Annecy

Saturday 15th September

Mummy's day today and so we went off to see Annecy. This visit has been postponed last week so Neil could do the Col d'Izeran before a couple of days of bad weather. Today the sun was shining and it was perfect. An hour down the auto route and we arrived and began wandering around the old town with it's canals.





It was a lovely town with lots of old buildings constructed around canals, with cafes and colourful shops dotted around. There were arched tunnels connected by cobblestone walkways, with crystal clear water flowing through the canals with swans swanning around. It was a picture perfect town.


We explored for a few hours before going to a large park overlooking the lake to have our lunch.


There were lots of people out and about enjoying the sun and the gorgeous surroundings, but we had to make our way home to clean the car and do the final pack for our move to Paris in the morning.



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Train from Chamonix

Friday 14th September part 2

With Neil gone all morning I started on the task of packing. It was hard going but I managed to get the bulk of it done. The kids and I had a quick walk into town for our daily baguette then we lounged around the house waiting for Neil to return. On Neil's return from his ride he had a quick shower and change then we drove into Chamonix to return his last rental bike. We hurried because the kids and I planned to catch the train back to Saint Gervais Les Bains and there was only one an hour.


We managed another quick wander around Chamonix, while an encore of the apple strudel ice cream from our last visit didn't happen because that flavour was not on offer. Instead I thought I'd go for something with a local theme so "Mont Blanc" was chosen. It was white chocolate ice cream with swirl of caramel and it was just as delicious. After our ice creams the kids and I caught the 5.11pm train back home and Neil drove the car back to meet us at the station. The kids were so excited about going on a train and it was a perfect time of day to take the journey as the sun was setting and highlighting Mont Blanc.


The train took a route hugging the bottom of the mountain that looked out upon Mont Blanc and was higher than the road so it provided a great view. We also went through three tunnels and over a viaduct that we had driven under before. It was a pretty great trip.
Tomorrow we are off to Annecy to check out the town known as the, "Venice of France".



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The final mountain ride

Friday 14th September

I realise that for the last eight weeks I have bored you silly with superlatives on how great the scenery and riding in the mountains is so I am going to simply say that today's ride over the Col des Saisies then up to the Cormet de Roselend was equally as good as any of the others that have come before it.

Being the last mountain ride of the trip I planned a long and tough ride for today. I got up just before dawn and drove to the village of Flumet not far from here. According to the car's thermometer it was about 2C when I got started so I was rugged up in my winter cycling gear (it seems an eon ago when I was struggling up the Col du Portillon on a 30C+ summer's day in the Pyrenees).

At 15km long the first climb was a fairly challenging ride up the Col des Saisies and I got there a little after 8am. At the top I stopped for a photo when a guy in a small white van pulled over and asked me if I wanted him to take a picture of me at the top. I declined but his real motive became clear when started talking about bikes and where I was riding. We compared the relative merits of Cannondales versus Lapierres (the bike brand equivalent of US versus France). I advised that I was heading for the Cormet de Roselend another 35km away, then would be returning the same way. After he looked at me in disbelief he quickly warmed to the idea but suggested a more scenic route for my second (return) ascent of the Col des Saisies. On my map he showed me a small road going up the other side of the valley. I had spent months looking over maps and never spotted it, let alone contemplated riding it. It was great fun even though I only understood about half of what he was saying.

After a frigidly cold descent down the Col des Saisies and through the town of Beaufort, I started on the 20km climb up to the Cormet de Roselend. The magic number on this climb was 8, that is 8%, which was the gradient on most of the kilometre markers along the road. The consistent gradient was excellent as I could get into a climbing rhythm, only interrupted to let a herd of cows go by, and a flattish 2km section when the road reached and went around a reservoir about 2/3rd of the way from the top. At the top the views were (insert your favourite superlative), however it was still pretty cold so I did not hang around long and quickly returned back down the mountain.













At the foot of the descent I found the alternative option that my French friend had shared with me earlier that day and the route proved to be exactly as promised. It was a single lane road through some villages that tourists simply bypass and the views across the valley to the road I had ridden down that morning were beautiful. My legs were getting pretty sore by now so the ascent was slower this time, however when I got to the top I had a big grin as I was simply loving and making the most of this final ride. It was all smiles down the last descent back down the 15km to the car in Flumet.

Today's ride was a great way to end my Tour de France climbs pilgrimage. While it was sad this was the last ride, at the same time there was a strong sense of accomplishment and happiness that I had completed all the rides that I had set out to do. All of the rides have been fun, and sometimes exhilarating and inspiring. I also leave the mountains with a deep appreciation of what the Tour riders go through, and knowledge of each of the major climbs that will ensure I enjoy watching the Tour each year even more.

Thanks for following my riding blog and sharing the adventure with me.



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Les Contamines and town explore

Thursday 13th September

The day broke and the weather was 50/50. Down the valley was sunshine (mainly because we were higher than the clouds) and up the valley the clouds were covering the mountain to the valley floor. The scene down the valley was lovely with all the mountains having a light dusting of snow and as the sun got higher and hotter the clouds were moving all around.


We ate breakfast, which on these colder days has started to include a rather large mug of hot chocolate, and headed into town to check out the markets. It's been over a week since my last market so was chomping at the bit. I must say though leaving our extremely well insulated chalet was a bit of a shock as it was freezing outside. It's hard to believe that 2 days ago we were wearing shorts and t-shirts and now have several layers on. With an incentive for the kids of playground after the markets we made it to town in good time and warmed up a little. The market wasn't huge but big enough to have a bit of everything and allow me to soak in the atmosphere till my next fix. Next stop playground for the kids fix, then home with our goodies for our baguette and Brie lunch.


After lunch we headed up the valley to Les Contamines which is the end of the road. If you are a walker it is full of excellent trails that have been recommended by us by many.


We drove to the start of a gorge and parked the car, with the kids not being the keenest of hikers we did the shortest. It took us to the most delightful church snuggled into the side of the hill above a river. It was tiny and built of stone with a slate roof.





The roof was covered with thick moss with the odd pine tree growing from it. There were a few pews that looked like gnomes used them as they were so small. The church looked like it was visited by regular followers as their were flowers, plaques and offerings left. After our little explorer we headed back home. It was still early afternoon and I'd found a self walking tour of St Gervais Les Bains in our chalet that looked appealing to me. So I got a leave pass and went straight out again. Behind all the quaint buildings and tourist shops the town has quite a history.


The tour took you past an old castle that's nestled down a side street. It has been added onto to be a private residence, but they've done it in a manner that looks like a chalet has been built on top.


Their we're a couple of bridges, a fountain and a tower. It was quite fascinating what lies beneath a town and some of the structures were dating back to the 13th century. It was a lovely walk that I was very pleased I managed to do. With the sun still shining but a cold wind blowing a retreated back to our cosy chalet to make dinner. Tomorrow is Neil's last ride of the holiday. It is a long one to go off with a bang, so another early start.


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Rain, rain, rain and a little snow

Wednesday 12th September

The rain continued all night and all day and was very heavy at times. We needed our lunch baguettes so I headed out for a soggy walk into town (Neil did look at me a little strangely when I said I was going to walk). It was a nice and peaceful walk and I was very grateful for the French drivers that avoided splashing me with the streams of water going down the road so I did not get soaked. With baguettes bought (and a little something yummy for afternoon tea) I headed for home, this time though I had my back to the traffic and there were one or two drivers that were not as courteous about missing the puddles. I arrived home very soggy but was very proud that the baguettes and yummies were dry. The little stream beside our chalet that had once been a babbling brook was now a raging torrent, so with the rain still pouring down we spent the rest of the day cosy in our chalet lazing around and getting up to date with boring housekeeping things. When the clouds eventually started to lift in the late afternoon we were treated to the sight of snow covering all the peaks up and down the valley. Now it is evening the clouds have come down again as the sun sets so we will see what daybreak brings us tomorrow. Even after only one day inside Neil already has cabin fever so we will hopefully all get out tomorrow and go to the weekly markets in town in the morning, then explore the end of the valley up to the village of Les Contamines. We will take whatever the day brings.



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Mini golf

Tuesday 11th September Part 2

Today, with Neil leaving very early and a long day planned, I needed something to keep the kids happy and occupied. Without a car I thought we would check out the mini golf that is just up the road. Once Heather had done her diary we headed out as the wet weather was supposed to arrive later. The golf looked very closed when we arrived but with our experience with all things French if you stand and wait for a moment if it's open someone will appear and, voila, a lovely man came and took our money, gave us some clubs and wished us luck. It was a no fuss course with no animals or such, but was rather tricky. The kids soon worked around the tricky bits by cheating. It was a lot of fun with bridges, ramps, tunnels and twisty bits and I need to brag about my hole in one.





It was not the most gracious hole in one but when the ball bounced off a rock, rebounded off the barrier, and rolled into the hole I was jumping up and down in excitement as the kids stood there stunned. A hole in one is a hole in one after all. After 18 holes of hitting our little coloured balls around the clay course we took the scenic route home. Out the front of our chalet is a public walk way and according to the map was supposed to pass the mini golf so, with adventurous walking shoes on, we headed off into the unknown. It was a lovely walk down a country lane and into a wide paddock that had an amazing view to the distant mountains.


We were home in record time and with big appetites we had to broke with our French lunch tradition and had biscuits and brie (instead of pain and brie) as I couldn't persuade the kids to walk to the boulangerie. It was then a quiet afternoon with Heather catching up on her school work and waiting for Daddy to return from his cycling adventure. During the late afternoon the clouds rolled in as forecast and the rain started.



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Col d'Iseran and Tignes

Tuesday 11th September

What a magnificent day riding in the high Alps!

After the Director Sportif allowed a visit to Annecy to be moved to the weekend (apparently I would just stare at the clouds frowning if it wasn't) the car was packed and I was zooming through the dark French countryside at 5:30am this morning heading towards the Col d'Iseran. With the weather forecast suggesting the window of opportunity would close by mid-afternoon I had plenty of motivation to get out early. An hour and a half later I was arriving at Bourg-St-Maurice just as the sun was rising. Having arrived earlier than expected I decided to do a longer ride directly from Bourg-St-Maurice, rather than drive up the valley to Val-d-Isere as I had planned. I was glad I did as I would have missed a beautiful scenic climb. There was forest, chalets and fine views back down the valley across to the mountains on the other side.









As I was riding along Tour de France climb markers appeared, however not for the Col d'Iseran, but for Tignes ski station which has hosted stage finishes. At the Barrage de Tignes this climb went right over the dam and up another valley, while I continued along the side of the reservoir through numerous mountain ski tunnels to get to Val d'Isere. After 32km of riding generally upwards my HC climb of 16km officially started. The scenery immediately changed, from low altitude forest and meadows to sparse alpine vegetation with magnificent high mountains towering over the road. It was (wait for it) awesome and the road was impressive too with lots of hairpins to achieve the elevation gain needed to get up to the Col d'Iseran which at 2,770m is easily the highest pass I will ride. At the top the legs were sore but it was worth it and this ride has easily made it onto my favourites list.



It was a slow descent back down as I was constantly stopping to take photos and after getting back to Val d'Isere then through the tunnels along the side of the lake, curiosity got the better of me and in a blatant col-bagging exercise I decided to finish off the climb up to Tignes. After getting to the top, taking the obligatory photo, I quickly descended and rejoined the road to get back to the car.

The riding today was simply magnificent. Bike riding simply doesn't get any better that this. Tonight the legs are stuffed but it is worth every ache and pain. Tomorrow is a rest day to see if the adverse weather predicted actually eventuates. The next (and last) ride looks like it will be on Friday, but I'll keep staring at the clouds and let you know.

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Col de la Colombiere and Col des Aravis

Monday 11th September

Oops. According to my ride planning I was meant to go over three cols today. Instead I discovered that Le-Grand-Bornand is simply a town you go through as you descent from the Col de la Colombiere. While the Tour has been through and indeed finished in the town it cannot be counted as a col or climb. Therefore, today's two col ride was plenty of fun. The first climb today up the Col de la Colombiere was a category one but offered plenty of steep sections particularly towards the top, and particularly with a dodgy back brake that dragged against the wheel (my laziness yesterday with not bothering to get it fixed was remediated this afternoon with a quick visit to the bike shop in Chamonix). The climb was very scenic and enjoyable with plenty of hills, forest and alpine meadows. The descent down the other side, through Le Grand-Bornand, was very pretty too with chalets dotting the landscape (there must be very strict building codes as there was not a single non-chalet style building anywhere). This made for very pleasant cycling. The climb up the Col des Aravis from the town of La Clusaz was also a lot of fun as it was a category two so I was not bothered by my dodgy brake. The summit was funny though. The views were not particularly special, however the summit was ridiculously busy and over-developed with a couple of restaurants and gift shops. The mystery was solved when I began my descent towards Flumet. This road was very beautiful with classic sets of hairpin bends with sweeping views down the valley, followed further down the valley by an attractive road high along the wall of the Gorge de l'Arondine. It was an excellent way to finish another perfect Alps ride.

The weather forecasts predict poor weather (one even advises snow) for Wednesday and Thursday so tomorrow I am up early and off to do the Col d'Iseran in the valley about 1.5 hours south from here. Should be good.

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Parc de Merlet

Sunday 10th September part 2

With Neil taking the car today, the kids and I explored our new town of St Gervais les Bains and surrounds. On the way through the village yesterday the kids' eagle eyes spotted a playground so a visit there was on the agenda. St Gervais les Bains is a pretty town half way up a hill side looking down to the wide main valley below. We are now in a much more populated area than last week so there is much more choice of shops, restaurants and boulangeries (the playgrounds are bigger too). The downside of course is that there is much more traffic and people. The town is still lively even now that tourist season officially finished last week and the French are back at school and work.


The playground was fantastic and the kids had a ball climbing, sliding and chasing each other. We only left as we were beginning to melt in the midday sun (summer has reappeared).

Neil arrived home in the late morning and after our usual baguette and brie lunch we headed off for our afternoon family activity which was the Animal Parc on a peak near Les Houches, a town between St Gervais and Chamonix. It was an adventure just getting there. Once we turned off the motorway we were directed by Victoria (our sat nav) up a road that literally went up multiple hairpin corners. We finally reached the sign for the Parc and read where all the car parks were. There were 4 car parks ranging from 1km from the entrance to 300m so we kept going knowing that Callum would not walk 1km. This meant that the road thinned dramatically, not helped by the addition of a painted foot path for those that have parked in the lower car parks. We made it to car park 1 which had no spaces but also no turning circle. Above us was a sloping paddock and the sideof the road drop sharply away into forest, so I navigated Neil as close as possible to the vertical drop so he could turn the car around and luckily as we were doing so someone came to their car and left. By now we were all wondering what this park was going to be like perched on a peak. After walking the promised 300m (which was still up and around 3 hairpin corners) we reached the Parc entrance that had a proud sign stating we were at 1,534 metres. On entering we were given a map and let loose in an open space with all the animals as it was a free range park with no cages. There were marked paths that we were to keep to which went in different directions around the park, up more hill (the kids had had enough of climbing by now), along a wide open space which we found out was a disused airstrip, and around a rocky hill.


All the animals in the park were native to the mountains, they kept their distance however were very used to people so were not overly shy. At the end of our circuit we managed to see all the animals on the brochure from mountain goats with huge horns to chamois and marmots. My favourite was the beautiful deer with massive antlers. An added extra about the park was "the view".


We were across the valley from Mont Blanc so we had a breath taking view of the mountain with its numerous glaciers. Being at the altitude that we were, we were a third of the way up Mont Blanc so we were getting a very different view from the valley floor. It was a lovely afternoon and seeing the animals in their natural habitat was great. In the evening we were treated to a mountain electrical storm which was quite spectacular at times. I must remember to bring my tripod into the house to try and get a photo of a lightning bolt as more evening storms are forecast this week. A fun first full day in the northern Alps.



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Accommodation number 4

Saturday 8th September

Today saw us leaving Bourg d'Oisan, head over a couple of mountain ranges, down a stretch of autoroute, turn right at Albertville, then head north and turn right to get to Saint Gervais les Bains. It was bound to be a gorgeous drive as we were going over the Col de la Croix de Fer that Neil rode earlier during our Bourg stay, however when Neil rode it there was very low cloud and it was covered in snow. Today had a very different look as the skies were clear blue. The drive did not disappoint and was stunning, with ever changing scenery with gorges, twisty roads, and open paddocks with grazing cattle. There was even a lake to add to the beauty.



When we were about 30 minutes from our new home in St Gervais les Bains we turned off the main road to cross over valleys. This is when we saw our first sighting of the grandaddy of all the French mountains - Mont Blanc. It was enormous and covered in snow sparkling in the afternoon sun. I instantly thought these mountains are something special. We made it to our accommodation in great time as it was the shortest drive between houses and luckily the chalet was empty the week before so we could get in early. The website for the chalet does not do it justice at all. It is the top floor of a traditional Swiss-style chalet, all wood with huge chunky beams everywhere (the lower ones Neil curses as he keeps bumping his head). It has three huge double bedrooms all with ensuites (Callum thinks it is really cool he has his own shower and toilet). The chalet is in a small hamlet of about 5 chalets just off the road, so very quiet. We look down the valley to the valley below from one balcony, and have views of snow peaked mountains from the other. After a quick debrief from the chalet company representatives, we unloaded our car, had a quick lunch in the chalet, then headed off to Chamonix so Neil could pick up his latest rental bike. Driving through the valley to Chamonix, Mont Blanc dominated the view with it's many glaciers (thank goodness again for the panoramic glass roof on our car). Chamonix is quite a built up little city catering for everything tourists and adventurers need, from skiing to mountain biking to paragliding (it was constantly raining paragliders from the skies above us), and looks like it could become quite lively in the evenings. I have to share that I had the most delicious apple crumple ice cream while taking in the sights of Chamonix and am looking forward to an encore when we go back. Anyway, ice creams eaten and bike collected we headed home to unpack and settle in to our new digs.

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Col de Joux Plane

Sunday 9th September

Arriving after yesterday and picking up my latest hire bike from Chamonix, today I did my first ride in the northern Alps, the HC category climb of Col de Joux Plane.



I stuck to my normal plan of doing a shortish ride on a new bike just in case anything was amiss. Today I discovered a slightly dodgy back brake which drags on the back wheel (I can't fix it but equally can't be bothered returning to the shop either) and a new gearing system to get used to. The gears are SRAM versus the Shimano that I am used to. I used SRAM once before on a mountain bike in Moab and I actually rather like them. While they are different they are very intuitive and have crisp gear changes. I also have one less chain gear on the front, however I still had enough easy gears to get to the top of the Col de Joux Plane which is probably the steepest climbing I will be doing during this leg of the trip.

Enough bike geek stuff. Today's ride started with a quick drive to the attractive but not especially unique town of Taninges, simply to avoid the rather dreary riding through the fairly functional towns in the large valley below us. The tactic paid off as my ride started instead with a 10km ride through some scenic countryside before reaching the base of today's climb at Samoens. The climb itself was very enjoyable. My research had promised a tough climb and the reality did not disappoint, with the climb staying consistently above and beyond an 8% gradient for the whole of the ascent. The climb was very scenic too going firstly through the village of Samoens, then through farms with pretty chalets everywhere, before the forest started that eventually gave way to open alpine meadows at the top of the pass. I really enjoyed the ride as I got into the climbing rhythm easily on the new bike and got a good workout before the long ride scheduled for tomorrow. I rode back the way I came back to the car at Taninges, with a quick visit to their boulangerie for a post-ride almond and chocolate pain which was excellent although probably twice the calories I had just burnt off. Oh well, I am on holiday after all!

As I write this, there is thunder and lightening (very, very frightening, Galileo, Galileo, Figaro, magnifico ...) around us. Assuming this clears up overnight and we awake to beautiful clear blue skies, then I will be doing a ride that was on the short list from day one of the trip planning. The ride will see me go over the Col de la Colombiere, then on to the Grand-Bornand and then over the Col des Aravis. It should be beautiful however it will be a long one going over three cols. This said none are HC, I have scheduled plenty of time, and I have a rest day planned for Tuesday. Fingers crossed for good weather.


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A very scenic day

Thursday 6th September part 2

A long day but very enjoyable and worth the early morning start. The foggy morning made for a different view of the mountains that I had not experienced before. It was a gorgeous soft light creating silhouettes of the villages and mountain edges as we drove down the valley. After we passed the Col de Lautaret and went past the turn to the Galibier we were in new territory. The road instantly changed from twisting climb to a fairly straight down hill through ski resort after ski resort. Once we finally made Neil's drop off point of Guillestre the kids and I visited the tourist office for maps of Briancon and directions to the boulangerie for our daily baguettes. We had heard the Col d'Izoard was pretty so were going to drive over that then into Briancon to explore the old town and fort while Neil climbed the hill. Well we never made it to Brianscon as to describe the Col d'Izoard as pretty was an understatement as it was absolutely stunning.


We drove it so slowly I was letting camper vans pass me as it would have been a shame to rush and miss the view. We passed Neil a lot further up the hill than I expected then we stopped at a few viewpoints for photos.






By the time we made it to the top the time to meet Neil further down the road was fast approaching so Briancon was definitely off. Instead we walked to a viewpoint up a small hill and took in the amazing 360 degree views of this incredible mountain range.





After soaking in as much scenery as we could we descended to the small gift shop to purchase Heather's diary postcard and who should ride up the summit but Neil. We took the photo to prove he'd done it then descended the other side heading towards Italy for ride two. It was lucky we met at the top because when we drove past the proposed meeting point because: 1. I would have missed the sign as it was so small; and 2. It was a one house town down a small dirt road which are not so good on a road bike. I'm amazed it even made it into the road atlas.


We went down the mountain then up another, this time following Italian semi-trailers twisting up the hairpins and giving any on coming traffic heart attacks. We made it to the ride no. 2 drop off point and farewelled Neil. This time it was a quick 11km drive to the top where I took the first turning into a car park and waited for Neil. It was under a gondola which I noticed was going back and forth. Upon closer inspection I noticed there was a movie or tv show being made at the gondola station. There was a small crowd of onlookers and extras hanging around waiting for their turn along with cameras, lights etc. With the kids playing happily on the iPad in the boot, the time flew by and before we knew it Neil was arriving beside the car. It was quite funny having our afternoon in Italy not being able to understand any of the road signs and not being able to ask for directions or anything. I am very grateful for the French I know as it is quite scary being in a country and not being able to communicate at all. After our typical French lunch in an Italian playground we headed back home dodging the semi-trailers going up the twisty hill.


It was a long day however we were all rewarded with incredible scenery and I was given the night off cooking so headed out to indulge in the French pastime of an aperitif in a small side street cafe then dinner at a lovely restaurant around the corner from home. Tomorrow we are off to the northern Alps area around Chamonix to stay for a week.


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Col d'Izoard and Sestriere

Thursday 6th September

What a day! In the morning I rode in France and in the afternoon I had a bike ride in Italy!

Everyone was up early this morning to ensure I could fit in both rides, the first over the Col d'Izoard and the second up to Sestriere. We left in a foggy morning gloom however as we approached the drop off point,south of Briancon, at Guillestre it was apparent that we were in for a day of clear blue skies just as I had hoped for. The Col d'Izoard ride began spectacularly with a 16km ride through a most amazing gorge. It was relatively flat so made for a pleasant warm-up to the ride. At the 17km mark, the climb started properly while the stunning scenery continued. Later with about 9km to go the steep stuff really started with some hairpins taking me up to Izoard's Casse Deserte (Rock Desert) at about 3km from the summit. The views here, as with the whole climb, were amazing and I think this climb must rate as the most beautiful one I have done in the Alps. While the Galibier was magnificent and humbling being surrounded by giant awe inspiring mountains, and the valley views from Alpe d'Huez were breathtaking, this climb was simply the most beautiful. It was a great and very memorable ride.









At the top I was surprised to find the support crew were there (I thought they were going to visit Briancon). They had also enjoyed the views so much that they had decided to stick around to meet me at the top. After a quick change of plan (i.e. no descent for me into Briancon) we jumped into the car for the short drive into Italy. The drive to Cesana Torinese was relatively quick and I was quickly offloaded again to commence the 11km ascent to Sestriere which has seen stage finishes of the both Tour de France and the Giro d'Italia. The climb was relatively easy and, knowing I wouldn't be riding again until Sunday, I decided to do it as a time trail for grins. This climb also earned Nicola a promotion to Director Sportif as I had initially planned to do the Sestriere climb as a separate ride, with a two hour drive there and back to do what turned to be a 45 minute ride. It was Nicola who suggested I do this climb on the same day as the Col d'Izoard hence the well deserved promotion. The Sestriere ride was short but lots of fun so all in all it was a great final day of riding for this section of the trip.

The riding here and around Bourg d'Oisans has been excellent. I can't recommend this area enough for bike riders looking to challenge themselves in the most spectacular and rewarding surroundings. For me, the classics of Alpe d'Huez, Galibier, Croix de Fer and Izoard all lived up to their reputations, and I enjoyed riding them in the sun and snow.

No riding tomorrow and, after checking the travel advisories after the tragic event in Annecy (the Australian Smart Traveller website and call line is woeful so thank you British Foreign Office), we move to St-Gervais-les-Bains on Saturday as planned with a quick visit to Chamonix to allow me to pick up a new rental bike. For Sunday it may be the Col de Joux-Plane, however I haven't finalised my ride plan yet. I'll keep you posted.


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More photos

Col du Galibier



Col du Madeliene


Callum on fair day


Heather on fair day




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Crazy Road D211a

Wednesday 5th September

After climbing Alpe d'Huez again yesterday (easier the second time around as I knew where to put in the effort, and more importantly where I could regain my breath) I did a short ride today to preserve some energy for tomorrow's big day out. Today I did what Nicola has been describing as the 'crazy road' since she looked up and saw it hanging from the top of the cliffs on the northern side of the valley that overlooks Le Bourg d'Oisans. The tourist office ride guide is more tempered and describes it as, "your wheels will be astounded at the wonderful view of the valley spread out before you! Not recommended for cyclists who are prone to vertigo!". My wheels were indeed astounded.





The ride started by going up the climb to Alpe d'Huez from virage 21 up to 17 (4km) before turning right on to the D211a at the village of La Garde-en-Oisans. No respite from climbing though as once through the village the climbing continued with a cheeky 14% kilometre or so before snaking along the cliff tops at a more steady gradient. For much of the climb it was a straight down view over the cliff edge down to the valley below and the views were indeed astounding. It was a fun ride and soon the descent began into the town of Le Freney d'Oisans and back on to the main road (through the much disliked mountain tunnels) back home for lunch.

Tomorrow I get to do a ride I have been looking forward to and had deliberately scheduled for the best weather day, however the weather forecast changed overnight so I may not get the super clear day I was hoping for. Not to worry. Tomorrow is the long climb up the Col d'Izoard in the morning, with it's higher altitude of 2,361m and it's unique rock desert at the summit. The views should be awesome, however could be different to those you see during the Tour if any of the recent snow has hung around. After the descent into Briancon, I'll catch up with the family for lunch and, if there is anything left in the legs, we will drive into Italy to allow me to climb up to the ski station of Sestriere, a location using by both the Tour de France and Giro d'Italia. I may be overambitious with trying to do these of the same day so we shall see. Whatever happens it promises to be lots of fun.


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Venosc & valley drive

Tuesday 4th September

Today it was time to get out and explore some more. From the tourist brochures I'd been eyeing up a small village called Venosc which is known for its habitants of artists. It is along a scenic drive through the mountains of the Parc National des Ecrins, a short drive from Bourg d'Oisan. The weather forecast was favourable so off we went. A short time into our short journey we noticed how all the clouds were moving around the peaks and up and down the valley, adding another dimension to the scenic views of the towering mountains on either side of the road. We reached Venosc just before 9.30am and it was still asleep so we went for a wander around it's steep cobbled stone streets. It was very pretty with traditional alpine homes clinging to the hill side, with amazing views across the valley. We were also treated to the sight of the tiniest hummingbird flittering between flower boxes getting its breakfast. At first it was so small that we thought it was an insect, until Neil noticed its shape and wings. Very special. We went back to the car to let the town wake up and continued our adventure up through the valley. The road just out of town quickly took on a different look to what was on the map. The map indicated it was reasonably straight with not much climbing and appeared to go along the valley floor.


Not so as we started climbing and twisting up the hill. The road straightened out for a bit when I noticed through our panoramic glass roof a thin road cut high into the cliffs. I said to Neil, "look at that road," then realised it was ours. It was absolutely stunning but I was very grateful I was not driving. We passed through another town clinging to the cliff face then saw a sign "road thinning". I couldn't believe it could get any thinner especially seeing it was supposed to be two way! Well it did get thinner and in places had no barriers either. It was terrifying as I was sitting on the drop side and when I observed the road was also crumbling on the drop side I prayed for no cars coming in the other direction. When I got over the fear of where we were and looked at the scenery it was amazing. There were towering rock cliff faces with waterfalls everywhere, glaciers, snow covered peaks, and a river cutting through the valley floor far far below us. The multiple rock avalanches added to the grandness of it all as well. We were heading for La Berarde which is at the end of the road and we couldn't actually work out why there was even a village up there.


The small village was on the other side of La Meije mountain Heather and went up on the gondola and we really felt like we were in the heart of the mountains. We now just had to get out alive without driving over the edge. I'd hate to think what the road is like in winter. The car nausea and terror was worth it as the scenery really was stunning. We were also treated to a deer crossing the road and getting very confused when we came along, and a black squirrel dodging cars (successfully). A lovely morning driving to the middle of nowhere and home in time to have our usual baguette and brie lunch. In the afternoon Heather did some school work while Neil disappearing up Alpe d'Huez again, then off out for dinner at a restaurant in town.


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Monday 3rd September

It was an early start and a long drive to get the Brides-les-Bains to start my ride, such was the price to pay for blatant Tour climb bagging. Today's ride visited the ski towns of Courchevel and Meribel, both of whom have hosted Tour finishes over the years.

The road up to Courchevel was surprisingly busy given it was the off-season for skiing, however as I was to discover Courchevel is having something of a building boom. It seems the Global Financial Crisis didn't make it to this part of France as I hadn't seen this many cranes since leaving Perth (which is a constant work in progress). The climb was also somewhat muddled and littered with numerous "Courchevels", for example there was Courchevel Saint Bon, Courchevel Le Praz (where there are impressive ski jumps that were used for the Albertville Winter Olympics), then altitude-inspired Courchevel 1550, Courchevel 1650, Courchevel 1750 and finally Courchevel 1850. These towns all had the rather odd effect of creating a constant climb through main streets (with all the shops shut) and building sites as each town is either getting a facelift, a new hotel or having repairs before the start of the ski season. The climb literally ended at the last building site at the front gate of the airport. This was easily the scariest looking airport I have seen with a runway that slopes down towards a cliff! Planes clearly land and wash off speed by landing up slope, whereas departing aircraft must get up to speed pretty quickly as they head down the runway and off the precipice. Scary, scary.






After not particularly enjoying truck frogger on the way up, I decided to change my ride plan of descending all the way down on the same road, so instead found another way across to the second climb of the day up to Meribel in the adjacent valley. Turning left at the ski jump I found a nice, albeit rough, connecting road. It was very scenic. When I reached Meribel I found this a much more enjoyable climbed and I preferred the look of the village too. The cycling signs evaporated though so I decided to continue climbing further up to the end of the road to another ski resort called Meribel Mottarat just to make sure I fully covered the climb that the Tour would do. It was worth it as the views back down the pass were very picturesque. An enjoyable, attractive descent back down to the car followed, before a two hour drive back home, bopping along to French radio.

Tomorrow I'll stay close to home, however I haven't decided which ride to do. It could be Alpe d'Huez again; alternatively the Col'Ornon across the valley; or no col at all, just a ride into the Parc National de la Vanoise to enjoy the scenery there. We shall see.


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Annual fair

Sunday 2nd September



Fathers Day. When I woke and ventured down the stairs of our holiday house I was almost mistaken that it was Mothers Day. The kids were dressed and eating breakfast and the mystery of our street closure was revealed as a second hand market had sprung up - one of my favourite past times. After breakfast and the gift giving ceremony I nipped out for a quick look. They were selling everything from car tyres to card games. It was amazing and it's lucky we aren't living here as the bank balance would be a lot lighter with some stalls selling old farm things that would look fabulous in the garden. When the sun had come up a bit more, and we had skyped Jenny and Alf back in Scotland, the whole family ventured out to see what the Bourg d'Oisan annual fair had to offer.There were market stalls selling new and old, fun fair rides that the kids sampled, and much to Callum's delight the local fire brigade had brought their engines along so he and Heather climbed aboard. Callum's smile was a mile wide and he sat on top of the engine with the ladder towering above him. It was cool. At the other end of town there was animals to pat and ride on. The kids got a ride on a pony called Asterix. He was so small that we thought Heather would be too big but the man assured us Asterix was very strong. It was a lovely day and, as the weather forecast predicted rain, it was an added bonus that the sun was shining brightly with only a few fluffy clouds floating by. The afternoon was spent at home relaxing and with a quick game of boules in the back garden (it was quick as Callum started to cheat and pinch the little black ball). Neil enjoyed his day and is looking forward to "bagging" another two Tour de France climbs tomorrow. It will be a long day as they are right in between this accommodation and the next one so a bit of a drive to get there. We are not joining him as there is nothing to entertain the kids while Neil is riding. That said we will be off to the laundrette and domestic duties.

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Nicola's lazy day's

Saturday 1st September part 2

Since Tuesday and my wonderful adventure with Heather I have not done much at all. I am actually finding it nice as Provence was very busy for me, visiting all the villages and markets. It is nice now to have a few days rest at home, although I haven't been doing totally nothing. We have had a trip to the laundrette, supermarket and visited the boulangerie daily. This lack of exploring is mainly due to the fact the weather has turned. When we arrived last Saturday it was splendid sunshine and we were all wearing shorts and t-shirts. Wednesday the rain started and on Thursday Neil did his first wet ride. Yesterday Neil went out on a semi-clear day with threatening clouds and returned with pictures of snow from the higher altitudes. Those higher altitudes were the slopes of the Col du Galibier that we drove up in gorgeous sunshine earlier in the week. When we went out for an afternoon outing to the town's mineral museum some of the clouds that had been hiding the mountain peaks temporarily cleared and we were treated to a wonderful sight of all the peaks around us covered in snow. Of course Heather started dancing at the sight and I put on an extra jumper when I walked outside into a freezing wind. How things can change in the mountains. Summer clothes are now packed away and winter woollies are out. Neil has taken up the sport of weather watching again, changing his mind continuously on what ride to do next and watching the sky to see what the clouds are doing. Two of his remaining rides are well above 2000m which is where the snow is starting to settle so he is not keen to do them until the snow melts due to safety and it is a little warmer. This morning I rugged up and braved the weekly market in town in the wind and rain but looking at the snowy peaks were cool (literally), and at least the fruit and vegies weren't wilting in the sun like they were in Provence.

I mentioned the mineral museum earlier. The whole family came along to learn about what is found in the surrounding mountains. It was a small museum but had a wonderful collection of minerals most of which were found a stone's throw from here. Some of the quartz crystals were very impressive and you start to look at the mountains differently once you know what they are hiding. After the museum we had a quick stop at the playground before it started raining again and we headed home via the boulangerie.

Tomorrow as Neil mentioned is the annual fair in town, so we are all going to escape the house and go and see what is on offer. We are intrigued as our street is closed to cars from 8pm tonight (we have had to park elsewhere) and most of the carparks and town streets will be closed. So we are expecting quite a show. The kids are also excited being Fathers Day and they can shower daddy with the goodies we have picked up along the way.



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Col de la Croix de Fer and Col du Glandon

Saturday 1st September

I am certain that there some confused french motorists out there wondering why there is a cyclist grinning inanely as he rides along dull flat stretches of french highway. Today I had another special day in the Alps which started on the flat valley floor road with me reminiscing and wondering about the number of times the Tour would have ridden en masse along this rather dull section of road, this being the only one that connects the two legendary climbs of the Col de la Croix de Fer and Alpe d'Huez. I can only begin to guess what the riders would be thinking after just conquering the Croix de Fer (or Glandon) and with burning legs knowing they still had to race up to the Alpe d'Huez. It was this daydreaming that had me grinning as I rode along, and am I sure had some motorists questioning my sanity. Who cares, I was having fun.

Despite the low clouds and the pessimistic weather forecast, there were enough moments of light sky this morning to suggest it was unlikely to rain or snow so it was on with the winter riding gear and off on the bike along the valley and up the Col de la Croix de Fer, with a sneaky visit to the top of the Col du Glandon as well. When I planned this ride I was looking forward to the expansive alpine views that I had seen of the Col de la Croix de Fer during the Tour, however with the clouds and snow line at col height, the views were very different. They were however equally magnificent.






I had driven over the road earlier this week to get to another ride so I knew what a roller coaster ride with tough climbs and fun sections this was going to be. The actual riding did not disappoint. It was simply excellent with lots of climbing, first riding up one valley through the forest to get to another, then descending into the new valley to get across it to then immediately climb its side before descending again to start climbing a new set of hairpins on its other side. This climb emerged from the trees to arrive at a dam/barrage that created a large reservoir that enhanced the views of the alpine section of the climb. The last 11km took me through an open alpine valley surrounded by snow covered mountains before reaching the snow itself at the two col summits of Glandon then Croix de Fer.

The only concerning part about today's ride was the number of fresh rock falls reminding me that these roads can be dangerous at times. I also overcooked a corner near the start of the descent and with wonky brakes (European style with the back brakes on the right, not what I am used to) it was not the tidiest of recoveries. Ironically I had just taken the corner that Soler completely missed and went down the side of the hill during his first Tour in 2007. He climbed back up to the road and continued on to win the King of the Mountains so no harm done, however this incident seems to have been an omen as due to injuries from crashes he had a very short professional cycling career and no longer competes.

Today's ride was challenging and great fun, and with each ride I am feeling fitter and the legs are in good form. That said, tomorrow is a long scheduled rest day to celebrate Australian Father's Day. With a festival in town as well we should have a fun family day.