The Alps Part 1

I apologise that this has been a long time coming, but forgetting my laptop, and then having a fever and being in bed for 3 days after my return has meant the blog has been postponed for more pressing issues! However, I I'm recovered now and here is the first instalment of my blog from the mountains.

With the start of the trip already delayed for a day due to car problems, we decided to to travel through the night so as to not miss out on a training day. With my Dad and brother - Andy - arriving here at Midnight on Saturday (26th), it was always going to be a long journey – some 900km in fact!

We arrived in La Chambre mid afternoon, with the plan of a steady up the Col du Glandon (21km at 6.9% - although the final 3km being the toughest averaging between 10 and 12%), onto the very short ascent of the Col de la Croix de Fer (2.5km from the summit of Glandon and nothing to write home about) and then down to Saint Sorlin d'Arves, which would be our accommodation for the next few days.

With the travelling out of our legs, we decided on a longer day for Monday (28th). Straight out of the accommodation and onto the 20km descent of the Croix de Fer, followed by 10km on the main valley road, we reached the town Saint Michel de Maurienne. Our first climb of the day was the 'unmentionable' Col du Telegraph, the descent on which I crashed last year and still have the scars to show it! After the short descent into Valloire we reached the main climb of the day – the fearsome Col du Galibier. 18.9km at 6.9% makes Galibier on paper an easier climb that that of Glandon, although the reality is that Galibier is, in my experience, one of the hardest passes in the Alps. After the long drag following and empty river bed, you suddenly head upwards and it never eases, the last section of hairpins averaging over 10%.

After the fantastic descent off the Galibier we headed back up to the top of the Telegraph and then home!

The next day we headed in the opposite direction, out of the accommodation and the final 6 km (the steepest section by far) of the Croix de Fer. With no warm up whatsoever, we were going to take it very easy, up until 1 minute into the ride when I was overtaken by what can only be described as a “chopper”. My psychological need to warm up was overcome by my psychological need to beat him, and so I set off in a all out pursuit. Marvelling at my success at the summit, taking some 15 minutes from him left me particularly satisfied in my hollow victory. We then retraced the footsteps/pedal strokes of our first ride – the fast flowing descent of Glandon being my favourite of the whole week. Arriving in La Chambre, we headed to the base of Col de la Madeleine, a climb to be scaled in stage 9 of this years Tour de France, all be it from the other side, although both directions are similarly brutal. Suffering from my (unrequired) earlier efforts, the Madeleine seemed to go on forever, its 20km slopes never really easing from 7 or 8% and often reaching 10 – 11% for a few kilometres mid climb. After what I think was about an hour and a half of climbing (although which seemed like all day), the summit was welcome sight. After an incredibly hot morning, the clouds suddenly appeared as we sat sipping cool cola in the café at the summit (Euro). With the owners of the café frantically pulling chairs and tables in, it became quite apparent that we were about to be caught in an Alpine storm, 2000m above sea level. The plan for the ride was to descend the other side of the Madeleine and ride to Albertville where Dad would pick us up in the car (after his own ride/walk up the Madeleine with the car in La Chambre. However, accompanied by 2 motorcyclist we decided against the descent and waited for the storm to pass. It didn't. After something like 2 hours, we got in the car at the summit and totally avoided the storm – (very Euro). Despite the shortened ride, it was still a tough day, and we headed to La Giettaz where we would be spending the rest of the week with Andy's team, the Cambridge University Cycling team (CUCC).

The following day turned out to be the hardest day of cycling I (and I think I speak for most of us with this) have ever done. Descending from La Giettaz (situated half way down the south face of the Col de AAravis) and into Flumet the 9 of us started the Col de Saisies – 15km at 5%, although kicking up to over 10% at one point. After a chronically slow, yet very hard through and off effort, the inevitable when any group of riders comes together happened and an all out sprint for the line emerged in the last 2 kilometres (which I won. woo.) Regrouping at the top, we headed down the Saisais and onto the only flat section of the entire day – 2 km into Beaufort.

Having filled the bottles in Beaufort (so everyone was carrying the same weight penalty, of course) we started the ascent of the Cormet de Roseland, and an all out race was declared from the bottom!
The climb is never especially steep but constantly at a tough gradient, enough to bring many hairpins to negotiate. After a brutal early pace set by James, just Wojciech and I remained on the wheel and the 3 of us worked our way up the mountain tapping out a solid pace. After 10km or so I led the 'race' solo and held onto the advantage on the 2 km or so decent around the Lac de Roseland before the final 6 km ascent to the line. After an hour at the summit and a Holt double puncture, we regrouped at the top and swiftly re split: Andy, James, Wojciech, Holt and I decided to continue down the other side of the Cormet de Roseland to Bourg Saint Maurice while the others headed back home - a far wiser decision.

After a good Café stop, we restarted the Cormet from the South face, headed by Holt. After another 20km of climbing (thankfully not racing this time) and an hour and a half later we were back at the summit, and already feeling a little low on energy. After the descent we reached our flat 2km section and rather ludicrously;y decided it was a good time for some flat out chaingang! This was not an intelligent idea. With another 15km climb up the Saisais ahead, most of us were feeling pretty wrecked and not looking forward to at least another hour up the climb. Despite riding up it together steady, Andy and Wojciech the only 2 left to fight for the honours at the top with Wojciech taking the points. Much to their surprise I did however nearly catch them at the top having taken advantage of a neatly placed handle on a slowly moving tractor for the last kilometre!. Again we regrouped at the top and all were now beyond wrecked. After last years crash on the Telegraph, I had been descending very cautiously, but now my fear of descending was overcome by my need to get back. In Flumet we had just 6km to La Giettaz including 2 km of descending but this was the hardest ascent I have ever done. With absolutely no energy reserves left I think we averaged something like 6 or 7 kph! Finally we made it back, with a ride time of nearly 7 hours and more than 4500metres of climbing in just 140km.

Note: bring more food next time!