On top of the world!

Or 8,648ft to be precise!  Due to the presence of some dangerous tunnels we took the bikes part way, using a temporary emergency road, which has been built to replace the main road, closed since a tunnel collapsed. (The tunnels I referred to above are dangerous due to being narrow, dark and busy). It was a bit overcast when we started as can be seen from the summit photo, but it gradually cleared and we got some stunning views in all directions - we are planning to do the climb from the other side next week - the more traditional TdF route. The top was busy with motorcyclists and a charity ride from the UK (Royal Marsden breast cancer care) all in rather eye watering 'barbie pink' kit - with motorists getting in everyone's way as some bright spark had parked in the entrance to the small turning area and disappeared. Chris would have been happy to stay and watch the resulting chaos for the rest of the day - but we had another mountain to climb, so headed back to the car and retraced  our route over the emergency road to park at the Chambon barrage, where we had lunch before heading off, uphill again, to the village of Les Deux Alps - hereafter referred to as 'The Village of the Damned' (VoD for short). It is a huge place, but was basically shut, not a stray cat, all the shops were closed, the Tourist Office was shuttered and all bar 2 of the cafes were firmly closed (including the Irish Pub - so obviously not an authentic place). Despite all 4 supermarkets being barred and shuttered we managed to get a cold drink in one of the 2 open cafes before doing a sightseeing (!!) loop and coming back to the Main Street to be surrounded by about 20 donkeys wandering along, all saddled up but no riders......We left quickly, returning by another vertiginous balcony road, with a dramatic drop-off to our right, but no cars so we were able to ride well away from the edge.

Our 4 Middlesbrough cyclists left this morning, to be replaced by 2 Dutch lads, which might at least mean we get to bed a bit earlier after a bit less wine!!

Time to recover

The Mechanic is on strike!  Cycling was not to be considered, so a gentle walk appeared on the agenda - although some may argue that 'gentle', 'walk' and 'Hume' are words not often found in the same sentence. We drove the 3 miles to Bourg d'Oisans and left the car (the only walking route being along the main road, which has a bike lane but no pavement. We had decided on flat walking (or to be more precise I was instructed accordingly), so we set off along the river on a good track, which soon veered off into some trees, which gave welcome shade although the path was actually quite boggy in places due to marsh land around it. We were soon climbing up to a waterfall, which fortunately was worth the effort, then continued along the path, which was now part of GR 54 (I think - may have got the number wrong). Thîs was wooded and eventually started to run along and above a fast flowing river, with incredible noise as it raced over the rocks.  We had lunch sitting on rocks right at the water's edge and couldn't really hear each other above the noise.

Eventually we popped out on a road about 5k from here and had no option but to walk down it. Not busy but very exposed to the sun and extremely hot. We staggered in to the B&B for cold drinks on the terrace, then had to get back on the bikes to ride into town and collect the car. By mistake I had left a vat of suncream in the back and it is now a vat of liquid. We tackled the local supermarket for some lunch supplies and were amazed at the anarchy that reigns (we have observed this in other places, but assumed it was just a one-off occurrence). The self service area is permanently closed off (French unions protecting jobs), the basket only checkpoint is not understood by the tourists and is regarded with disdain by the French, weighing and pricing the fruit and veg is hampered by the fact that items have no label on them e.g. 4 types of apple available but no indication of what type they are - which you need to know in order to enter them on the machine. I always feel as if I have been in a wrestling match by the time I escape - usually minus the one item I really needed. Now relaxing while the outdoor pizza over is being fired up for dinner.  

Heat, hills and punctured legs

So today being Thursday we decided to tackle Alpe d'Huez wearing our Bristol Thursday Old Timers cycle shirts. The climb including 21 hairpins has a sort of mythical status for many cyclists, but in reality is just long and not particularly steep (relative to many others round here). As we aren't planning a repeat trip we stopped to take pictures and enjoy the spectacular views every 6 bends or so (depending where is was safe to do so). We had been warned that the apparent summit, complete with finish line and mock podium, is not in fact where the TdF finishes, so we carried on for a further 2k or so to a rather deserted street with a few other cyclists milling about. I'll be very interested to watch the next time they do the Alpe on the tour having seen the route myself - the finish being rather busier on the day!!  The village of AdH (or the small part that is actually open in summer) was packed with sweaty blokes, with the odd equally sweaty woman scattered through the crowd, all discussing bikes, gearing ratios, power outputs and the quality of the beer.  We headed upwards to Lac Besson (which is at around 6,900ft) and then returned to AdH for lunch and to buy a couple of bike shirts to mark the occasion (end of season discounted of course). We didn't go back down the hairpins but cut across a fabulous balcony road with stunning views over the Oisan valley. It got progressively hotter as the day went on and by the time we dropped into the valley it was stifling, which necessitated a stop for cold drinks and coffee eclairs in Bourg before heading back to our place. 

Pictures today are of the climb and the scenery. The Mechanic is now officially on strike so no plans for tomorrow - yet!!!!

Swapping 2 wheels for 2 legs

This seemed like a good idea at the time, but after 3,000ft of ascent straight up an apparently perpendicular cliff we were 't so sure. It was really hot but fortunately most of the climb was in the shade of the trees and by the time we finally popped out at the Col de Solude there was some cloud to cool things off - plus of course we were significantly higher up! I carried on up to the Col de St Jean (another 500 feet) while Chris staged a sit-in at the picnic table until I got back. After lunch we thought we had a nice downhill walk to Villard Notre Dame, but the path immediately headed back up for a further 300ft and then undulated along before finally descending to the village. From here we had planned to take a footpath back to Bourg d'Oisans but after taking one look at the nearly sheer track that was waymarked we opted out and walked down the twisting Tarmac road. It took an hour and a half and we saw three cars in total. I wouldn't have wanted to cycle down as the road is extremely narrow, has 4 unlit tunnels and the drop off the side is about 2,000 ft of vertical rock face. Even walking we were glad to get back. Our hosts were having the night off cooking so we ventured into Bourg to eat. The first thing you notice is the extremely high proportion of blokes around with testosterone fuelled bragging going on all around. There are a few couples, mainly older, sitting in the corners trying not to be noticed.  We fell in a sort of half way house, cyclists but neither young nor particularly loud (Chris might not agree with that).  The photos today aren't great I'm afraid - one tree looks much like another and vertical drops are hard to capture on film........

Not sure what we'll be up to tomorrow - the mechanic is muttering darkly about a rest day. Already????

What goes up continues to go up.........

So Day 1 of the Tour de Hume and, perhaps foolishly, we decided to do a route with 6,600ft of climbing. This involved starting up Alpe D'Huez to the 16th hairpin (starts at 21 and counts down to the top) then turning off and riding along the Auris balcony road which is a vertiginous road cut into the side of the mountain and twists round high up above the valley with fabulous views of the surrounding mountains. It eventually tops out, followed by the inevitable descent back down to the valley floor before we headed up a nine mile climb to the Col de Sarenne at 1,999m (or 6,600ft in old money). After the initial steep climb back out of the valley the climb was just long and steady (very long) until we finally managed to reach the top. The climb up had been virtually traffic free (as was the balcony road) with only a few cyclists to show we were on a recognised route. From the Col we descended to Alpe D'Huez which seemed a bit weird, but was very welcome after all the uphill stuff. Here we had an epic fail - approaching from an odd direction we did several circuits and were unable to find anything open, the summit of the TdF climb or the route down via the 21 hairpins. Trapped in a ski resort that was like a vision of hell, we eventually took a road signed Bourg d'Oisans and managed to join the main road between hairpins 2 & 3. We found the descent tiring as we constantly on the brakes and you could probably have fried an egg on the rims of my wheels - but we made it down safely with time to visit the local pharmacy to try and buy dental floss. Frankly I thought my mime of dental hygiene should have won an award (who actually knows the French for dental floss???) but it seemed to create some confusion amongst the staff and other customers.

Back here we have enjoyed tea and cake on the balcony and an excellent meal cooked by our hosts and eaten with them and the other cyclists, a really sociable way to holiday while being able to cycle on your own during the day.  Photos are various of the ride / scenery

Le Velo Jaune

Le Velo Jaune is where we are now established with 4 other cyclists (of about our vintage) from Middlesborough. We had a great night's sleep thanks to efficient air con and a quiet room, so woke ready to tackle more French motorways. We have now travelled around 575 miles in France, 550 at least on motorways. Verdict - very expensive with the tolls, very efficient with only 2 miles of minor roadworks and no congestion. Lots of rest areas (as opposed to service areas) which gave opportunities for leg stretching in rural conditions with far fewer car/ people. We got to Bourg d'Oisans (after an unscheduled circuit of Grenoble 😡) at lunchtime with high temps and full sun. We had a refined lunch of bananas wedged into a baguette, eaten while sitting on a kerb outside a closed restaurant........

Our accommodation for the next 8 days is Le Velo Jaune, a B&B with optional evening meals. Just 3 rooms and owned by a couple of British blokes who only bought it at the start of this season. We are 3 miles outside the village so eating here is the easy option, but we did cycle back in to stock up with fruit / snacks for the rides. The rooms here are certainly basic, but the lounge / dining area / balcony are to die for - all available to guests at any time. We are currently watching the highlights of the Vuelta with the othe cyclists. The evening meal was fabulous, all homemade and plentiful - just wish we had ridden further so we could enjoy it to the full!

Cycling proper starts tomorrow and we have a circuit of over 65 miles planned with 6,600 ft of ascent. Lots of photo stops planned.........

Below is a view on the ride back from Bourg, Chris in relaxed mode last night and our accommodation 

The Humes are on holiday

How else do you explain a collapsed motorway bridge on the M20 just a few hours before we try to get to Ashford, a Premier Inn where the room temperatures never dipped below 28.5 degrees C, the wrong debit card from our joint account being unable to access the self service check-in kiosks at Le Shuttle and all the directional arrows to France being blanked out at the terminal.   Brexit???? Once over here we have had a good run to Dijon despite several circuits of each rest area we have visited trying to work out the signage - on one occasion we ended up on the opposite side of the Autoroute (don't ask!!).  Chris has just managed to flood the bathroom at our hotel, including his clothes which were miles from the shower - suffice to say we won't be installing a wet room anytime soon😡

Anyway on the positive side we only saw lightning today and didn't actually get caught in it. Our extended rural tour of Surrey and Kent yesterday was long and slow but scenic, we got a full refund at the hotel from hell and are relived to report that cheap wine in France is just as bad as anywhere else. Chris reckons his glass of red has missed a successful career in paint stripping AND our room tonight is air conditioned - Hallelujah! 

Photos prove we have packed quite efficiently given there are 2 bikes on board and also our hotel for the night.