Off to club med!

Some quality Toyota Landcruisers in Nice

Left the super ghetto hostel. I wish I had got a photo of the owner and the flies in the morning. Went to the boulangerie for a top class croissant breakfast. Got going pretty early enjoying the ‘littlest hobo’ feeling once more. I thought it was going to be a super easy cruise into Nice.

Last ski resort

However I missed the 1500m col that I had to do out of the box passing the last ski resort of the trip. Squeezed that one out (THE LAST COL!) in the morning sunshine then descended for like 30km making really good time.

Col Saint Martin

Stopped for lunch at a top class viewpoint with some friendly tourist information people who listened to my story and gave me free coffee. You could see they thought I was a little odd tho, lycras n all.

Then some further hillside roads and then lots of speedy descending into nice, got a nice photo of some trees.

Long line of trees on the way into nice

The outskirts of nice are traffic hell, there is an insane amount of motorised transport kicking around. About 50% scooters! I thought I was making a mistake coming into nice; tried to get into the youth hostel; it was full. All the hotels were also booked up for some conference. I tried a couple, all booked up.

I thought screw this and found a posh hotel on the sea front. Much more upmarket than I am used to and I had to get a deluxe room also. I did have the best sleep I can remember and the air conditioning was premium.

Going to spend a few days on the mediterranean cost now. Still cycling tho, through Monaco to Menton then onto Italy.

Geneva to Nice! DONE!

A mediterranean sunset

Tanned, bearded and happy

A few cheeky extras

Fiat Panda 4×4 Quality Mountain Machine (can you spot the interesting thing?)

Did some extra cols today (which were actually part of the official grand traverse of the alps but not the route I was following.) As arguably its better to do the bonnete as its the highest paved road peak in Europe.

Big day today – 120km over three cols. Col de Cayolle (2310m), Col de Valberg (1672m) and Col de la Couillole (1678m). Probably, biggest day so far actually. The Cayolle had come ace canyons on the way up. On the way to the summit it started properly raining. I chatted to a dude at the summit who said that he thought the Grand Traverse of the Alps is the best cycle route in Europe. I think I agree in my limited experience. A few other people I have spoke to have thought it funny that in my first venture into the alps I am doing the beast.

Go hard.

I descended from the summit in the rain and cold and sheltered in a cafe where I could use my shit french to get some food.

Self photo!

Stopped of for lunch later in the valley but I was too late for anything. So bought shit-loads of chocolate instead. Then polished off the next two cols in the sunshine.

Col de Valberg

Final col of the day

The final descent of the day was fighting for the descent title. It almost took it but didn’t manage due to the road surface.

Look at the original for the road on the other side of the valley!

Tonight I am in a real ghetto hotel. Most crazy so far. I found eye lashes in my starter tonight (a pile of weird looking spam type meat.) I wrapped it up in a napkin and deposited in my room to avoid problems with the other meagre courses.

I hope I don’t get the food poisoning tonight. Met a swiss cyclist who had a pretty serious crash today on the descent from the bonnete. Something about a stainless steel bridge in the rain which made a mess of his face and head. Helmet saved him; No hospitals here so fire brigade sorted him out!

A cheeky wee stab at the bonette

High altitude graffiti

Amazing sleep in Guillestre then up the Col de Vars. Feeling the strains of eight days cycling in a row. The climb out of Guillestre was immediately viscous.

Living life without a watch right now. Its surprisingly relaxing and everything just seems to fall together. I get to turn my mobile on once a day when I can check the time and often along the way I can check clock towers etc and listen for the number of rings of the bell in the mornings.

Raced an old man to the summit of the col de vars. Smashed him. He was over 60 though Met an english couple and spoke to them about the wonders of carradice saddle bags and got them to take a photo of me at the top.

On the summit of the Col de Vars

I also spoke to them about my plans of tackling the bonnete that day and of going to Italy instead tomorrow. They said that the road into Italy was proper busy and that my plan B of 3 extra cols to the east of the bonnete sounded better. I agreed.

Then I strapped my camera to the front of my bike and filmed part of the descent. I think it turned out fairly well. Next time I do this I will cycle closer to barriers and walls to make it feel faster.

Cruised into Jausiers for about 2pm. It was a cycling town and there was a lot of evidence that the tour has been through here just a couple of months previously. Booked into a hotel, and got some soup and coke to fuel myself up for what lay ahead.

I took the bare minimum up the bonette. Not even tools!

Its the highest paved mountain pass in europe (2802m) although the Iseran is the true king as the built an extra loop around a mountain to take the title. It was a 21km straight climb out of Jausiers; made easier by a lack of touring load but still hard enough! Altitude doesnt seem to be affecting me now.

Summit shot on the bonette 2802m

7.5 hours on the bike today. The descent was amazing, great road surface. Although lower down I was in agony, my hands and back were very sore. The forces that the body absorbs when braking for hairpin after hairpin is quite a lot.

I came my closest to crashing today. A marmot ran out in front of me when I was doing about 50kph but luckily I braked in time.

Tomorrow I am going to sneak in a few extra cols that are not on the official route I am following.

The Izoard

Getting more arid

Left the nice hotel (best so far). Nice easy descent into Briançon. Its a really nice place with a great old town. One of those towns which is encased in high walls.

Went to get internet, the drug of the noughties; But alas, there was none. There are lizards everywhere now. Everything is starting to feel a little more mediterranean. The col of the day was the Col d’Izoard and the temperature was pretty high.

I like pushing it up the cols, pretending im racing in the tour. Pretending im rasmussen; a pure wannabe!

Ascent was tough. Met an aussie at the top with a lot more stuff than me. He seemed both jealous and impressed by the little amount of stuff that I have with me.

Izoard summit tower

Descent was nice with a really good road surface. Then into a viscous steep gorge with huge cliff walls.

Big gorge

Youth hostel was closed so I’m in a not so cheap shite hotel in Guillestre where there is nothing going on. Maybe things will pickup but its pretty boring here right now.

The Galibier and the Telegraph

Galibier Descent

Left at normal time of about 9:30am. I keep it fairly easy wrt starting time in the mornings.

Downhill to begin with then on to an early climb to a mountain village for some photos.

Next, a big descent into mondane ended up getting to terminal velocity on a certain stretch. (65kph) just couldnt get any faster.

Then a downhill cruise into St Michael which was pretty top class timewise. Made good time and good distance.

Had some lunch then prepped for the Col de Telegraph. Onto the climb, it was pretty tough, making me dig deep. The climb was right out of the valley to a pinnacle; wee photo some sweets and a smile to another bike tourer.

Descended into Valloire, another nice looking ski resort. I was supposed to stay here but it was before 2pm at this point. I could smell the Galibier honey.

Next was a testing 15km unrelenting climb. Stopped for a tiny break for biscuits and water; prepped my pockets with haribo.

I took 4 cyclists on the ascent, none passed me. Also, the cyclists I passed didnt have any load! Pushed myself as hard as I could, hardest so far. On reflection, I think that the Galibier is the best col on the grand traverse. It has everything; views, difficulty, length, status.

An english cycling friend made it to the top soon after me. And we chatted for a bit. Im keen to do a summer ascent of mont blanc so spoke to him a bit about it.

After gassing, the time was getting on a bit (16:30), so wrapped up warm and descended after a couple more photos.

Galibier ascent

Descent was a bit frustrating as I got stuck behind a number of cars and then a lorry. Its strange being faster than motor vehicles on a descent. I remembered racing helen into a fjord when she was driving a few weeks previously.

I was supposed to stay at Briançon but on the way there I passed Serre Chevalier 1500 and a nice looking hotel, so stopped there.

Feeling tired but still strong. Pelforth Brun Bier rocks.

View from galibier summit

The Iseran

Iseran view from summit

Early up, then faffed getting the bike sorted after last nights puncture (up to 120 psi with the resident track pump). This is my favorite part of the day getting everything packed up like the littlest hobo and moving on.

Firstly the descent from Villaroger back to the iseran road. Next there was the long climb to the Tignes dam.

tignes dam

Met some brits at the dam and chatted for a bit then pressed on to Val D’Isere for a spot of coca cola the king of energy drinks. There are a few long scary tunnels on the way to val.

The col ascent from val is only 14km long as you are already high, and it was a nice sunny day at this point. Also only a few km greater than 7% height gain. Col du Pré was steeper in places.

Iseran summit shot proof

Chilled at the top in a cafe with the brits and chatted physiology and about other things with a nice tart to nibble on.

Then I went for a wee walk and stood on some snow, this was good as it means I have September in the bag, having stood on snow every month this year. I hope October to be easy if it snows here, but I cant be sure.

The descent again steals the crown. More straight sections for speed and 20km for length. On the way down I was racing a van and a motorbike and we passed under a group of paragliders which was a really good experience; I couldnt stare tho as the descent commands 100% concentration.

Cruised down the valley to a place called lanslebourg where there turns out to be a hostel (auberge de jeunesse) unfortunately the warden is not very friendly. Met a cool aussie.

Welcome to the real deal

Col du pré

Today brought the high alps to the table. Out of the hotel and immediately up to 1710m for the col du pre was a toughy.

12km of rise with over 10% height gain in places. Then a short descent then over an impressive dam, the barrage de cormeland.

Courtesy of flickr

Then up to my highest point I have ever been on a bike; the cormet de roselend at 1900m. A spot of lunch was had along with a spot of lunch with other keen cyclists.

Cormet roselend

Then the title for the most obscene descent was taken again. 20km of steep descent with countless hairpins and braking burning moments. Dont think the front brakes have long left.

Instead of staying at bourd st maurice I have changed plan a bit and am in the chalet of villaroger 1200m up. Steve Nicolson’s parent have a top class place here and I managed to organise it at the last moment.

I approached Villaroger on the ‘logging road’ and got my first puncture of the trip. It was raining and thus very unwelcome! Doh!

Villaroger when I was there in spring once

The road I was on was closed but I ignored these warnings, thinking it would be possible to squeeze through on my bike. But when I got there I was greeted with carnage. The road had been ripped apart on the hillside to put in a pump storage system.

I took off the cycle bags and carried the bike across the ravine and then took the bags afterwards.

Then I made the final ascent to Villaroger in the rain. Great to speak english after french tastic for a few days. Also nice to hear stories of off piste skiing. Something which very much floats my boat. Sue Nicolson is still a hardcore off piste skier it seems.

Tomorrow is the second biggest climb for the trip taking me up to around 2700m. Legs are starting to feel it a bit now but still feeling strong all in all.

The Sun is Shining

Mont blanc

There was an obscene thunderstorm through the night. I was given the best packed lunch I have every had by the dude at the hostel. A lush big slab of brie amongst other things.

Feeling strong up the first ascent of the col de aravis. First descent was really good, dry up top still wet lower down due to the thunderstorms.

Cyclecomputer is still bust so bought a new one in the only cycle shop en route. Its a shit one and it doesnt have a clock on it so it turns out that I am still watchless. I want a really nice swiss watch but I am not affluent enough at the moment, so will look out for a ghetto casio from the early nineties.

The second ascent of the day was the col des saisies. This was the climb of the day; I was feeling the burn near the summit, but it lot easier than then columbiere partly due to the weather.

Lunch at the top (obscenely good lunch) then down the best descent I have ever done on a bike. There were some long straight sections allowing speeds in excess of 40mph.

Then I tried to find the white wolf hostel. Eventually I found it and was greeted by the white wolf himself. Unfortunately the hostel was no longer open and it has turned into an ex seasonaires drug addict retreat. Was about to ask if I could stay there anyway (as it would have been fun) but a big black labrador chased me away.

So back into beaufort and in a rocking cheap hotel. Went to visit the cheese factory here, the smell of ammonia was unreal.

Wee video of part of a col descent. Strapped my camera to the front of my bike. Maybe you can see it at the beginning in the reflection of my shades.

The Thunderstorm

About 7.5 hours cycling in torrential rain. Very different from the day before. It was raining hard when i woke. I hid in the hotel like someone sheltering from a bombing raid. I shouldnt have bothered.

Off i went out of thonon then 15 mins later realised I forgot my helmet. Take 2.

Up the first ascent of the day the col de …….. it was raining as hard as it can. Soaked to the skin by the top despite goretex then a bit cold in the wind. On the descent the rain was too much for the cyclecomputer and its died on me… no clock again.

Specialized sucks.

In the valley I was cold so barged into a restaurant and got changed into dryness. Two croisants as prep for the col de la columbiere at 1610 metres.

Easily the hardest ascent I have ever done on a bike. The torrential rain storms did not help. Made it to the top pretty tired and wet again but managed to blitz some of the supported buffties on the way up. (where you pay to have them carry your bag)

Then had coffee and crepes at the summit restaurant along with the rest of my food; Then a long descent in the rain..

I thought that it was all downhill to la clusaz but it turned out it way on the way up the next col!! Got to la clusaz and finished my water then found out that the youth hostel was even further up the next col.

Got there at 1910 hours, a pretty tough day; Food was ace although hostel was devoid of life; Went to bed exhausted; to the sounds of intensly violent thunderstorms.