I have settled well into the chalet life just outside Chamonix that I am staying in this week, and if I get back off the mountains early, I can whizz into town in 5 mins on my bike like a local, which is great.
Mostly the course I am on is out in the big mountains though, with little time for the expensive hobby of pottering around the shops. Yesterday was a regular rock climbing day, with some nice climbing in the sun in the Aosta valley on the Italian side of Mont Blanc, which was a great warm-up for things to come.
Today was a lot more adventurous, and we took the Grand Montets lift high up above the Chamonix valley at about 3,500m, where we did some ice climbing and moving around on steep snow and rocky ridges with ice axes, crampons and all the mountaineering gear on. A great day out in the mountains. My free sunglasses that I picked up on the top of a mountain in Snowdonia seemed to work fine, so that was a great result too.
I have been enjoying some of the classic culinary delights of the french Alps as well, of course. Delicious french saucisson and local cheese with baguette featured for lunch today, and is definitely on the cards again in the next few days, as all the calories are certainly being burnt. The Savoie region follows very closely to the Swiss line on nutrition, in the fundamental belief that you cannot have too much cheese. So as well as cheese for lunch, there are plenty of cheese dishes for dinner to keep your levels topped up to maximum. The other day in the chalet we had tartiflette for dinner, one of my favourites from student days in Grenoble and ski trips, and I am very excited about having a fondue at some point in the next week or so.
Tomorrow we are headed up nearer Mont Blanc, to stay overnight in the Torino hut probably, and do some bigger alpine routes with the guide. The weather seems to be looking good for the next few days, and I have my fingers crossed that conditions remain good for an attempt on the Matterhorn next week.
Tuesday, 31 August 2010
Sunday, 29 August 2010
Chamonix
Hello all
After yesterday's rest, today it was a pleasure to get back on the bike that has treated me so well across France, (no punctures or mechanical problems in 670 miles) and give it a Sunday run to stretch its legs on a fine treat of a classic alpine col, as the last part of the journey to Chamonix. It was a bit shorter today, only 60-odd miles, so I threw in the Col de la Columbiere for good measure, rather than the easier route. This a regular feature col of the tour de France, and made for a very scenic route to Chamonix, across the Aravis range.
A nice cool morning and fresh legs and I found I whizzed up the thing in a couple of hours to an altitude of 1,613m. All dreams of breaking my PB descent maximum speed were thwarted by the precipitous descent on a very narrow and windy road down the other side, to the valley below Chamonix. Or was it the very tasty tarte aux myrtilles from the cafe on the col that slowed me down?! Max speed only 35mph today. Maybe I will get another col opportunity before I leave the Alps, it would be nice to try one unladen by my bumbag gear and go at full race speed.
The cycle part of my adventure is over for now, completed with a suitably large ice cream in Chamonix. The bike is safely locked up, and I picked up my bag full of mountain gear, ready for the first day's climbing tomorrow.
Stats will follow in due course.
After yesterday's rest, today it was a pleasure to get back on the bike that has treated me so well across France, (no punctures or mechanical problems in 670 miles) and give it a Sunday run to stretch its legs on a fine treat of a classic alpine col, as the last part of the journey to Chamonix. It was a bit shorter today, only 60-odd miles, so I threw in the Col de la Columbiere for good measure, rather than the easier route. This a regular feature col of the tour de France, and made for a very scenic route to Chamonix, across the Aravis range.
A nice cool morning and fresh legs and I found I whizzed up the thing in a couple of hours to an altitude of 1,613m. All dreams of breaking my PB descent maximum speed were thwarted by the precipitous descent on a very narrow and windy road down the other side, to the valley below Chamonix. Or was it the very tasty tarte aux myrtilles from the cafe on the col that slowed me down?! Max speed only 35mph today. Maybe I will get another col opportunity before I leave the Alps, it would be nice to try one unladen by my bumbag gear and go at full race speed.
The cycle part of my adventure is over for now, completed with a suitably large ice cream in Chamonix. The bike is safely locked up, and I picked up my bag full of mountain gear, ready for the first day's climbing tomorrow.
Stats will follow in due course.
Saturday, 28 August 2010
Annecy
Hello all
Well its been a long, long road to the Alps, and harder than I expected, but I am nearly at the end of the cycle part of this adventure. I have pushed things pretty hard over the last few days, when the body was saying no, please stop, and the legs were feeling a bit wiped out even at the start of some days. I think it will take a day or two more, a couple of beers, and a sports massage to get back to normal. Today is a well earned rest day therefore, in the beautiful town of Annecy, on the edge of the Alps.
Yesterday was the last long stage; a relatively short one compared to previous days at 91 miles (although that is still a long way!), but a hilly one, crossing over the Jura hills that run just to the west of the Alps. In planning the route, I seemed to miss the fact that there was a 750m climb over a col on the quiet road I took from Macon! However it was a pleasant ride in the cool morning sun, after some heavy early showers, and riding up through the lush hillsides, there was the sight and smell of dew rising off the damp grass, with some jagged limestone cliffs jutting out of the forests in the distance. I also had the pleasure of the descent following the climb, so I got some good video footage of that. Max speed 41.1 mph! That is my target to beat tomorrow if I do a bit of an alpine col on the way to Chamonix. This time I will check a map more carefully first to see exactly what I am taking on!!
Its interesting how the climate and scenery changes as you move along, and I seemed to have the fortune of following a break in the weather most of the way across France, and steadily increasing temperatures. The flip flops have proved ideal, Mary. Thursday was a scorcher, and I was quite exposed to the sun in the increasingly rural countryside, as I headed away from at the times touristy, at times industrial, Loire valley. I didn't realise the french had tucked away some the their nuclear power stations in the sleepy upper reaches of the Loire valley, adding a certain je ne sais quoi to a fine bottle of Saumur further downstream. That brings a new meaning to the old expression; tout ce qui brille n'est pas d'or. Are we ready for such cosy proximity to these factories of fear in the UK, in the name of saving the planet from global warming?
Anyway, I followed the canal in the valley as far as I could, grateful to the engineers of the Canal du Centre who had the good sense to put a road alongside the canal for most of its length. From there, it was a push (mentally I mean: all miles have been done in the standard cycling technique, with no artificial aides or stimulants, I hasten to add; except lots of drinks and energy snacks) over some quiet hills in the baking sun to Macon. I nearly ran out of food and drink on the way though, and was fading badly on the hills to Cluny, as being properly rural France, all the shops were closed for siesta / long lunch. Intermarche in Cluny is definitely one of my favourite places in France so far. The water was especially fresh, and the refrigeration superb!
Doing 110 miles in a day, you have to start early and keep going come what may, otherwise you just dont get to the end. Interestingly 110 miles is just 2 miles short of the ironman cycle distance, which seeing as I was carrying all my (minimal) gear with me for hotels, was pretty good going, although I stopped for lunch and several breaks, and I was in no state to do a marathon at the end of it. You do learn that these things are as much about hydration and nutrition as anything else, and bananas are possibly the best food ever invented, with loads of energy and being easy to eat 'en velo'.
More updates and photos to come, but keep donating; don't be shy. I'm off to enjoy relaxing by lake Annecy and have some lunch.
Well its been a long, long road to the Alps, and harder than I expected, but I am nearly at the end of the cycle part of this adventure. I have pushed things pretty hard over the last few days, when the body was saying no, please stop, and the legs were feeling a bit wiped out even at the start of some days. I think it will take a day or two more, a couple of beers, and a sports massage to get back to normal. Today is a well earned rest day therefore, in the beautiful town of Annecy, on the edge of the Alps.
Yesterday was the last long stage; a relatively short one compared to previous days at 91 miles (although that is still a long way!), but a hilly one, crossing over the Jura hills that run just to the west of the Alps. In planning the route, I seemed to miss the fact that there was a 750m climb over a col on the quiet road I took from Macon! However it was a pleasant ride in the cool morning sun, after some heavy early showers, and riding up through the lush hillsides, there was the sight and smell of dew rising off the damp grass, with some jagged limestone cliffs jutting out of the forests in the distance. I also had the pleasure of the descent following the climb, so I got some good video footage of that. Max speed 41.1 mph! That is my target to beat tomorrow if I do a bit of an alpine col on the way to Chamonix. This time I will check a map more carefully first to see exactly what I am taking on!!
Its interesting how the climate and scenery changes as you move along, and I seemed to have the fortune of following a break in the weather most of the way across France, and steadily increasing temperatures. The flip flops have proved ideal, Mary. Thursday was a scorcher, and I was quite exposed to the sun in the increasingly rural countryside, as I headed away from at the times touristy, at times industrial, Loire valley. I didn't realise the french had tucked away some the their nuclear power stations in the sleepy upper reaches of the Loire valley, adding a certain je ne sais quoi to a fine bottle of Saumur further downstream. That brings a new meaning to the old expression; tout ce qui brille n'est pas d'or. Are we ready for such cosy proximity to these factories of fear in the UK, in the name of saving the planet from global warming?
Anyway, I followed the canal in the valley as far as I could, grateful to the engineers of the Canal du Centre who had the good sense to put a road alongside the canal for most of its length. From there, it was a push (mentally I mean: all miles have been done in the standard cycling technique, with no artificial aides or stimulants, I hasten to add; except lots of drinks and energy snacks) over some quiet hills in the baking sun to Macon. I nearly ran out of food and drink on the way though, and was fading badly on the hills to Cluny, as being properly rural France, all the shops were closed for siesta / long lunch. Intermarche in Cluny is definitely one of my favourite places in France so far. The water was especially fresh, and the refrigeration superb!
Doing 110 miles in a day, you have to start early and keep going come what may, otherwise you just dont get to the end. Interestingly 110 miles is just 2 miles short of the ironman cycle distance, which seeing as I was carrying all my (minimal) gear with me for hotels, was pretty good going, although I stopped for lunch and several breaks, and I was in no state to do a marathon at the end of it. You do learn that these things are as much about hydration and nutrition as anything else, and bananas are possibly the best food ever invented, with loads of energy and being easy to eat 'en velo'.
More updates and photos to come, but keep donating; don't be shy. I'm off to enjoy relaxing by lake Annecy and have some lunch.
Thursday, 26 August 2010
ca roule
400 miles in 4 days. Now ive done the flat part of day 5, the tough one, over the hills to macon. More chit chat soon when i can rest in annecy but i need to focus on eating and getting over those hills. as the local chap just pointed out ive paid for the enormous sandwich so i may as well eat it!
Tuesday, 24 August 2010
et enfin, du vin
I couldnt resist a bit of red wine on the banks of the loire tonight. To translate baron philippe de rothschild- wine is born, then it lives, but it never dies, because in man it lives on. More on food and drink soon. Cheers!
Orleans
I arrived in Orleans this afternoon, after a smooth 75 mile ride from Senonches via Chartres, so today is all about cathedrals, those of Chartres and Orleans being particularly fine. I will say a quick thanks to the lord for flatter terrain and good weather today as well.
No thanks to the lord for French road signage though. I have realised that after probably a full year spent in France during my life, I still have no idea what those diamond yellow signs mean. Any ideas, let me know! That is not really a bother though: what is tougher is in-town navigation. You feel like you are playing chess with the planners who designed the system: you know that once you get four or five miles out of town, they start putting the road numbers and destinations on the smaller roads (A or B equivalents to those in England). But up until then, there are numerous one-way streets, signs saying Toutes Directions or Autres Directions (never quite figured out the point of those either), or signs for the next tiny neighbourhood, not marked on any meaningful map. However there are always plentiful signs to the big autoroutes etc, so if you fancy cycling down the autoroute, you can find that no problem. My theory is this strategy is to get non-locals out of town fast, and keep the excellent back roads for themselves; and determined cyclists.
OK I nust dash now, I still have 20 miles to do today, and leaving Orleans could take a while!
No thanks to the lord for French road signage though. I have realised that after probably a full year spent in France during my life, I still have no idea what those diamond yellow signs mean. Any ideas, let me know! That is not really a bother though: what is tougher is in-town navigation. You feel like you are playing chess with the planners who designed the system: you know that once you get four or five miles out of town, they start putting the road numbers and destinations on the smaller roads (A or B equivalents to those in England). But up until then, there are numerous one-way streets, signs saying Toutes Directions or Autres Directions (never quite figured out the point of those either), or signs for the next tiny neighbourhood, not marked on any meaningful map. However there are always plentiful signs to the big autoroutes etc, so if you fancy cycling down the autoroute, you can find that no problem. My theory is this strategy is to get non-locals out of town fast, and keep the excellent back roads for themselves; and determined cyclists.
OK I nust dash now, I still have 20 miles to do today, and leaving Orleans could take a while!
Monday, 23 August 2010
bienvenue en france
Good day of cycling here in france: an early and wet start from caen and hillier than expected, but it cleared up nicely and flattened out towards the end! My first 100 mile ride too. Tonight im in the small town of senonches, but tomorrow is tues, so not part of the french weekend like mon is, and i will pass through chartres and orleans, so there is a fighting chance of a proper internet cafe somewhere, for a more substantial update.
Sunday, 22 August 2010
The Scenic Delights of Portsmouth Harbour
I am currently waiting for my ferry to Caen, in a wet Portsmouth harbour. Despite the title, scenic delights in Portsmouth are somewhat few and far between, except for a few grandiose pieces of naval heritage tucked away on the sea front. Maybe the bleak townscape is designed to keep the french out, as I notice Plymouth and Dover have similar styling, if I'm not mistaken.
However the first day's ride was very good: all went smoothly, and I was fortunate to have the company of Adam, Ted and Sophie for the first day. A good start was made, with a classy break taken for elevenses at a fine establishment in Woking (OK, it was a choice between Wetherspoons or KFC, and I managed to resist my old penchant for the colonel's finest). A proper lunch stop followed in Midhurst, which was a welcome break before the scenic route (and steep hill) over the South Downs, to reach the coast.
There was some epic riding by all: congratulations to Sophie for not falling over at lights in the new clip-in shoes, although there was an early wobble in Vauxhall. Adam and Ted both breached the 90 mile mark for the first time, and got to experience the above mentioned delights of Portsmouth, which were worth holding out for! For me it was a last portion of proper chips before I head over the channel. I will miss the tea and bacon sarnie's too, and also the company of friends and family, but I am quite excited by the adventures to come, so I am looking forward to the ferry journey and my first day of cycling in France tomorrow.
A la prochaine mes amis
PS photos etc will follow when I find a proper internet cafe in a day or two
However the first day's ride was very good: all went smoothly, and I was fortunate to have the company of Adam, Ted and Sophie for the first day. A good start was made, with a classy break taken for elevenses at a fine establishment in Woking (OK, it was a choice between Wetherspoons or KFC, and I managed to resist my old penchant for the colonel's finest). A proper lunch stop followed in Midhurst, which was a welcome break before the scenic route (and steep hill) over the South Downs, to reach the coast.
There was some epic riding by all: congratulations to Sophie for not falling over at lights in the new clip-in shoes, although there was an early wobble in Vauxhall. Adam and Ted both breached the 90 mile mark for the first time, and got to experience the above mentioned delights of Portsmouth, which were worth holding out for! For me it was a last portion of proper chips before I head over the channel. I will miss the tea and bacon sarnie's too, and also the company of friends and family, but I am quite excited by the adventures to come, so I am looking forward to the ferry journey and my first day of cycling in France tomorrow.
A la prochaine mes amis
PS photos etc will follow when I find a proper internet cafe in a day or two
Saturday, 21 August 2010
The sea beckons
Well tomorrow is the big day. This will be the first day of a long week in the saddle, as I start my cycle adventure from London to Chamonix at 9am in the morning. First stop is Portsmouth, for the overnight ferry to Caen. Weather looks wet to start with, but hopefully improving; ahh, the sooner I can get to France and find some sunshine, the better.
I am looking forward to getting on the road. I have had a great summer away from office desks, out in the fresh air getting fitter, enjoying various outdoor pursuits, and spending time with friends and family, but also sweating it up and down hills in places like Snowdonia, often in the seasonal August rain. I have also spent ages organising everything, which seems a little ironic, as all I am taking across France with me is a small bum bag.
On my trial run last week, it clocked in at exactly 90 miles from Kennington to Portsmouth harbour, but this time I hope to avoid the scenic detour through Havant industrial estates.
James
I am looking forward to getting on the road. I have had a great summer away from office desks, out in the fresh air getting fitter, enjoying various outdoor pursuits, and spending time with friends and family, but also sweating it up and down hills in places like Snowdonia, often in the seasonal August rain. I have also spent ages organising everything, which seems a little ironic, as all I am taking across France with me is a small bum bag.
On my trial run last week, it clocked in at exactly 90 miles from Kennington to Portsmouth harbour, but this time I hope to avoid the scenic detour through Havant industrial estates.
James
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