards Frome. This section of cycle track was though ancient woodland, so we had some protection from the sun, before we rejoined the country lanes for some more hill training!

Just before Frome, we spotted our first wildlife. A kite was hovering above a field, clearly on the lookout for a snack. We crossed to A303 as we started a long, but gentle climb up to Maiden Bradley, where we stopped for some refreshments. After a classic magnum, washed down with a lemon San Pellegrino & a shot of powerful espresso, we were ready to hit the road again, for the last push into Mere.

We checked into The George Inn, dropped our panniers off in our rooms & spent a relaxing couple of hours enjoying a drink or 2 in the beer garden. Dinner consisted of fish & chips from the shop around the corner – they were delicious!

Mangotsfield to Mere was 43 miles in length, with 2,400 feet of climbing. It was the perfect introduction to this year’s cycling adventure. More UK riding tomorrow, but then the overseas element of our adventure begins!

Alpine Adventures – Tour de Barcelonnette – September 2019

Alpine Adventures – Tour de Barcelonnette – September 2019

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Both sides of Colle della Lombarde / Cold de la Lombarde – Day Five

Blue skies overhead for the second day running, so we decided to jump in the car for a 1 hour commute to Italy, to climb the Colle della Lombarde from Italy, descend to Isola in France, climb the Col de la Lombarde from France & descend back to the car. Just in case you didn’t realise, this is the same mountain, but I’ve used their Italian & French names!

Today’s adventure would only involve climbing or descending, so while we would only be riding 53 miles, more than 26 miles would be uphill. As soon as we set off the road began climbing a sheer cliff face in a series of tornantes (hairpins), very similar in appearance to the Lacets de Montvernier in France. The gradient was a constant 8% for the first couple of miles, as the road weaved its way through a deciduous forest & followed a roaring river that was below us & off to our right.

The road surface was potted & rough from the constant freeze/thaw cycle that takes place during winter, but wasn’t an issue as we were ascending. There wasn’t much in the way of views to talk of in the first 5 miles, as we were surrounded by tall trees. However this all changed when we crossed a bridge to the other side of the river & the landscape switched to meadow, with views of the huge mountains all around us.

As we continued to climb, there were great views of the road below, as the switchbacks allowed the tarmac to find its way between the outcrops of rock. The views also helped to take my mind off the consistently steep gradient of the climb. As we continued to gain altitude, the valley opened out & we had our first views of where the road would be taking us – a long way up!

To the right of the valley a group of baroque buildings came into view – at 2,035 metres, the Sant Anna Sanctuari is the highest in Europe. Unfortunately, time was against us today, so we followed the signs to Francia & crossed back to the forested side of the valley. As we continued to climb, there were great views across & down to the Sanctuari. We were now about 9 miles into the 13 mile climb & as we rose above the treeline, we were back in alpine meadows.

The Colle della Lombarde was just visible in the far distance, some 1,500 feet above us. Along the way, we spotted parked cars where their passengers had set out for a day’s hiking on one of the many trails into the wilderness. There were also a couple of people who had set up a picnic on the edge of an alpine lake – they really had got back to nature.

At the 12 mile mark, the climb eased off slightly for about ½ mile, which enabled me to gather my breath & prepare for the final push up to the summit. In the distance I made out what looked to be a statue of a deer, perched above the Col. I decided to explore further when we returned later in the day. Once we reached the summit, I took a couple of snaps, pulled on my windproof jacket & set off into France, for a 13 mile plummet to Isola, via the ski station of Isola 2000.

The first 3 miles of the descent were full of twists & turns, as the single track road zig-zagged down to Isola 2000. As with many other ski stations, the roads up to them are wide affairs – what struck me as being different about this one was how steep it seemed to be. If I let go of the brakes, I picked up speed incredibly quickly – it was only the sharp bends that forced me to moderate my speed. The first warning signs about the climb back up to the summit!

Once we reached Isola, the plan was to grab some lunch, however, the village/town only appeared to have 1 restaurant & it was just closing when we arrived. Although we had enough cycling food to get us back to the summit, there’s something morale building about sitting down & enjoying a nice meal – oh well, a banana bar & raspberry gel it was for lunch.

The early miles of the climb out of Isola were brutal – the first 3 miles averaged 10%, but due to the hairpin bends being level, the actual climbing was nearer 11 or 12%. As we toiled away under a baking sun (the temperature hit 27 centigrade), we could almost feel our energy draining away. The climb itself followed a river, but the valley was really narrow, so there wasn’t much in the way of views.

There was welcome relief from the sun as we passed through a number of avalanche tunnels, this also provided a degree of recovery time, as the gradient eased slightly through the tunnels. The higher up the mountain we climbed, the harder it felt – this could have been a combination of lack of food & water / our 5th big day of riding / being at altitude (the summit tops out at 2,350 metres). In any event, we were relying on good old British grit to see us through!

As we reached the 6 mile point in the climb, we got a glimpse of Isola 2000 & our spirits rose – we’d both seen a restaurant on the way down & there were people sat outside. This spurred us on as the road continued to climb through the trees, taking us ever closer to…….disappointment! The restaurant was long closed. We took a few minutes to regroup & down our final gels before the final push to the summit.

The good news was that it was only another 3 miles to the summit, the bad news was the final mile was at a gradient of about 9%. All around us the mountain peaks loomed above us, providing some great views as we continued to climb. As we turned to tackle the final steep ramp, we realised that we had a tailwind to help us get to the summit! An Italian couple were sat on the verge watching us battle up the climb & as we passed them they shouted out ‘Bravissimo!’ – a small gesture, but one that was really appreciated, as they could see I was at my limit to finish the climb.

More snaps at the summit, then a short hike to get a closer look at the animal sculpture on the mountain peak – it appeared to be a bull, but with elongated coloured antlers, rather than horns. I’m none the wiser as to what it represented, but I enjoyed looking at it anyway.

After strolling back to the bikes, we put on our jackets for the descent on the single track road & with regret, we both agreed we were too tired to do the extra climb up to the Sant Anna Sanctuari. All that remained was to buckle up & enjoy the banzai descent back to the car as we returned to Italian soil.

An epic & challenging day in the high Italian & French Alps – the views were spectacular & the climbing was about the toughest I’ve experienced on any of my Alpine Adventure trips to date!

Col du Soulor, Col des Borderes & Lac d’Estaing

Col du Soulor, Col des Borderes & Lac d’Estaing

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Pyrenees Peaks – Day Six, Lourdes (8th September 2017).

Somehow today was the final day of cycling in The Pyrenees, where has the last 6 days gone? I spent 30 minutes last night looking for a replacement ride for today, as we used up our planned ride when we extended our day out to Col des Tentes yesterday.

I eventually came up with a plan to explore some quiet back lanes, tackle a couple of climbs & then loop back to Lourdes – all in all, about 55 miles of riding with 5,500 feet of climbing. The ride started outside the hotel door & as our way out of town took us past the Sanctuary, we stopped to admire the view & take a few photos.

As soon as we left town, we found ourselves on quiet roads with views of the large mountains in the far distance. At one point, we took a wrong turn & found ourselves on a small gravel lane that took us past some unusual wooden sculptures, before ending abruptly at a tiny convent – Lourdes, as you might expect is home to many convents, monasteries, churches & religious orders. It’s a strange mix of peace & tranquillity, offset by chaotic parties of pilgrims.

Once we were back on the right road, a fast flowing river guided us down the valley, as we passed miles of maize fields, where the corn on the cob looked like it was ready to be harvested. These were the quietest roads we’d cycled all week & it was one of the few occasions where we were on relatively flat roads – it made for very relaxed riding.

At Lestelle-Betharrem, we saw signs for Notre Dame de Betharrem, so pulled in to find out a little more – it’s a church that is set right next to the river & it has a large plot of hilly land, where 19 chapels have been built over time & it was an incredibly peaceful & tranquil place.

We turned off the main road & headed along remote country lanes towards the lower slopes of Col de Soulor, which begins in earnest at Farrieres – I had it in my mind that this would be a great place to stop for coffee….. except it was a far smaller place than I expected & it was only a small village!!

From here, the Soulor climbs 2,950 feet in 7.5 miles, at an average gradient of 7.4% – this was the first climb of the week where the gradient was fairly constant for the entire climb & it made such a difference! I chose a gear & then spent the next hour & a half enjoying the views & stopping every now & again to capture the stunning scenery & get out the way of the local wildlife.

At the summit, we stopped for a lunch of waffle with Nutella & a coffee, before descending back towards Argeles-Gazost. We took a right turn after about 5 miles & headed up the climb of the Col des Borderes that we descended on Sunday. As we reached the Col, we made an impromptu decision to take a side road up to Lac d’Estaing – we had no idea what to expect on the climb, but the point of exploring is to find out what’s there! I was a little nervous of what lay ahead, as I was having problems with my gearing, the cables have stretched slightly as the week’s worn on & I could no longer use 1st gear – not the ideal situation for a weak climber like me. However, I didn’t want the ride to end yet, so we set off for Lac d’Estaing.

As we climbed, the surrounding forest protected us from the sun. After about 5 miles, we crested a rise & there before us was the lake & we weren’t disappointed! It’s a beautiful expanse of open meadow, with a lake at its centre. There are strict rules & regulations for using the area & as a result it’s in pristine condition. They were people fishing on one side of the lake, while at one end there were wild horses frolicking in the shallows – before today, I’d never seen a horse in a large expanse of water. This is a place that’s well worth a visit & I’m sure I’ll be back again at some point in the future.

Although we were still more than 20 miles from our hotel, the first 10 was downhill, so in next to no time we were in Argeles-Gazost for a well-deserved fruit tart & coffee. From here we took the same route back to Lourdes as Sunday, again it was slightly downhill, but into a headwind – for every ying there’s a yang!

In the end today’s ride was just over 68 miles long & had 7,000 feet of climbing – both numbers were bigger than planned, but it was our last day of riding, the sun was out & we were keen to make our adventure last as long as possible!

As it was our final evening, we popped into town to watch the sun set over the Sanctuary, then raised a glass to celebrate a glorious week of riding. I’m sure I’ll be visiting The Pyrenees again in the not too distant future.

Cirque du Troumouse, Lac des Gloriettes & Col des Tentes

Cirque du Troumouse, Lac des Gloriettes & Col des Tentes

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Pyrenees Peaks – Day Five, Lourdes (7th September 2017).

Today we took the third & final commute of the week. It was a 30 minute drive to Luz Saint Sauveur which is a mecca for road biking climbs – within 10 miles are Col de Tourmalet, Hautacam, Luz Ardiden, Col de Soulor which have all hosted Tour de France stages.

The original plan was to cycle out to Cirque de Troumouse, take a short, but steep detour up to Lac des Gloriettes, then if the legs were feeling good, also climb Luz Ardiden. We started riding in very, very light rain & under slate grey skies. It seems like the days here are very much like my climbing legs, they take a while to brighten up in the morning!

As the road leaves Luz St Sauveur, the road climbs a valley & regularly criss-crosses the river far below. Low cloud & the threat of rain meant the road was far quieter than expected, as normally loads of tourists would use this road to get to Cirque de Gavarnie – a UNESCO site. It also meant that the views of the high mountains were also hidden. After 6 miles there’s a turnoff signposted to Cirque de Troumouse on a small single track road & it’s here that the ride started to get fun. As we turned into a new valley, the sun popped its head out & it was time to get rid of the arm warmers & rain jacket.

The road climbs at a fairly consistent 6-8% as it twists & turns by the side of a gurgling stream & after a couple of miles, the valley widens out & the track is in the middle of meadow land. This continued for another 3 or 4 miles, before we reached a toll booth, where cars had to pay to climb the remaining 5 miles to Cirque de Troumouse. Cyclists & pedestrians are free to continue free of charge! The road began to rise steeply up the side of the valley & soon we were in sheep & cow grazing territory & we could hear marmots calling to each other.

There’s a café half way up this section, so we stopped for a slice of fruits of the mountain tart & a coffee.

There were now only 2.5 miles of switchbacks between us & the car park at the summit – stunning views awaited us, including our first sight of snow on this trip, way up above.

I took a few minutes to enjoy the peaceful surroundings (there were more sheep than people).

The descent was on a rutted & bumpy track, so there was no danger of going fast, as the surface was covered in loose grit & gravel, plus there was always the chance of meeting a car on a blind corner. This was still a really enjoyable descent, it simply required full concentration!

I’d read on one of Will’s blogs that on the way back there was a great detour up to Lac des Gloriettes, a hydro-electric dam. This was too good an opportunity to miss, although it required significant effort, as the 2 mile climb never dropped below 10%.

The views were well worth the effort of reaching the dam! At this point I floated the idea of changing our plan for the day & extending our trip up the valley to Port de Boucharo, via the Col des Tentes, rather than riding to the ski resort of Luz Ardiden.

Col des Tentes is a 6 mile climb that rises to 2,208 metres, making it the highest paved road in the French Pyrenees (even higher than the mighty Tourmalet!). It’s set in stunning scenery & had hardly any traffic on it – the wildlife far outnumbered the cars. The climb has markers every kilometre, so you know how far is left to go & what the average gradient is for that section (this is common in The Alps & Pyrenees), but someone had fun when they made the signs, as every single gradient counter was wrong – this had to be somebody’s idea of a joke, as the steepest sections were marked as 1.2% average, while the shallower sections were marked as 10.2%!!

The early slopes of the climb were through woods, then meadows & as the road wound its way ever higher, this changed again & it resembled a moonscape. Along the way, we had to dodge our way through herds of sheep & cows, as they clearly own the roads around here! After about 75 minutes of effort, we finally made the summit – this was the first time in many years that a single 5 mile segment took more than 60 minutes to complete, which shows how tough the climb really was. I forgot to refill my water bottles when we left our coffee stop, so had also run out of water about two thirds of the way up the climb – schoolboy error!

At the summit, the car park was pretty much full & there were hundreds of ramblers, hikers & families out enjoying the walk out to Port Boucharo – this is the French/Spanish border & although I fancied crossing it, I didn’t want to fight my way through rush hour, so in the end we gave it a miss.

We had to negotiate the cows & sheep on the descent back to Gavarnie, where we stopped for a quick coffee to warm up from the fast & cold descent from Col des Tentes. From there we were back on a wider & smoother road all the way back to Luz St Sauveur. This ended up being our largest climbing day of the trip & was another real adventure in the wilderness of The Pyrenees!

Piau Engaly, Lac de Cap de Long & La Route des Lacs

Piau Engaly, Lac de Cap de Long & La Route des Lacs

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Pyrenees Peaks – Day Four, Lourdes (6th September 2017).

I make no secret of the fact that I use a website called http://www.cycling-challenge.com for the majority of my research into where to ride on my Alpine Adventures (& now my Pyrenees Peaks too). Today’s ride is one that Will has called ‘the best road-bike climb that I have done in The Pyrenees’ – as soon as I read that, I wanted to do this ride!!!

St Lary Soulan is just under an 80 minute drive in the car, so it was another early start to the day. When we arrived the skies were leaden & the big mountain peaks were hidden from view, but we’re on a cycling holiday & will make the best of any conditions – it was dry & the winds were light, so it was a great day to be riding!

The early slopes out of Saint Lary Soulan are on a steadily rising main road (never that busy in spite of being an artery into Spain via a tunnel) that after 9 miles took us to La Plan, which is the start of the climb proper to Piau Engaly (the first of today’s 3 ascents), although by then we’d already clocked up about 1,600 feet of ascent. The clouds were low in the sky & even as I started the climb it was obvious that views would be restricted higher up, so we decided to simply enjoy the climb for what it was – a very consistent 7-8% gradient over almost 4 miles with plenty of switchbacks to make it fun.

As expected, the ski station was closed (we’d experienced the same at Superbagneres on Monday) & we were above the base of the clouds, however, we did see some eagles soaring on the thermals. We stopped just long enough to get a photo or two, ride around the resort & wolf down a banana, then we descended back to the main road & retraced out pedals towards St Lary. When we reached Fabian, we took a left up what looked to be little more than a single track road – in fact it was exactly that! This was the start of a truly awesome day in the saddle & whatever I write simply won’t do the ride justice, but here goes anyway!

Straight from the get go, the road kicked up to about 9% & it was a real effort to keep climbing – in truth, this is probably more to do with fatigue after 4 days of riding. We made our way up a narrow valley, with the constant babbling of the river helping to take my mind off the pain of pushing the pedals. After about 3 miles, we hit a stunning stretch of switchbacks, which meant that the slope eased slightly & also provided great views back down the valley.

As we reached a fork in the road we were met by the sight of a huge dam (Lac de Cap de Long) high up in the far distance & Lac d’Oredon directly in front of us where the Route des Lacs continued up to Lac d’Aumar & Lac d’Aubert . We chose to tackle Cap de Long first – approximately 3 miles in length it climbed around the lake below until eventually we were looking back towards the fork in the road some 1,500 feet below us!!!

By now it was gone 2.30pm, so we had a quick snack of Blueberry Tart & coffee, took some photos to help me remember this cycling paradise, then headed back to the fork in the road.

The final climb took us around the back of Lac d’Oredon & ever higher on a vehicle free road – cycling heaven! As we climbed, we passed goats that were either laid in the road or grazing on grass in the shadows of the pine trees.

As we ascended, we got views across the lake to where were we riding only 30 minutes previously. After a few final switchbacks, we reached a plateau with a couple of smallish lakes below us & the much larger & prettier Lac d’Aumar in front of us.

As we cycled along the edge of the lake, we passed ramblers on their way to Lac d’Aubert which marked the end of the metaphorical & physical road – in total the climb was only about 4 miles.

I took the opportunity to dip my feet in the pristine water & cool off as I took in the beauty of the surrounding scenery.

From here it was all downhill – we stopped briefly at the café on Lac d’Oredon for a quick espresso, then we retraced our way down the single track – the descent was very technical with lots of blind corners & steep stretches, so it required full concentration the whole way back to the main road – from there it was an easy 5 miles back to the car.

This has been by far my favourite day in The Pyrenees this week – what an amazing ride! I can’t sign off without saying a huge ‘Thank You’ to Will for sharing his epic cycling adventures.

Col du Tourmalet & Col d’Aspin

Col du Tourmalet & Col d’Aspin

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Pyrenees Peaks – Day Three, Lourdes (5th September 2017).

I was super excited (to quote pro cyclists the world over) this morning, as today’s ride was a loop straight from the hotel & we were taking in two more Tour de France climbs. The first climb needs no introduction, the Col du Tourmalet (The Distant Mountain) has featured in the Tour de France on more occasions than any other mountain since 1910 – a total of 85 times. There was the opportunity to also add a bonus ascent of the Col d’Aspin, which has featured a on a mere 73 occasions!

The route started on quiet country roads, as we twisted & turned between fields, with big views of the Pyrenees in the background. The first 10 miles took us in a similar direction to our Sunday ride, but as we reached Argeles-Gazost we took a left turn & started gradually gaining altitude as we followed Route de Luz up a small river valley. By the time we reached Luz Saint Sauveur, we were 20 miles into the ride & had clocked up 1,600 feet of climbing & the serious stuff hadn’t even begun. We decided to stop & have a quick pain au chocolat & espresso while we gathered our thoughts for the big challenge ahead – from Luz St Saveur, Col du Tourmalet is 11.8 miles long, gains an altitude of 4,606 feet & has an average gradient of 7.4%.

The early slopes are very gentle & provide an opportunity to take in your surroundings (big mountains on all sides!) & get into a rhythm for the climb ahead. I know from many previous experiences the key to long climbs is slow & steady at the start, as you can’t recover if you expend too much energy early on. There are a few pretty villages lower down, but as soon as we passed through Bareges, we left civilization behind.

By now the gradient has reached a fairly consistent 7-9% – I far prefer this to a constantly changing gradient, which seems to deaden my legs in no time! The views by this point were spectacular, as it was possible to make out the summit café way off in the far distance & also look back towards the parapenters who were riding the thermals. Once again, the cows & sheep have complete freedom of movement & it’s the responsibility of drivers & cyclists to get out of their way.

All that remained was to tackle the final 4 miles, as I started climbing the ‘back wall’ of the mountain – effectively riding switchback after switchback up what would have been a sheer drop if the road wasn’t there. The engineers had built one final hurdle for me to overcome, as the final ½ mile or so ramps up to 10%. Having researched the climb in advance, I knew this in advance, so had a bit of energy saved up (not much, but enough!). After 2 hours & 20 minutes of effort I was at the summit & it was time to celebrate with a fanta citron et tartelette du myrtille (lemon fanta & blueberry tart) as I took in the massive views in all directions & got a couple of souvenir photos.

As we continued over the summit & commenced our descent, we bumped in to a herd of llamas! I had to get a photo, as I knew no-one would believe me without the evidence! We also stopped briefly in La Mongie Ski Station for a quick lunch of chicken salad baguette. Although I was going downhill, this looked the more difficult side to climb, as we fairly flew down the mountain through long, sweeping bends. At Campan we decided the legs were feeling good & we should also climb Col d’Aspin – it’s 8 miles long, gains 2,106 feet & has an average gradient of 5%. This is all a little misleading, as all the serious climbing is done in the final 4 miles, where it averages 8%. Most of the climb is through pine forest & the smell was amazing, although the views were somewhat limited as a result. The other remarkable feature of the climb was how peaceful & quiet it was – traffic was light & it was great to hear nothing but the sound of the bikes changing gear as we climbed.

Once again, the views from the summit were beautiful & it made the decision to ride the climb so worthwhile. I enjoyed a few more moments of quiet contemplation before getting a photo of the summit sign as a memento.

We fairly flew down the descent again (back the way we came this time) & I stopped briefly on the lower slopes to get my photo taken between two dolls/models – they were everywhere in Campan, although I haven’t yet found out why there were so many of them! This really wraps up the interesting part of the ride – at this point we were 60 miles into the ride & all that remained was the final 20 miles of the loop back to Lourdes & to be honest there wasn’t anything memorable about it – there was also nothing wrong with it either, we’ve simply been spoiled for stunning scenery today!

Col du Tourmalet & Col d’Aspin has been one of my favourite days of riding in the high mountains of Europe. It lived up to its billing as the Queen Stage of the Pyrenees Peaks adventure & I still have three more days of riding to look forward to!

Col du Peyresourde, Superbagneres & Col du Portillon

Col du Peyresourde, Superbagneres & Col du Portillon

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Pyrenees Peaks – Day Two, Lourdes (4th September 2017).

The plan is to explore all the major Tour de France climbs within a reasonable distance of our base in Lourdes – the weather forecast was changeable, so we decided to commute to Bagneres-du-Luchon, some 80 miles away & hope for the best. By the time we’d parked & got ourselves sorted out it was about 10.45am, so we knew we were in for a late finish too, as we had big plans for the day. The great news was that our gamble had paid off, as the sun was shining when we arrived in the town that’s twinned with Harrogate.

Bagneres-du-Luchon is an outdoor adventurer’s paradise – during the course of the day we saw parapenters, gliders, mountain bikers, hikers & rafters in addition to road cyclists. We were aiming to ascend 3 different mountains, all of which have featured in the Tour de France. First up was Col du Peyresourde (used in the Tour on 64 occasions since its debut in 1910), at 9.5 miles in length & a height gain of 3,081 feet, the gradient averages 6.1%. The climb is fairly constant, with views of the huge Pyrenean peaks all around. Although the road is a main road, traffic was minimal, so there were plenty of opportunities to stop & admire the architecture as we rode through small villages. We found a public water fountain at the halfway point, where I needed to fill my empty bottles – it was a humid day & I pretty much leaked sweat all day!!! Sorry, too much detail….

As we neared the summit, the famous Peyresourde hairpins came into sight – there was still graffiti on the road from 2016, which is when Chris Froome attacked over the summit in 2016 & won the stage as he pedalled whilst sat on his top-tube.

We stopped briefly at the summit to enjoy the views & take a few photos – sadly the Crepe stall didn’t open on a Monday, so we were soon descending back to B-d-L for a quick lunch of baguette & patisserie. The café owners kindly filled our bottles for the afternoon’s first challenge.

Our next challenge was Superbagneres, which is a ski station high up above Bagneres-du-Luchon. The climb is 12 miles in length, with a height gain of 4,000 feet, so the gradient averages 6.3%. It doesn’t sound much, but there are some flatter stretches, so this also means there are stretches of +10% to test the legs! It’s been used in the Tour de France on 6 occasions, most recently in 1989, when Scotland’s Robert Millar (now known as Philippa York) won the stage.

The first 4 miles were next to a river & there was the constant babble of water, which was a real distraction from the hard work of climbing! The next 4 miles were through thick forest, so there were only sporadic views down to the valley floor below. As it’s a ski resort & it’s September, we hardly saw any traffic – bikes definitely outnumbers cars! All of a sudden the forest ended & we had huge views across the valley – we were even able to look all the way down to B-d-L, thousands of feet below! By now we were also exposed to a blustering headwind as we continued to wend our way ever higher towards a massive hotel in the resort of Superbagneres itself. As we reached the summit, my fears were realised – a ski resort in September doesn’t get many visitors, so the café’s were all shut!!!

The upside of a really long, steep climb, is a lightning quick descent on a near deserted road. At one point I saw my speedo top 45 mph, before I had to start braking for the next hairpin – it was a fast, fun, but straightforward blast back to B-d-L. Having taken 1 hour 45 to climb to the summit, it took less than 25 minutes to descend!

After a quick espresso (& another recharging of my water bottles – I drank x8 bottles of 0.75 litres on today’s ride) we set off for the day’s final challenge. The Col du Portillon has featured in the Tour de France on 18 occasions, most recently in 2014, The Col marks the geographic boundary between France & Spain, so I took the opportunity to snap a photo of a Spanish summit as well as French one!

The climb itself is 6.3 miles long, climbs 2,178 feet & has an average gradient of 6.5% – it sounds easy, but again the lower slopes are very shallow, resulting in the final 5 miles averaging 8.4% (& a nasty stretch of 13%!). As we looked up & across the valley, we could just make out Superbagneres, in the distance. We were in forest for the entire climb, so it was almost impossible to get a scenic photo, although I managed to get a few album fillers. I’d love to come back here again & explore the Spanish side of the mountain, as the climb is supposed to be amazing. The descent was another non-technical one on quiet roads (fast in other words!) & we were back in town before we knew it.

This was a special day in the saddle, we rode for 5½ hours & climbed 8,800 feet in 57 miles – 3 epic Tour de France mountain summits in a road cyclist’s paradise. The original plan was to have a meal in B-d-L, then drive back to Lourdes & head straight to bed. We finished riding about 6pm & nowhere was serving food until 7pm, so in the end we jumped in the car & drove the 90 minutes back to Lourdes & have just returned from devouring a cracking pizza.