Not la Marmotte

8-9 June 2008, what better way to spend a weekend than riding the route of the Marmotte - this is the vertical profile.

So with friends Harry, Helen and Robert I set off from Bourg d'Oisans at about 9 am. Here they are in that order.

Stats

Bourg d'Oisans - Valloire

Distance - 101.4 kms

Time - 6hrs 3 mins in saddle, 9hrs 46 mins door to door

Av speed - 16.1 kph
Max speed - 61.7 kph

Av HR - 132

Kcal - 5670

Trip alti - 2775

Weather-wise, today was the worst day of my cycling life - read on for why.

Away at about 9 under grey skies we zipped down from Bourg to the turn for the Croix de Fer. It's 40 kms and up to 2067 m above sea level. There are two earth dams, the first of which you ride up (in hairpins) and then cross the top which always makes me uncomfortable. An EDF helicopter below the dam is both reassuring and a source of apprehension. It actually gets too hot and we shed some winter gloves and jackets. Along the lake is fine then annoyingly the road descends, so re-jacket. The up again and we're too hot. Harry and Robert are riding strongly - amazing for Alpine novices.

From here it's just up. A hard climb often at 12% with no view as in the trees. Emerging we could see the next dam and the cloud ceiling. Robert is behind somewhere; Harry's shot off ahead. Riding into the damp cloud ceiling we lose sight but eventually after about 5 kms encounter the agreed rendezvous - cafe at the junction with the Col de Glandon. despite Harry being ahead he is not here. But we meet other English cyclists also Not doing la Marmotte, including a couple of chaps from the Shaftesbury who I recognise from local rides. Harry arrives from the Glandon where he has waited 20 mins and we all have hot chocolate, except Robert who still hasn't arrived. Eventually he walks up, just as we were about to go and search for him.

We set off for the Col de Glandon (500 m away)

and then press on to the Croix de Fer where I recite "When I survey the wondrous cross" from memory.

It was a great shame not to see anything as there's obviously a great drop to the south.

We decide to descend for a good lunch in St Jean de Maurienne. On the way down we hear marmottes whistling alarms and it begins to rain.

After lunch in St Jean we set off up the valley to St Michel de Maurienne. Harry is v. tired but I don't realise till we finish. we have forgotten to fill water bottles at St Jean and so at St Michel have to ask a cafe to fill them.It is a mark of the esteem for (and tolerance of) cyclists in France that though we don't buy a drink or even a lottery ticket we are gladly given water.

I feel well energised and set off up the Telegraphe at a steady pace, leaving others well back, but after 2.5 kms Harry caught me. I should explain he has a 29 tooth gear on the rear block. At 3 km, a quarter of the way up however he stopped on the 10-12% section. I gave him an energy gel but he said go on.

The Telegraphe is 12 km long so I pace myself; 4 km is 1/3rd, 6 km is half, another 2 km is 2/3rds, another 1 km is 3/4. But at 6 km it begins to rain. At 9km I rest again and Helen catches me soon after. The last 5 km are 4-7% which is just as well. I had been intending to go all the way to the top in one last go, but stop 1 km short. Then on to top where it is still wet.

We waited for Harry and Robert to arrive, in that order. We decided to postpone Harry's recitation till dinner.

We jacketed up and descended to Valloire. Only 5 kms but bitterly cold rain and I still wore fingerless gloves. White painful fingers by the time we reached the hotel. Blissful bath, central heating (um this is June) pleasant staff and huge dinner. Harry recites Ps 129 - "I lift my eyes to the hills".

There were many English cyclists. One group told me there is much snow at the top of the Galibier.

How have Harry and Robert found this? Harry looks v. tired; Robert looks game.

Day 2

Valloire - Bourg d'Oisans

Stats

Distance - 82.03 kms

Time - 4hrs 32 in saddle/8hrs 30 door to door

Av speed - 18 kph

Max - 66.5 kph

HRM stopped recording at some point

This beats yesterday for awful conditions.

Leaving Valloire at 8.50 sky to North has blue bits. To South is grey. Galibier is South. In good spirits we ride out and up the 7% climb. It levels after 2 kms and the other side of Verney we come to a bit of road which has been washed away by the river.

A gravel/cinder surface replaces it inside the hairpin and we carry our bikes over.

The valley is very beautiful, even in the grey; one slope is green, the other has little vegetation at all - a different rock. After a few kilometres it begins to rain and by the time we have done 9 kms and arrived at Plan Lachat it's raining hard, and cold. Don wet weather gear - jacket, gloves and bootees. Here is where the road kicks up strongly and last year this first slope was a real killer for me. This time it's much better - carbon bike, better fitness or knowing the territory? A madman on a hybrid wearing shorts and no armwarmers or jacket overtakes.

The rain is strong and there are waves of water flowing down the road. Occasionally I stand on the pedals for 25 revs I am so tired. This is just an endurance test. It's only 8 kms from Plan Lachat to the top of the Galibier so each km you feel closer to the goal. Shall we go over the closed top, above the tunnel? Will I feel up to that. Part of me hopes you can't get over. I can see the cafe by the tunnel, high above. About 2km from the tunnel the rain turns to snow. The altimeter tells me its 1 degree centigrade. I pass Helen, Robert and I are together, then we pass Harry sheltering behind a car to get out of the wind and snow. I decide to stop in 1km but then I see the cafe is not far and ride on with the snow banks on either side. It's very cold and there's slush on the road, then the cafe and we park bikes and go in. I am relieved but amazed to see that the road above the tunnel is truly shut - a snow and fence barrier and signs saying "Danger - avalanches". Two hours to do 17 kms and 1400 metres of climbing.

Helen and Harry arrive soon and we get into the cafe. Inside there are problems - no central heating working, power failures and a serious wait for hot chocolate. Also we are wet - clothes, gloves and shoes, and thus cold. Robert buys a (dry) Galibier tee-shirt from the souvenir shop, Harry buys a Galibier sweat shirt and gloves and I buy a Galibier fleece. After quite a long time we set out again for the tunnel and the descent. I can't get my left shoe in the pedal and discover this is because there's a build up of ice on the cleat - I expect this in ski boots but in cycling shoes it's a totally novel phenomenon. The other side of the tunnel we stop in the other cafe, not sure why but it's got heating so Helen can thaw out she's seriously cold - and is full of dutch cyclists drying out.

Two hours after first arriving the other side of the tunnel we set off again and descend on the wet road, braking a lot. It's only about 5 kms down to the top of the Lauteret where we stop for a hot lunch. Helen makes her recital from Tim Moore's book - French Revolutions - of his experience on the Galibier. There is little enthusiasm among us for Alpe d'Huez in this weather. Last time I was here - 53 weeks ago - was when the Fireflies came in similarly drenched and cold.

It's still raining when we emerge but it improves and is brighter. The road dries and we can enjoy a fast descent. After the tunnels and the Barrage de Chambon it's very sunny and about 20 degrees. Time to stop and shed fleece, winter gloves and so on. I change into my Alpe d'Huez jersey foolishly and the others assume I am going to do it. They send me off as time is passing and I chew it over. By the time I reach the turn off at Bourg I have decided to do it - 13 kms, 1300 metres and 21 hairpins. The others arrive as I am getting ready and Harry - good sport - says he'll do it with me. Hairpin 21 is ok and we overtake an (overweight) dutchman. Hairpin 20 and we remove leggings and bootees. It's 24 degrees and full sun. In a village we fill water bottles at the bar, again proving the status accorded to cyclists in France.

The hairpins are a great respite, and we climb on at about 8 kph. Several dutchmen pass us, as do a pair of English riders aged 29. By hairpin 9 we are half way up in both height and distance. But the grey clouds have rolled back and it begins to rain. By hairpin 8 serious rain is setting in; I have had my fill of ghastly weather and we stop. Harry says the 29 year old Englishman put on his rainjacket and turned round here so we do the same, and descend on wet roads.

It's time to pack up the bikes, have a hot bath and have dinner. Robert recites - by heart - from Monty Python and the Meaning of Life.

This has been a weekend with a difference. We all have a good store of after dinner stories. We have never cycled in such conditions. A real baptism for my carbon fibre Condor Leggero and alpine cycling baptism for Robert and Harry. They are still talking to me.

The Hotel Oberland, Bourg d'Oisans.