Day Five

Day 3
La Grave to La Sauze


Fathers Day
I started the day later than I’d hoped and had tired legs and a very tired mind. My clock was back on UK time and so I was late for breakfast. I managed to have a great day though. Found my legs and begin to see the time passing quickly as we leave the big Alps behind. There was a fresh layer of snow overnight and a sharp chill in the air. Col de Lauterat is a lovely climb but exposed and had fierce winter weather troubling our climb. It is a nice climb to reintroduce the legs back into it after a days break. We weren't as high as we had been so this col was quite pleasant. There is a whipping wind that means descending is a challenge and reminiscent of our time in the blizzard on l’Iseran. I dress up with more layers, 6 on my body and 2 gloves and a balaclava, hat and helmet. I have a comfortable descent but the bike feels twitchy in the wind. Descending is a mixture of sensations, its exhilarating but also terrifying depending on the road conditions, corners and steepness. I hate it at times but love it. This descent was long with wide roads and gentle corners that you can travel at faster speeds down, once we left the higher ground we started to warm up rapidly. The day was overcast but fairly humid.
I loved this day and enjoyed the changes in scenery. At the bottom of Izoard I stopped with a group to de-layer and have a chocolat chaud. Continuing I cycled well and felt that I had cracked the mental approach to cycling a mountain. I have managed to break down the climb and realize that even though it looks so far away and impossible, its not. I’ll be there in an hour or two having cycled through new places and villages, up steep climbs and undulating terrain, Positive Mental Attitude (PMA). That is what is so invigorating about riding a bicycle, it is an extension of you and can take you anywhere.

The Izoard is a grand mountain that changes from green woodland to sandy eroding desert rocks and almost baron of the alpine scenery we are familiar with. You feel like you are moving on and we are pretty much out of the Grande Alps after this one. The best thing about the ride has to be to camaraderie and a prime example of it was today as Mareka struggled to climb with a knee injury and Paul. R and Mark. J took it in turns to ease the climb by pushing up as they climbed next to her.

After this big one we descended on a cafe for Spaghetti Carbonara. This was the best lunch yet and to top it off pregnant fireflyette Tracey and her boyfriend, Chris support us in their hired flowery camper van because she can stay away from the ride on this anniversary year. Friendly faces with offers of chocolate en route help while the day away.
The three musketeers head off to climb the Vars together. It was a really good gradient for me and felt good on the legs. Poor Tess found it tough and was slowing up behind Claire and I. The climb was long and the last 7km was through a desolate ski town and into vast nothingness with grey skies which became monotonous. We were tired and wanted the climb to end. When it finally did we stopped in on the col cafe and rested before heading off. At the bottom of the descent Phil, Leaf and I speed back in the wind slip-streaming each other. It was tiring and after that we then has a 4km steep climb into the hotel. Oh well better just get it over with. Spinning on and up, the hotel comes sooner than expected. The light is dimming and the sky is warm and rosey as the light slowly disappears.