French Alps 2019

[Shut Up Legs]

Sorry for the delayed reply. On the day I arrived here (17th), I realised that someone (most likely on one of the planes I took here) had given me a cold. It's been persistent, and I still have it after 4 days. So over 4 full days here (18th to 21st) I've only cycled on 2 of them, spending the other 2 stuck in Le Bourg-d'Oisans not doing much, getting bored, and looking up at all the lovely peaks I'm too unwell to climb!

Anyway, I managed a short but nice ride yesterday, cycling up to Alpe d'Huez then on to Lac Besson (northeast of and above Alpe d'Huez). The album photos below show 2 highlights of the ride.

Some Alpe d'Huez hairpins

• Shut Up Legs
• 21 Jun 2019

Part of the way up to Alpe d'Huez, you can look down and see several of the hairpin bends, with...

Lac Besson

• Shut Up Legs
• 21 Jun 2019

Nortwest of Alpe d'Huez and above it, Lac Besson sits surrounded by Alpine views. It is very...

Regards,

--- Victor.

 

[briantrumpet]

Sorry for the delayed reply. On the day I arrived here (17th), I realised that someone (most likely on one of the planes I took here) had given me a cold. It's been persistent, and I still have it after 4 days. So over 4 full days here (18th to 21st) I've only cycled on 2 of them, spending the other 2 stuck in Le Bourg-d'Oisans not doing much, getting bored, and looking up at all the lovely peaks I'm too unwell to climb!

Bad luck - that stinks, but at least you're in situ ready for when your cold buggrs off. But watch out for the heat wave heading your way... you might enjoy the excuse not to overdo it yet a while. The mountains will wait for you.

 

[classic33]

Try ice cream. Eaten at a time you'd normally be doing very little. Going to be hard, given the time difference.

 

[classic33]

Any improvement @Shut Up Legs?

 

[Shut Up Legs]

The cold is not quite gone, and a very persistent cough arrived. From the 21st to 24th I just sat in the B&B, and went on short walks through the town when that got too boring. Finally I'd had a gutful yesterday of looking at the surrounding mountains and not riding up them, and so I rode up nearby Alpe d'Huez in the hottest part of the afternoon, and it was about 35 deg at the top.

Today I did a proper ride of 80km, riding up to Col du Sabot (2115m), with a side trip from Lac du Verney up to Oz the village, and then farther up to Oz the ski station. I had to, of course, because it's Oz! The ride was very hard work, as this area has a heatwave, and the temperature reached 40 deg during the climb to the col, and was 37 even at the col. This seemed odd, because the unsigned col is only identified by the sealed road ending, and today the end of the sealed road was covered in a large patch of snow! It was weird, standing there, dripping with sweat, looking at the snow.

The 2 album photos below show a few highlights of the long, hot ride.

Lac du Verney

• Shut Up Legs
• 26 Jun 2019

Photo taken from partway up the climb to Oz en Oisans ski station.

Hairpin bends on Col du Sabot climb

• Shut Up Legs
• 26 Jun 2019

Regards,

--- Victor.

 

[Shadow]

Am quite envious; enjoy the rest of your trip.
Absinthe could well clear up the any remaining cold/cough/virus or other nasties!

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

Absinthe could well clear up the any remaining cold/cough/virus or other nasties!

Ah yes, the Vicks VapoRub treatment....

 

[classic33]

The cold is not quite gone, and a very persistent cough arrived. From the 21st to 24th I just sat in the B&B, and went on short walks through the town when that got too boring. Finally I'd had a gutful yesterday of looking at the surrounding mountains and not riding up them, and so I rode up nearby Alpe d'Huez in the hottest part of the afternoon, and it was about 35 deg at the top.

Today I did a proper ride of 80km, riding up to Col du Sabot (2115m), with a side trip from Lac du Verney up to Oz the village, and then farther up to Oz the ski station. I had to, of course, because it's Oz! The ride was very hard work, as this area has a heatwave, and the temperature reached 40 deg during the climb to the col, and was 37 even at the col. This seemed odd, because the unsigned col is only identified by the sealed road ending, and today the end of the sealed road was covered in a large patch of snow! It was weird, standing there, dripping with sweat, looking at the snow.

The 2 album photos below show a few highlights of the long, hot ride.

Lac du Verney

• Shut Up Legs
• 26 Jun 2019

Photo taken from partway up the climb to Oz en Oisans ski station.

Hairpin bends on Col du Sabot climb

• Shut Up Legs
• 26 Jun 2019

Regards,

--- Victor.

No snow in them! Not imagining things were you. Heatwave and snow on the ground.

Ah yes, the Vicks VapoRub treatment.... View attachment 472741

On the soles of your feet for a cough.

 

[Globalti]

You probably caught the cold from touching your eyes or nose after being in airports where lots of viruses are stuck to door handles. Frequent hand-washing is the answer as well as learning not to rub your eyes or pick your nose!

My regular cycling buddy is heading for the eastern end of the Pyrenees today, with some trepidation on hearing the forecast.

 

[Shut Up Legs]

Am quite envious; enjoy the rest of your trip.
Absinthe could well clear up the any remaining cold/cough/virus or other nasties!

That would kill me, never mind the bugs! I haven't drunk a drop of alcohol in over 10 years.

 

[Shut Up Legs]

I managed another 80km ride today, this time up to Le Col de la Croix de Fer (at 2065m). I rode up there 3 years ago, and have wanted to return since, as it was one of my favourites from my 2016 cycling trp to France.

I still woke up tired and coughing, because the cough starts every evening, shows no signs of leaving any time soon, and is making sleep difficult. I'm not going to let it spoil this trip, though.

The heatwave continues, with today also in the mid 30s. The local Romanche & Oisans edition of Le Dauphiné have given it the name "canicule", which literally translates to "dog days"

2 of the 3 album photos below show the view over Lac de Grand Maison (one of France's many dammed lakes built for hydroelectricity, and about halfway up the climb), and the 3rd shows the iron cross for which the col is named. Aren't the reflections on the lake nice?

Lac de Grand Maison (1 of 2)

• Shut Up Legs
• 27 Jun 2019

Lac de Grand Maison (2 of 2)

• Shut Up Legs
• 27 Jun 2019

Le Croix de Fer (at the col)

• Shut Up Legs
• 27 Jun 2019

Regards,

---Victor.

 

[bianchi1]

Looks brilliant. One of my favourite places to cycle. There is talk about building a road/cycle way from the top of the Sabot down to that lake. Will certainly make a few more interesting rides without having to do a 'out and back' on the same roads.

Hope the cold gets better and the heat drops off a bit.

 

[Shut Up Legs]

A shorter one today, a 50km return trip up to Alpe d'Huez (my 4th time up to it) then on and up to Col de Sarenne, which is reached via a winding road next to a river valley. The road at one spot crosses the river and the valley, over the Pont de Sarenne. It was hard work, not just because of the mid 30s heat of the European heatwave, but because the road is narrow and bumpy, which makes the pedaling tougher.

Valley between Alpe d'Huez and Col de Sarenne

• Shut Up Legs
• 28 Jun 2019

Alpe d'Huez is visible in the background.

Regards,

--- Victor.

 

[Shut Up Legs]

Today I left Le Bourg-d'Oisans and moved to La Tuvière, a blink-and-you'll miss it town at altitude 1380m, and containing the Chalet La Tuvière, a B&B (with half board) for cyclists in summer and skiers in winter, and for walkers also. It's my home for the next 2.5 weeks.

A few hours after arriving there, I was driven down to the valley to the large town of Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne at 580m altitude, where I picked up my hire bike for the next 2.5 weeks and rode it back up to La Tuvière, a 10km ride with 800m of climbing, so an 8% average grade. The album photo below shows my reward for getting there: spectacular views.

One difference to Le Bourg-d'Oisans (voitures, toujours) is that it's so quiet here (except for the rumbling of thunder from the Alpine thunderstorm that's passing by now).

Regards,

--- Victor.

Part of Vallée de la Maurienne

• Shut Up Legs
• 1 Jul 2019

Viewed from La Tuvière.

 

[classic33]

A little thunder isn't going to put you off is it?