Posts
Yesterday’s tomorrow came, and with it a lot of morning rain. Lots of it. I got up at 6:00, chatted with Peg a little bit online, and headed down to breakfast. The atrium where I ate has glass panels for walls and its ceiling, and the evidence was everywhere: any hope of riding at the usual time of 9:00 and doing the full ride of today’s planed route was falling as fast as the rain coming down. We went with “Plan B – 11:00 rendezvous”: If the weather looked decent come down to the lobby in biking gear, ready to ride; if not, come down to the lobby and work on Plan C.
I could see from my hotel room that the weather appeared to be improving as the morning progressed. At 10:30 it appeared good enough to sprout some optimism and I began to change into my cycling clothes. I then proceeded to the lobby and got the revised plan from the tour guides: we will “van it” down to the valley (it had begun to drizzle again) and then do the planned climbs of the day – the Col du Glandon and its sister peak the Col de la Croix de Fer. Factoring loading and travel time, we started riding from the revised start point shortly after 12 noon.
There was about a 5 mile warm-up before the climb to Glandon began, and it took us through the town of Allemond. There was still considerable cloudiness, and the occasional rain drop, but partially clearing skies in the direction we were headed gave me hope. The climb up to Glandon is about the same, distance wise, as Lautaret (13.5 miles) with a similar average gradient (5% for Glandon, 4.5% for Lautaret). But for the Glandon, the average gradient is impacted by two short descents (each about 2 miles long) so the actual average climbing gradient when climbing is higher… one stretch averaged 15%. The Glandon, while an enjoyable climb isn’t as scenic in its lower stretches as some of the other climbs I’ve done… except for passing through one village (Le Rivier d’Allemont) I was pretty much surrounded by trees for 1st half of the climb. Fortunately, I was joined by tour guide Patrick at this village and we rode together the rest of the day.
Some nice views, and switchbacks with steeper gradients, presented themselves as I approached the Grand Maison Dam. By the time I reached the dam, though, the weather had once again began to change and it appeared as if we were about to get wet. I was able to get some nice views (and pictures) of the valley up which I just climbed, and a quick glimpse of the climbing that I was about to do. But the quick moving clouds dispatched with those views in short order. It was also about 6 hours since I had last eaten anything so I was a bit hungry as well. Julien (the other guide) met Patrick and me at a parking area near the dam, and we got some nourishment and loaded our pockets with cold/wet weather gear. About ten minutes after stopping for lunch, we got on our bikes and commenced with the final 6 miles of riding. A couple of pedal strokes later, a steady rain began and I slipped on my rain jacket. Thankfully, the air temperature wasn’t so bad and riding in the rain was manageable (of course, if I had my druthers…). Another thing I was thankful for was that the wind accompanying the rain was largely a tail wind. These changing conditions, of course, meant a second day in a row where the descents down the climbs we went up were to be scrubbed.
The gradient beyond the dam was noticeably less – prior to the dam, the climbing sections were averaging around 7.5%; now, we were in the 5% range. The landscape was more open now, and I was able to see some nice waterfalls and meadows, but the peaks on either side of me were obscured by the clouds. It took just 23 minutes to reach the Col du Glandon from the dam, and there was just another 1.5 miles to go to reach the Croix de Fer, but with rain coming down and a restaurant with warm drink and food awaiting us at the Croix de Fer, there was little interest in staying longer than the time needed to take a couple of quick photos.
There was only a 200+ yard descent off the Glandon before the beginning of the final push to Croix de Fer. Once the ascent began, though, I began to push the pace a bit, realizing both this was last riding to be done for the day, and tomorrow is the transfer day to the Provence region and we’ll get in maybe a 30-mile ride on rolling terrain. Patrick and I reached the summit in just over 9 minutes, and were closely followed by Julien and the van. We ditched our bikes and some gear, took some requisite photos and headed inside the little café for some warmth and food. The rest of the group trickled in over the next 50 minutes, during which I enjoyed some hot chocolate and a waffle. Once everyone was there and similarly re-nourished, we “vanned it” down the road we just climbed. There was a brief stop in Bourg d’Oisans for some of the guys to do some souvenir shopping, and then it was back up to our hotel in Alpe d’Huez.
The entire ride for today came in at about 20 miles long, with around 5,000 feet of climbing. If you so desire, you can view the map (and elevation profile) by following this link.
Misc. Tidbits
- As some of you may know, I like the group U2. The fact is, I like many groups, and different kinds of music. Apparently, someone in the management of the hotel is fond of U2 as well… and the Cranberries, and Coldplay, and maybe another artist or two. But that’s about it. How do I know this? For the 3rd day in a row, I’ve heard the exact same *limited* playlist while in the restaurant. It hasn’t gone unnoticed by others in the group either… Julien actually asked if the music could be changed, and was told “No… the one manager likes this music.” Nice. It has gotten to the point where we know what the next song was going to be. It starts out with U2’s “Pride…” followed by The Cranberries’ “Linger”, and a couple of songs later is a song by Coldplay.
- I did enjoy a brief respite from the “broken record phenomenon” this morning during breakfast. It was actually a pretty nice moment… I was in the atrium with maybe one or two other hotel guests, eating my breakfast, watching the clouds and fog and rain move through the valley, all while listening to a block of songs by Ray Charles. Sadly, after the fourth or so Ray Charles song, I heard U2’s “Pride…” come on. Time to wrap-up breakfast.
8.06.2011
Kurt's Bike Trip in France - Part V: The "Tri-Col" Ride
Still grinning after yesterday’s ride, I woke up this morning to mostly cloudy skies and concerns that rain may alter our plans. On tap for today were 2 more “classic” climbs: Col du Lautaret and Col du Galibier. (The latter is just 5 miles beyond, and 1,800 feet above, the former.) To get to the base of Lautaret, though, required us to go over a smaller climb, Col de la Serenne.
We shoved off from the hotel shortly after 9, and worked our way up and over to Col de la Serenne. Had it not been for a rough road surface, it would have been a spectacular ride (it still comes in as pretty darn good) for the road was not busy at all, and it took us through some beautiful scenery and villages. It was cloudy most of the way, but no rain, so all was good. After reaching Col de la Serenne (a “short” 2 mile climb with an average grade of just over 7%), I descended through two “picture postcard” villages, Clavans and Mozien. When you imagine what traditional mountain villages look like, you essentially envision these two places… really quaint, quiet and charming, with hardly a hint of modern architecture, and the omnipresent church and its steeple in the center of town. I descended a little bit more after Mozien, and met up with the van at Lac du Chambon to ditch some “keep me warm” clothes, and begin the ascent to Col du Lautaret, about 15 miles away at the end of a climb averaging just over 4%. The skies cleared at this point and it was comfortably warm for the ascent.
The first half of the climb paralleled the Romanche River and took us to the village of La Grave, where we had lunch. For the second day in a row, our guides picked a very scenic place in which to get off our bikes for a bit and take in some food. Had it not been for the “business at hand” I could have easily have sat there the rest of the afternoon. But there *was* work to be done, so before my legs got too stiff, I got bike on the bike and began working my way to Col du Lautaret sitting 6.5 miles away.
I went through Villar d’Arene en route, and eventually away from the Romance River into a pair of switchbacks. The Col do Lautaret (6,752 feet above sea level) was just another 2.2 miles beyond them, and I got there, unfortunately, with the weather changing (for the worse) and views down the valley in from which I just came limited. I didn’t stay here long; just long enough to through my rain jacket and arm warmers in my back pockets, snap some photos, and take a nibble of some food – I wanted to reach Galibier before any rain came, and by that point, that looked like a near certainty.
The climb up to the Col du Galibier began at the Lautaret. It was 5 miles long, averaging 6-8% most of the way; the kicker is the last half mile or so, which averages 10%, and reaches 12% just before the summit. The climb, like Alpe d’Huez, was also part of this year’s Tour de France, and the road indicated as much… there were riders names painted *everywhere.* I could feel the weather continue changing for the worse as the climb progressed… the sun was nowhere to be seen by this point; the air was getting cooler, and not solely because I was going higher, either; and there was more of a breeze as well. I was comfortable riding in just the regular get-up of shorts and jersey, but I suspected I would need quite a bit more for the eventual descent. The weather definitely did a number on some amazing views, but I still kept on thinking… “You know what? You’re climbing the Col du Galibier… THAT’S amazing.” One “view” I did get was a little bit below the summit, with it being of a memorial to Henri Desgrange, the man credited with starting The Tour. After the memorial came the final half-mile push up the steepest part of the climb. I topped out at 8,678 feet.
By now it was noticeably cooler, well beyond “borderline cool,” so much like my stop at Lautaret, I stayed long enough to stretch the legs some, eat just a little, take some photos, and put on my arm warmers and windbreaker vest. I would have liked to stay to welcome my tour-mates, but I was getting too cold, and there was still a lot of riding and descending to do. I told the one tour guide where I’d be in the Lautaret rest area, and would wait for him and the others there.
Down I went, passing by my tour-mates on their way up, and stopping a couple of times to snap some quick photos… ones for which I didn’t want to stop on the way up. In short measure, I was back at the Col du Lautaret area, and got myself into a restaurant, sat next to a window to keep an eye on the weather (rain appeared to be moving up the valley) and ordered some hot chocolate. Some time passed and I was joined by two of my tour-mates, who were also keen on getting something warm in the stomach. And it wasn’t long after their arrival when we were joined by the remaining members in our group, and, unfortunately, the first drops of rain. We were all content being inside and getting some warm food and drink, but we all knew a decision had to be made soon about whether or not we descend by bike, or by van. The rain stopped for a little, so we paid our bill and got ready to get on our bikes. The rain began falling again in that short time, and our collective enthusiasm for descending in the cold and wet – on wet roads with cars, through switchbacks and tunnels – likewise descended. We flocked to the van, and loaded our bikes up top and ourselves inside.
Before beginning our four-wheeled descent, though, a cyclist, who obviously noticed we were about to leave and get off the Col, ran over and asked the guides if there was space for two more people and bikes. Luckily for them, there was, so he and his female companion loaded their bikes and climbed aboard for some warmth (the woman’s teeth were chattering) and the ride back down the valley. There happened to be a bar and restaurant at the drop off point and they treated us to a drink as of way of saying “Thanks.” As coincidence would have it, though, by this point the weather had cleared, but it was too late in the day to get back on the bikes and descend the rest of the way to the planned end to today’s ride. So for the day, I ended up doing about 40 miles, with 6,000 feet of elevation gain (had the day gone to plan, it would have been 62 miles and somewhere around 7,000 feet of elevation gain.)
We discussed tomorrow’s weather situation at dinner tonight… rain is practically certain in the morning, so the question is when it will taper off. Some forecasts say around noon; others not until 5:00p or so. We’ll rendezvous at 11:00a tomorrow morning and make a determination then… if it’s good, I think the plan is to do the Col du Glandon and Col de la Croix de Fer; it it’s not, we’ll hope for a 1:00p departure for some other lesser-known climbs; if it’s looking *real* bad, we may hoist the white flag for the day. But, as my friend Jamie says, “That’s tomorrow guy’s problem…” so, I’ll have to see what tomorrow brings and go from there.
The map for today’s route can be found here. Like before, if you want to see the elevation profile, go part way down the page (below the map) and click on the link called "Show" under Elevation Graph.
Misc. Tidbits
- The Col du Galibier is the most frequently climbed mountain in the Tour de France.
- Now that I’ve been on it, I’m amazed how fast the TdF riders take the descent off the Galibier. The road isn’t perfectly smooth; there were little undulations in it which made my bike move around just a little. And I was doing 35 mph or so; the Tour riders blast down it in the 50-60 mph range.
- I meant to mention this in yesterday’s Alpe d’Huez write-up, but fortunately, I was reminded to write about it by another sighting today. And what I mean by that is… Near the top of AdH yesterday, I was approaching a man riding his bike and something looked strange about it; there was something on the rack over the back wheel. As I got closer, I realized it was a dog! This man had a small, metal, open-topped crate on his back rack, and it that crate sat his dog, what appeared to a young border collier. He was chugging his way up the mountain, and the dog was just sitting there, looking around as if it were a normal day. And, perhaps for this duo, it was, for shortly after I began the ascent from Lautaret to Galibier today, I SAW THE SAME MAN COMING DOWN THE GALIBIER WITH HIS DOG ON THE BACK! Incroyable!
- The tour group I’m in is great, and quite a mixture. There’s Luis from Switzerland, who was born in Mexico, and has also lived in Canada and The Nederlands; Fernando, who was born in Puerto Rico and now lives in Florida; and Dave, from Minnesota, who was born in Mexico and is quite fluent in French and Spanish, so can converse with *anyone* in the group. Fernando let us in on amazing factoid the other day – Alpe d’Huez was his first climb… ever… anywhere! He said for his training he spent about 90% of the time on an indoor trainer (which can’t exactly simulate the needs of climbing.)
We shoved off from the hotel shortly after 9, and worked our way up and over to Col de la Serenne. Had it not been for a rough road surface, it would have been a spectacular ride (it still comes in as pretty darn good) for the road was not busy at all, and it took us through some beautiful scenery and villages. It was cloudy most of the way, but no rain, so all was good. After reaching Col de la Serenne (a “short” 2 mile climb with an average grade of just over 7%), I descended through two “picture postcard” villages, Clavans and Mozien. When you imagine what traditional mountain villages look like, you essentially envision these two places… really quaint, quiet and charming, with hardly a hint of modern architecture, and the omnipresent church and its steeple in the center of town. I descended a little bit more after Mozien, and met up with the van at Lac du Chambon to ditch some “keep me warm” clothes, and begin the ascent to Col du Lautaret, about 15 miles away at the end of a climb averaging just over 4%. The skies cleared at this point and it was comfortably warm for the ascent.
The first half of the climb paralleled the Romanche River and took us to the village of La Grave, where we had lunch. For the second day in a row, our guides picked a very scenic place in which to get off our bikes for a bit and take in some food. Had it not been for the “business at hand” I could have easily have sat there the rest of the afternoon. But there *was* work to be done, so before my legs got too stiff, I got bike on the bike and began working my way to Col du Lautaret sitting 6.5 miles away.
I went through Villar d’Arene en route, and eventually away from the Romance River into a pair of switchbacks. The Col do Lautaret (6,752 feet above sea level) was just another 2.2 miles beyond them, and I got there, unfortunately, with the weather changing (for the worse) and views down the valley in from which I just came limited. I didn’t stay here long; just long enough to through my rain jacket and arm warmers in my back pockets, snap some photos, and take a nibble of some food – I wanted to reach Galibier before any rain came, and by that point, that looked like a near certainty.
The climb up to the Col du Galibier began at the Lautaret. It was 5 miles long, averaging 6-8% most of the way; the kicker is the last half mile or so, which averages 10%, and reaches 12% just before the summit. The climb, like Alpe d’Huez, was also part of this year’s Tour de France, and the road indicated as much… there were riders names painted *everywhere.* I could feel the weather continue changing for the worse as the climb progressed… the sun was nowhere to be seen by this point; the air was getting cooler, and not solely because I was going higher, either; and there was more of a breeze as well. I was comfortable riding in just the regular get-up of shorts and jersey, but I suspected I would need quite a bit more for the eventual descent. The weather definitely did a number on some amazing views, but I still kept on thinking… “You know what? You’re climbing the Col du Galibier… THAT’S amazing.” One “view” I did get was a little bit below the summit, with it being of a memorial to Henri Desgrange, the man credited with starting The Tour. After the memorial came the final half-mile push up the steepest part of the climb. I topped out at 8,678 feet.
By now it was noticeably cooler, well beyond “borderline cool,” so much like my stop at Lautaret, I stayed long enough to stretch the legs some, eat just a little, take some photos, and put on my arm warmers and windbreaker vest. I would have liked to stay to welcome my tour-mates, but I was getting too cold, and there was still a lot of riding and descending to do. I told the one tour guide where I’d be in the Lautaret rest area, and would wait for him and the others there.
Down I went, passing by my tour-mates on their way up, and stopping a couple of times to snap some quick photos… ones for which I didn’t want to stop on the way up. In short measure, I was back at the Col du Lautaret area, and got myself into a restaurant, sat next to a window to keep an eye on the weather (rain appeared to be moving up the valley) and ordered some hot chocolate. Some time passed and I was joined by two of my tour-mates, who were also keen on getting something warm in the stomach. And it wasn’t long after their arrival when we were joined by the remaining members in our group, and, unfortunately, the first drops of rain. We were all content being inside and getting some warm food and drink, but we all knew a decision had to be made soon about whether or not we descend by bike, or by van. The rain stopped for a little, so we paid our bill and got ready to get on our bikes. The rain began falling again in that short time, and our collective enthusiasm for descending in the cold and wet – on wet roads with cars, through switchbacks and tunnels – likewise descended. We flocked to the van, and loaded our bikes up top and ourselves inside.
Before beginning our four-wheeled descent, though, a cyclist, who obviously noticed we were about to leave and get off the Col, ran over and asked the guides if there was space for two more people and bikes. Luckily for them, there was, so he and his female companion loaded their bikes and climbed aboard for some warmth (the woman’s teeth were chattering) and the ride back down the valley. There happened to be a bar and restaurant at the drop off point and they treated us to a drink as of way of saying “Thanks.” As coincidence would have it, though, by this point the weather had cleared, but it was too late in the day to get back on the bikes and descend the rest of the way to the planned end to today’s ride. So for the day, I ended up doing about 40 miles, with 6,000 feet of elevation gain (had the day gone to plan, it would have been 62 miles and somewhere around 7,000 feet of elevation gain.)
We discussed tomorrow’s weather situation at dinner tonight… rain is practically certain in the morning, so the question is when it will taper off. Some forecasts say around noon; others not until 5:00p or so. We’ll rendezvous at 11:00a tomorrow morning and make a determination then… if it’s good, I think the plan is to do the Col du Glandon and Col de la Croix de Fer; it it’s not, we’ll hope for a 1:00p departure for some other lesser-known climbs; if it’s looking *real* bad, we may hoist the white flag for the day. But, as my friend Jamie says, “That’s tomorrow guy’s problem…” so, I’ll have to see what tomorrow brings and go from there.
The map for today’s route can be found here. Like before, if you want to see the elevation profile, go part way down the page (below the map) and click on the link called "Show" under Elevation Graph.
Misc. Tidbits
- The Col du Galibier is the most frequently climbed mountain in the Tour de France.
- Now that I’ve been on it, I’m amazed how fast the TdF riders take the descent off the Galibier. The road isn’t perfectly smooth; there were little undulations in it which made my bike move around just a little. And I was doing 35 mph or so; the Tour riders blast down it in the 50-60 mph range.
- I meant to mention this in yesterday’s Alpe d’Huez write-up, but fortunately, I was reminded to write about it by another sighting today. And what I mean by that is… Near the top of AdH yesterday, I was approaching a man riding his bike and something looked strange about it; there was something on the rack over the back wheel. As I got closer, I realized it was a dog! This man had a small, metal, open-topped crate on his back rack, and it that crate sat his dog, what appeared to a young border collier. He was chugging his way up the mountain, and the dog was just sitting there, looking around as if it were a normal day. And, perhaps for this duo, it was, for shortly after I began the ascent from Lautaret to Galibier today, I SAW THE SAME MAN COMING DOWN THE GALIBIER WITH HIS DOG ON THE BACK! Incroyable!
- The tour group I’m in is great, and quite a mixture. There’s Luis from Switzerland, who was born in Mexico, and has also lived in Canada and The Nederlands; Fernando, who was born in Puerto Rico and now lives in Florida; and Dave, from Minnesota, who was born in Mexico and is quite fluent in French and Spanish, so can converse with *anyone* in the group. Fernando let us in on amazing factoid the other day – Alpe d’Huez was his first climb… ever… anywhere! He said for his training he spent about 90% of the time on an indoor trainer (which can’t exactly simulate the needs of climbing.)
8.05.2011
Kurt's Bike Trip in France - Part IV (Alpe d'Huez)
End of August 4, 2011
I met up with the tour group and guides in the early afternoon, and made the approximate hour-long drive to Alpe d’Huez, where our hotel is for the next couple of nights. Of course, to get to it meant making our way up the famous climb with the similar name, which acted as a nice scouting mission for what lies ahead tomorrow when I get to climb it on two wheels, and not an internal-combustion-aided four. A little write-up on the mountain, it’s climb and other miscellany can be found here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpe_d'Huez
An hour or so after arriving at the hotel and getting checked and settled in, we rendezvoused in the lobby in order to do a short ride to get the legs moving some and see how our REI-provided bikes were working for us. The route was to go down the mountain about 2K, across the hillside on a road to another village (Villard Reculas) and then back. All in all it took a little over an hour, after which I showered, met the group in the hotel lobby for a little orientation, and had dinner.
Thru mid-afternoon of August 5
I woke up at 6:45a after a so-so night’s sleep. I was tired last night at bedtime (10:30p), so fell asleep quickly. But for one reason or another, woke up at 12:30a and had difficulty falling back asleep. Whatever the case…
As mentioned above, the noted climb for today’s ride is Alpe d’Huez, a very storied one in the annals of Le Tour de France. But before we did that, there was some other riding to do, beginning with a descent down our later-in-the-day climb, and then following a river valley (uphill) for what I and others thought would be a gentle climb (say 3% average.) Well, it ended up being more than that… in 9.5 miles, we climbed 2530 feet, which comes in at 4.5%. But that figure masks a couple things… there were 2 short descents which keep the average grade number low, and there were some sections that were 12-15%. And this was just the warm-up climb. We stopped in the village of Saint Christoph en Oisan and had lunch. And once that was done, we all got to the business at hand, and headed back to the base of Alpe d’Huez for an hour-plus of climbing a hill that is 8.5 miles along with an average gradient about 8%.
I had two goals for the climb. The first was to *really* enjoy the moment, which I did… I mean really, this is a once-in-a-lifetime ride, and I’d be a fool to not appreciate my surroundings, the splendor of this climb, and the cycling legends who went up it. The second was to finish it in less than twice the time of the record time (which is 37 minutes, 35 seconds.) And I accomplished that, too, finishing it in 1h 9m 51s. But, as the adage goes, time flies when you’re having fun… hitting the start of the climb and then immediately dealing with 1.5 miles at 10-12%; rounding “Dutch corner” where tons of Dutch spectators gather during Le Tour and have orange painted all over the road; seeing the names of past Alpe d’Huez stage winners on signs at the 21 switchbacks; reading the hundreds (thousands?) of messages painted on the roads by spectators; reaching the village of Alpe d’Huez and hitting that “1K to go” sign and just going all out until the uphill finish. It may not have been a record, but that 1h 9m 51s flew by.
And now, it’s time to relax and enjoy the afternoon… I’m sitting on my hotel’s room balcony, typing this up, listening to a nearby waterfall, and watching rain showers pass through. And getting recovered for tomorrow… I’m going to climb Col du Lautaret and Col du Galibier. Pinch me…
Misc.
- Follow this link to see a map of today's ride: http://www.openrunner.com/index.php?id=1146420. Things are in metric so convert at will. Also, if you want to see the elevation profile, go part way down the page, under the map, and click on the link called "Show" under Elevation Graph.
- I know I said I'd post my trip pictures later (and I will), but I just couldn't resist...
I met up with the tour group and guides in the early afternoon, and made the approximate hour-long drive to Alpe d’Huez, where our hotel is for the next couple of nights. Of course, to get to it meant making our way up the famous climb with the similar name, which acted as a nice scouting mission for what lies ahead tomorrow when I get to climb it on two wheels, and not an internal-combustion-aided four. A little write-up on the mountain, it’s climb and other miscellany can be found here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpe_d'Huez
An hour or so after arriving at the hotel and getting checked and settled in, we rendezvoused in the lobby in order to do a short ride to get the legs moving some and see how our REI-provided bikes were working for us. The route was to go down the mountain about 2K, across the hillside on a road to another village (Villard Reculas) and then back. All in all it took a little over an hour, after which I showered, met the group in the hotel lobby for a little orientation, and had dinner.
Thru mid-afternoon of August 5
I woke up at 6:45a after a so-so night’s sleep. I was tired last night at bedtime (10:30p), so fell asleep quickly. But for one reason or another, woke up at 12:30a and had difficulty falling back asleep. Whatever the case…
As mentioned above, the noted climb for today’s ride is Alpe d’Huez, a very storied one in the annals of Le Tour de France. But before we did that, there was some other riding to do, beginning with a descent down our later-in-the-day climb, and then following a river valley (uphill) for what I and others thought would be a gentle climb (say 3% average.) Well, it ended up being more than that… in 9.5 miles, we climbed 2530 feet, which comes in at 4.5%. But that figure masks a couple things… there were 2 short descents which keep the average grade number low, and there were some sections that were 12-15%. And this was just the warm-up climb. We stopped in the village of Saint Christoph en Oisan and had lunch. And once that was done, we all got to the business at hand, and headed back to the base of Alpe d’Huez for an hour-plus of climbing a hill that is 8.5 miles along with an average gradient about 8%.
I had two goals for the climb. The first was to *really* enjoy the moment, which I did… I mean really, this is a once-in-a-lifetime ride, and I’d be a fool to not appreciate my surroundings, the splendor of this climb, and the cycling legends who went up it. The second was to finish it in less than twice the time of the record time (which is 37 minutes, 35 seconds.) And I accomplished that, too, finishing it in 1h 9m 51s. But, as the adage goes, time flies when you’re having fun… hitting the start of the climb and then immediately dealing with 1.5 miles at 10-12%; rounding “Dutch corner” where tons of Dutch spectators gather during Le Tour and have orange painted all over the road; seeing the names of past Alpe d’Huez stage winners on signs at the 21 switchbacks; reading the hundreds (thousands?) of messages painted on the roads by spectators; reaching the village of Alpe d’Huez and hitting that “1K to go” sign and just going all out until the uphill finish. It may not have been a record, but that 1h 9m 51s flew by.
And now, it’s time to relax and enjoy the afternoon… I’m sitting on my hotel’s room balcony, typing this up, listening to a nearby waterfall, and watching rain showers pass through. And getting recovered for tomorrow… I’m going to climb Col du Lautaret and Col du Galibier. Pinch me…
Misc.
- Follow this link to see a map of today's ride: http://www.openrunner.com/index.php?id=1146420. Things are in metric so convert at will. Also, if you want to see the elevation profile, go part way down the page, under the map, and click on the link called "Show" under Elevation Graph.
- I know I said I'd post my trip pictures later (and I will), but I just couldn't resist...
8.04.2011
Kurt's Bike Trip in France - Part III
Latter Parts of August 3
I am pleased to report that my favorable view of French cuisine has been resuscitated (with this being only my 4th trip to the country, I know enough to say it is usually quite good, and know my dinner on the first night here to be an aberration.) The restaurant I chose served a wonderful dish of chicken in a creamy morel mushroom sauce, with a side of au gratin potatoes. It was de-lish. And filling, so I decided to pass on their tempting handmade desserts in order to walk some, and find a creperie to satisfy my sweet tooth. I eventually came to regret this decision, as the only creperie I found was closed, and had to settle for what apparently a lot of other French people were doing that time of night… getting their dessert from McDonalds. I had a McFlurry with bits of Kit Kat… not nearly as satisfying as the crepe with Nutella and banana that I had hoped for.
After that it was a short stroll back to the hotel, and lights out.
Early Parts of August 4
Awaking at 7:00, I was still a little full from last night’s chicken-morel-McFlurry smorgasbord, so delayed going down to breakfast for a bit. I instead turned on the TV to catch up what’s going on in the world… from what I hear, don’t plan any vacations to Syria right now, Congress has screwed over some FAA employees, Tiger Woods is playing golf again, Al Shabaab is essentially torturing Somalis by disrupting aid, there’s a storm heading towards the Caribbean, and the US has its first African American president. All very compelling stories in their own right.
After some primping, I made it down to the hotel’s breakfast. Say or think what you want about the French people, but any people that make Nutella available as part of their breakfast offerings can’t be completely bad, I feel.
I know I usually do these write-ups later in the day, but the “organized tour” part of my trip begins today… in a little over 2 hours actually. I’m not sure precisely what my free time will be like later today once it begins, so I figured I would get you good folks caught up with things while I had some free time. And just in case you’re interested in what lays in store for me, cycling-wise, over the next several days, here’s a link to my itinerary: http://www.rei.com/adventures/trips/europe/ecf.html
I am pleased to report that my favorable view of French cuisine has been resuscitated (with this being only my 4th trip to the country, I know enough to say it is usually quite good, and know my dinner on the first night here to be an aberration.) The restaurant I chose served a wonderful dish of chicken in a creamy morel mushroom sauce, with a side of au gratin potatoes. It was de-lish. And filling, so I decided to pass on their tempting handmade desserts in order to walk some, and find a creperie to satisfy my sweet tooth. I eventually came to regret this decision, as the only creperie I found was closed, and had to settle for what apparently a lot of other French people were doing that time of night… getting their dessert from McDonalds. I had a McFlurry with bits of Kit Kat… not nearly as satisfying as the crepe with Nutella and banana that I had hoped for.
After that it was a short stroll back to the hotel, and lights out.
Early Parts of August 4
Awaking at 7:00, I was still a little full from last night’s chicken-morel-McFlurry smorgasbord, so delayed going down to breakfast for a bit. I instead turned on the TV to catch up what’s going on in the world… from what I hear, don’t plan any vacations to Syria right now, Congress has screwed over some FAA employees, Tiger Woods is playing golf again, Al Shabaab is essentially torturing Somalis by disrupting aid, there’s a storm heading towards the Caribbean, and the US has its first African American president. All very compelling stories in their own right.
After some primping, I made it down to the hotel’s breakfast. Say or think what you want about the French people, but any people that make Nutella available as part of their breakfast offerings can’t be completely bad, I feel.
I know I usually do these write-ups later in the day, but the “organized tour” part of my trip begins today… in a little over 2 hours actually. I’m not sure precisely what my free time will be like later today once it begins, so I figured I would get you good folks caught up with things while I had some free time. And just in case you’re interested in what lays in store for me, cycling-wise, over the next several days, here’s a link to my itinerary: http://www.rei.com/adventures/trips/europe/ecf.html
8.03.2011
Kurt's Bike Trip in France - Part Deux
The Latter Parts of August 2
I did indeed stroll around old town and city centre Grenoble last night, to see what there is to see and grab a bite to eat. Quick impressions on the city: the city is nestled by two rivers, the Drac and Isere, and seemingly surrounded on all sides by mountains. My early and limited impressions are that it’s a decent city with some nice architecture here and there, but for the most part, uninspiring. As far as I can tell, the city doesn’t have that one cathedral or building in the heart of it that “anchors” the city. It does have a fort nestled high on a hillside across the one river that is imposing (and I plan to visit it tomorrow) but I haven’t seen one thing that makes me go “Wow!” One factor that is also keeping me from raving about the city is the graffiti… there’s a lot of it, and sadly on many nice looking sites and buildings. It is a very walkable city, though, with a couple of pedestrian only areas, and I found those tonight and enjoyed exploring them a bit.
As for dinner, while I’m sure there are many fine examples of both French and regional cuisine here in Grenoble, the place I chose isn’t one of them. Thankfully, I was seated outside on a beautiful evening, and they had Hoegaarden on tap. (I’ll do some research and ask at the hotel front desk for suggestions for tomorrow night.) After choking down dinner, I decided – and needed – to stroll around some more, and took a good 40 minute walk to get back to my hotel. Once there, the fatigue from the last couple of days hit me. I got ready for bed, nodded off some, and finally did lights-out at 11:30.
Up Through Late Afternoon of August 3
How fatigued was I? I got up just before 10:00 this morning! I didn’t even make it down for the hotel’s breakfast. (Not to harp on it, but I think I was still digesting that dinner from last night, so wasn’t very hungry anyway.) Once I got my itinerary for today put together, I headed out shortly after 11 and headed for the Bastille (the aforementioned fort.) It probably took me a little over an hour to walk to it… it’s not that far as the crow flies, but it is about 800 feet above the city. There is a cable car that connects it to town, but I thought the walk/climb would be more interesting and enjoyable. (If you’re interested in reading about the Bastille, follow this link and/or this link.)
After strolling around the Bastille for a while and taking in those displays that were in English, I made my way back down to town to grab some lunch at an outdoor café and decide on my next stop. And that next stop was The Museum of the Resistance and of the Deportation. (My other choice was one of the art museums, but this one seemed pretty unique in it that focused on both the region’s role in the French Resistance of World War II and commemorate those locals who took part in it, and memorialize those inhabitants deported to Nazi camps. Most informational panels had English translations, so it was very easy – at least physically – to read about this region in the 1930s-1940s era; emotionally, it wasn’t as easy a read.
After the museum, I headed back to the hotel to rest my legs a bit, type up this update, and shower before heading out for dinner. Tomorrow at 1:30p, I meet up with my group, head on down to Bourg d'Oisans at some point, and maybe go out for a short "get the legs moving again" ride.
In case you are wondering, yes, I am taking pictures over here, but will upload them when my trip is over.
I did indeed stroll around old town and city centre Grenoble last night, to see what there is to see and grab a bite to eat. Quick impressions on the city: the city is nestled by two rivers, the Drac and Isere, and seemingly surrounded on all sides by mountains. My early and limited impressions are that it’s a decent city with some nice architecture here and there, but for the most part, uninspiring. As far as I can tell, the city doesn’t have that one cathedral or building in the heart of it that “anchors” the city. It does have a fort nestled high on a hillside across the one river that is imposing (and I plan to visit it tomorrow) but I haven’t seen one thing that makes me go “Wow!” One factor that is also keeping me from raving about the city is the graffiti… there’s a lot of it, and sadly on many nice looking sites and buildings. It is a very walkable city, though, with a couple of pedestrian only areas, and I found those tonight and enjoyed exploring them a bit.
As for dinner, while I’m sure there are many fine examples of both French and regional cuisine here in Grenoble, the place I chose isn’t one of them. Thankfully, I was seated outside on a beautiful evening, and they had Hoegaarden on tap. (I’ll do some research and ask at the hotel front desk for suggestions for tomorrow night.) After choking down dinner, I decided – and needed – to stroll around some more, and took a good 40 minute walk to get back to my hotel. Once there, the fatigue from the last couple of days hit me. I got ready for bed, nodded off some, and finally did lights-out at 11:30.
Up Through Late Afternoon of August 3
How fatigued was I? I got up just before 10:00 this morning! I didn’t even make it down for the hotel’s breakfast. (Not to harp on it, but I think I was still digesting that dinner from last night, so wasn’t very hungry anyway.) Once I got my itinerary for today put together, I headed out shortly after 11 and headed for the Bastille (the aforementioned fort.) It probably took me a little over an hour to walk to it… it’s not that far as the crow flies, but it is about 800 feet above the city. There is a cable car that connects it to town, but I thought the walk/climb would be more interesting and enjoyable. (If you’re interested in reading about the Bastille, follow this link and/or this link.)
After strolling around the Bastille for a while and taking in those displays that were in English, I made my way back down to town to grab some lunch at an outdoor café and decide on my next stop. And that next stop was The Museum of the Resistance and of the Deportation. (My other choice was one of the art museums, but this one seemed pretty unique in it that focused on both the region’s role in the French Resistance of World War II and commemorate those locals who took part in it, and memorialize those inhabitants deported to Nazi camps. Most informational panels had English translations, so it was very easy – at least physically – to read about this region in the 1930s-1940s era; emotionally, it wasn’t as easy a read.
After the museum, I headed back to the hotel to rest my legs a bit, type up this update, and shower before heading out for dinner. Tomorrow at 1:30p, I meet up with my group, head on down to Bourg d'Oisans at some point, and maybe go out for a short "get the legs moving again" ride.
In case you are wondering, yes, I am taking pictures over here, but will upload them when my trip is over.
8.02.2011
Kurt's Bike Trip in France - Part I
Days 1 and 2 (August 1 and 2)
With hopes of minimizing the impact of jet lag by getting a jump on the time change, I woke up at 4:30a Monday morning in Boulder (the equivalent time in France is 12:30p). My last 24 hours or so have gone swimmingly…
· The airport shuttle picked me up on time.
· I got to the airport, checked in and got through security quickly.
· The plane to Charlotte took off on time and it was a smooth flight
· The transfer in Charlotte was fine. The only “almost hiccup” was my own fault as I misread the boarding time and had to speed walk to the gate. Everything was fine, as the jetway door was just about to open when I got there.
· The overnight flight from Charlotte to Paris was smooth, and I was able to get a couple of hours of sleep (I think), with Ambien playing no small part in that.
It’s been a pretty uneventful morning, afternoon, evening and another morning thus far, which, when traveling, is perfect. [NOTE: I’m typing this part of the write-up at 9:30a in the train station at CDG, waiting to go to Grenoble. So the day isn’t over, but so far so good.] I have about a 2-hour train ride to Lyon ahead of me, where I’ll transfer to another train and spend another hour and a half getting to Grenoble. My hope is to remain active and alert until at least 8:00p.
Update: 11:40a local time. Well, my traveling luck may have come to an end. The train I’m on has come to a complete stop north of Lyon, and considering my train to Grenoble leaves in 5 minutes, my being on that train looks pretty unlikely. There was an announcement on the PA system about what is going on, but unfortunately, it was the only one this trip that they didn’t repeat en English. I thought I heard the word “animal” in the announcement, but don’t hold me to that. I do know there are trains running north – two have gone by since we’ve stopped – so perhaps they’re down to sharing one line. I’m hoping that either 1) the people who run the train system here account for such delays and hold the train or 2) my connecting train is also caught up in this delay somehow and will leave later than scheduled. If neither of these two “potentialities” transpire, I believe (and hope!) there are other trains to Grenoble and that they leave every 2 hours or so.
Update: 1:15p local time. While I did indeed get into Lyon later than scheduled – by about 50 minutes – there’s little disruption in my southerly trek. From what I can tell, trains to Grenoble leave about every 30 minutes or so. I just missed the 12:45p train, but wasn’t too upset for it allowed me a little time to grab a quick bite to eat (and get pestered by one of the local kids good at squeezing 50 euro cents out of travelers.) Next stop: Grenoble (hopefully)… my home for the next 2 nights.
Update: 3:40p local time. I arrived safe and sound at my hotel about 50 minutes ago. DEFINITELY a little weary… for nearly the last 24 hours, I’ve been in the seat of an airport shuttle van, an airplane or a train. I was able to catch a couple of winks on the train ride into Grenoble – I could feel myself fading a bit – so I do feel OK, all things considered. This’ll probably be my last update for the today… I’m going to take a shower to freshen (and wake) up some, and then perhaps stroll around Grenoble some and get some dinner.
With hopes of minimizing the impact of jet lag by getting a jump on the time change, I woke up at 4:30a Monday morning in Boulder (the equivalent time in France is 12:30p). My last 24 hours or so have gone swimmingly…
· The airport shuttle picked me up on time.
· I got to the airport, checked in and got through security quickly.
· The plane to Charlotte took off on time and it was a smooth flight
· The transfer in Charlotte was fine. The only “almost hiccup” was my own fault as I misread the boarding time and had to speed walk to the gate. Everything was fine, as the jetway door was just about to open when I got there.
· The overnight flight from Charlotte to Paris was smooth, and I was able to get a couple of hours of sleep (I think), with Ambien playing no small part in that.
It’s been a pretty uneventful morning, afternoon, evening and another morning thus far, which, when traveling, is perfect. [NOTE: I’m typing this part of the write-up at 9:30a in the train station at CDG, waiting to go to Grenoble. So the day isn’t over, but so far so good.] I have about a 2-hour train ride to Lyon ahead of me, where I’ll transfer to another train and spend another hour and a half getting to Grenoble. My hope is to remain active and alert until at least 8:00p.
Update: 11:40a local time. Well, my traveling luck may have come to an end. The train I’m on has come to a complete stop north of Lyon, and considering my train to Grenoble leaves in 5 minutes, my being on that train looks pretty unlikely. There was an announcement on the PA system about what is going on, but unfortunately, it was the only one this trip that they didn’t repeat en English. I thought I heard the word “animal” in the announcement, but don’t hold me to that. I do know there are trains running north – two have gone by since we’ve stopped – so perhaps they’re down to sharing one line. I’m hoping that either 1) the people who run the train system here account for such delays and hold the train or 2) my connecting train is also caught up in this delay somehow and will leave later than scheduled. If neither of these two “potentialities” transpire, I believe (and hope!) there are other trains to Grenoble and that they leave every 2 hours or so.
Update: 1:15p local time. While I did indeed get into Lyon later than scheduled – by about 50 minutes – there’s little disruption in my southerly trek. From what I can tell, trains to Grenoble leave about every 30 minutes or so. I just missed the 12:45p train, but wasn’t too upset for it allowed me a little time to grab a quick bite to eat (and get pestered by one of the local kids good at squeezing 50 euro cents out of travelers.) Next stop: Grenoble (hopefully)… my home for the next 2 nights.
Update: 3:40p local time. I arrived safe and sound at my hotel about 50 minutes ago. DEFINITELY a little weary… for nearly the last 24 hours, I’ve been in the seat of an airport shuttle van, an airplane or a train. I was able to catch a couple of winks on the train ride into Grenoble – I could feel myself fading a bit – so I do feel OK, all things considered. This’ll probably be my last update for the today… I’m going to take a shower to freshen (and wake) up some, and then perhaps stroll around Grenoble some and get some dinner.
7.25.2011
Let "The Summer of Peggy" End
As written in the 4/20 post here, Peg began her self-induced-AND-completely-appropriate unemployment from UBC in late-April. Even before the ink dried on the "don't the door hit you on the way out" papers, she had companies a-callin' to see if she would join their ranks.
One such company was Parexel, a pharmaceutical consulting company along the lines of her previous employers. It was this company's offer (role, compensation, etc.) that won out over the others she received. And as of today, she is now an employee of that company, visiting their Waltham, MA offices to do some internal meet-and-greets over the next several days, and plot out their plan for world domination. (Don't hold me to that last part... they are a big company, though.)
Awesome job, Peg... and you we're worried? Sheesh!
One such company was Parexel, a pharmaceutical consulting company along the lines of her previous employers. It was this company's offer (role, compensation, etc.) that won out over the others she received. And as of today, she is now an employee of that company, visiting their Waltham, MA offices to do some internal meet-and-greets over the next several days, and plot out their plan for world domination. (Don't hold me to that last part... they are a big company, though.)
Awesome job, Peg... and you we're worried? Sheesh!
7.20.2011
Home
Well, after living in places other than 350 Laramie Blvd. for nearly the last 12 or so months -- and with distances from said address varying from 50 yards to 7 time zones away -- I am glad to post this: We. Are. Home.
Don't get me wrong, we are thankful to have spent the last 7+ months in a home in the same neighborhood as ours. But as the adage goes, there's no place like home.
And of course, Hi Kristin.
Don't get me wrong, we are thankful to have spent the last 7+ months in a home in the same neighborhood as ours. But as the adage goes, there's no place like home.
And of course, Hi Kristin.
7.10.2011
Doing -- not having -- the Triple Bypass
There's a popular organized road ride out here called the Triple Bypass. It gets its play-on-words name due to the fact that the route riders take involves going over 3 heart-rate-elevating high mountain passes (the summit elevations are 11,140 ft., 11,990 ft., and 10, 560 ft.), has 10,990 feet of combined elevation gain, and is 120 miles in length. (A profile of the ride can be found here.) The ride is so popular that there's a lottery in place for entry, and the organizing club routinely receives more applications than the 3,500 available spaces.
I learned on Thursday that a friend who was signed up for it couldn't do it. After some last-minute phone calls and maneuvers to line up housing for us and Chamberlain, I was able to take his spot. I got up early yesterday morning and began pedaling my upward and westward with some friends at 6:50 am. I wouldn't reach the finish line, near Beaver Creek, until after putting in just under 8 hours of saddle time. While I was riding, though, Peggy and Chloe were checking out some hiking trails in the Vail area, and spending some time poolside at the Ritz sipping on Shirley Temples and the like. To be sure, all 3 of us had a great day.
I learned on Thursday that a friend who was signed up for it couldn't do it. After some last-minute phone calls and maneuvers to line up housing for us and Chamberlain, I was able to take his spot. I got up early yesterday morning and began pedaling my upward and westward with some friends at 6:50 am. I wouldn't reach the finish line, near Beaver Creek, until after putting in just under 8 hours of saddle time. While I was riding, though, Peggy and Chloe were checking out some hiking trails in the Vail area, and spending some time poolside at the Ritz sipping on Shirley Temples and the like. To be sure, all 3 of us had a great day.
7.02.2011
Disney: Done.
As mentioned in my last post, plans were for us to wrap up a very fun-busy June with a trip to California to visit Disneyland and Universal Studios. Well, we went. But it wasn't as fun as we had imagined or hoped.
On our first morning inside Disneyland, Chloe cried after 3 of the first 6 rides we did due to not liking one feature or another about them. Peggy and I were stunned, and sad... we were so hoping to have Chloe enjoy her time at the parks, and to be one of those kids who would want to go, go, go. But, as it turned out, we learned that amusement parks just aren't her thing.
For most of the rest of the week, we let her ride the rides she felt comfortable with (of which there were few) and eventually all 3 of us got kinda bored walking around the parks searching for something to do. Chloe was more excited about the prospect of spending a couple of hours at the hotel pool then going on some rides again, so that's what we did for an inordinate amount of time, considering we were 1 mile away from the happiest place on earth.
On our first morning inside Disneyland, Chloe cried after 3 of the first 6 rides we did due to not liking one feature or another about them. Peggy and I were stunned, and sad... we were so hoping to have Chloe enjoy her time at the parks, and to be one of those kids who would want to go, go, go. But, as it turned out, we learned that amusement parks just aren't her thing.
For most of the rest of the week, we let her ride the rides she felt comfortable with (of which there were few) and eventually all 3 of us got kinda bored walking around the parks searching for something to do. Chloe was more excited about the prospect of spending a couple of hours at the hotel pool then going on some rides again, so that's what we did for an inordinate amount of time, considering we were 1 mile away from the happiest place on earth.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)