produced even down to the pork and wine. We all recommend this place. Check out their website www anciennebergerie.comSo tired and full of fine food with kit drying by the fire we planned for the next day of climbing. Now the problem with staying in a good b&b is you don't get upearly and tend to hang about whilst the day slips away. It was gone 11am when we reluctantly left and hit the road again. Straight onto the road used by Le Tour each year just below the Gite we soon began climbing our first Col of the day (Col de Aspet)Forgetting to take something for lunch from breakfast (2nd time this schoolboy error had happened) we were soon scouring for anywhere to get food. Shops were non existent but we found a cafe open so piled in only to find the chef had gone home for the afternoon.
We cleaned them out of crisps and chocolate and set off again and realising there was a long way to go before the day was done. Another long descent lifted our spirits and soon we were back in a rhythm spinning along quiet roads. We overshot our turn and had to go back up the hill a bit to find the sign pointed to a village called Ore ( definitely did not look like any part of Ore village!) across the valley floor for probably the only bit of flat riding lasting all of about 1 km. Then up,up up into the forest and the Col de Portes. This was the steepest yet and really tested us. Ramps and hairpins of up to 10 percent really had us standing on the pedals. Then we broke above the tree line and the views were breathtaking. Wild deer grazed below us and cows were silhouetted on the ridge with their
bells clanging across the valley. It seems almost every animal has a bell on it here.The final push and we layered up for another descent. When they say you should do something everyday that scares you, I had a lifetimes of scaring squeezed into one hair raising ride off that hill. When we regrouped there was still along way down but at a more gentle and relaxing pace. No more white knuckles just time to take in the views. It was getting late by now and we still had one last climb to make our Destination the town of Arreau. We knew it was going to. E a problem getting to out accommodation before the reception closed but luckily for us my friend who lives in the area had arranged to meet us and had collected our keys before the manager went home. We could now relax and focus on the last Col. The second puncture of the trip slowed us a little and soon the light was fading. We dug deep and pushed on for the summit. We knew that for every descent it was all clothes on to avoid the chill. As we started to pull on layers the rain lashed down from nowhere and
it became a dash for the bottom. There followed an Everyman for himself descent in the wet and dark.feet and gloves became sodden and it was hard to see as water streamed down our faces. If it was white knuckle on the last one this was like the new scary ride at the theme park. We hung in for the ride and rode our luck into town. It was the rugby league final and the streets were packed watching televisions in bars. Our pizza and beer hit the spot and warmth was restored quickly. The next day it was the big one - Col de Aspin and then Tourmalet. The sun had broken through for us and Nigel went for a breakaway on the Tourmalet. I could not match his pace and we settled into our own pace to grind it up. The temperature dropped as we saw snow ahead and although the road was clear it was banked at the sides near the very top. I arrived to find Nigel stood dressed as Scott of the Antartic and after the obligatory photos he told me to get covered up quickly. Wise words as I soon felt very cool after stopping the 2 hrs of climbing. Ahead our decent had a barrier blocking cars due to rockfalls and road slips. It had been a hard winter and a wet spring causing havoc on the roads. We picked our way carefully past the debris and then it was clear for the remaining
descent. Towards the bottom they had started to resurface the road and we had perfect tarmac on closed roads to finish an epic day. Earlier we had been told tha. The Col D'Aubisque was closed due to snow so wondered what our last day would look like. It was agreed we would do a loop towards the col and break off before. At the turning point the barrier was down and a sweeper truck busy clearing stones. We took refuge in the cafe and feasted on a chocolate waffle and coffee. I knew that we had gained almost all of the height and the summit was just around the corner. The lady in the cafe said there was a block of snow the size of a house on the road and we could not pass. I looked for ages at the road snaking across the mountain and desperately wanted to give it a go. How hard could it be really? The others were. I keen and wanted to take the shorter route. As the vultures came into land and squabbled like cartoon characters I saw a lone rider approaching form the summit direction. This was my sign and I approached hi for news. He was English and enthused about how it was passable and the snow was easily crossed. That was it I was doing it. After all it was the Aubisque and I might not be back foe some time. We agreed twith Nigel and Andy to meet up at the hotel in Lourdes and I set off with my friend Gary on the understanding that I would help him get to the end. It was an extra 40 km. We rode the ribbon of road along the clif edge and through the two tunnels to reach the snow. We only met two cyclists coming the other way and had another closed route, car free. Incredible riding and topped off with a final descent into the sunlit valley. We had a two up TT for 35 km into Loudres and got cheered on. With 'Allez' from an nun. Very surreal. Into Disneyland Lourdes as we dubbed it with
the neon lights and ornate church. Everywhere we had to dodgy the pilgrims going about their business. We booked into our Faulty Towers hotel and found the others to devour pasta and pizza like it was our last supper. We had posted our bike bags to the hotel en route but they had not been delivered. They were tracked down to the PO and retrieved in time for our TGV to Paris. This was very easy and comfortable and we would recommend it as a fast way to get around. At 300 km an hour you hardly heard a hum. At Paris we had to cross town to the Gare du Nord and this is where things went a bit wrong for me as I got my rear wheel bent by a car on a junction. Luckily it was at slow speed and I escaped injury. I had a John Cleese moment with the car and then disappeared into the crowds dragging my battered bike along. I then had a 1km march with bike and pack on my shoulders to get our Eurostar in time. It was chaos at the station and took a while to find where to book in the bikes.
After this it was easy but our plan to ride from Ashford was scuppered by my wheel and misinformation which meant we could not take the bike off until St
Pancreas. Nigel's girlfriend kindly came to collect us and we avoided having to wait for a train to Hastings.
All in all this was an truly epic trip with superb riding in amazing scenery. The options for rides are endless and it is so easy to get to but be prepared for a few
adventures along the way.
Below is a link to some photos to wet the appetite. Enjoy and be motivated to plan your own adventure.
https://flic.kr/s/aHsjYDohx7
Jon S
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