http://www.strava.com/activities/212350031
After reluctantly taking up cycling three years ago to accompany my son on rides, I've gone from struggling up each & every hill to becoming hooked & actually enjoying hills - although I still struggle up many! I started cycling with the C & D crew in January & found it hard to keep up but slowly & surely over the year I've progressed & can now hang on with the faster group & the Wednesday Vroomers. I've found the C & D riders to be a great welcoming bunch & I felt it was high time to get a club jersey. It turned out that the first time I wore it was on holiday in the Jura mountains, France & one of , if not the best ride I've done.
The ride started in the 'Petit Ecosse' lake area with the sun shining but quite cool with a grass frost. The scenery was stunning with ash,beech & pine forests just turning golden autumnal colours. The rest of the scenery is made up of towering rock faces & meadows with 'Milka' cows.
After climbing for a bit you then descend into Mouthe where you cross the border into Switzerland - thankfully no border guards on duty as I realised I'd got no passport with me! I then climbed steadily up to about 4200ft looking forward to the descent to Vallorbe but some dark clouds loomed ahead & I was soon enveloped in cold cloud so on went the rain jacket & lights. The one thing I had noticed in France was the quality of the roads - even these small mountain roads were better than English ones & the Swiss ones better still.
I had planned on a café stop at Lac de Joux but with the cloud still hanging around I pushed on to Vallorbe for a hot chocolate & cake fix. It was then more climbing back into France through a manned customs post who waved me through. As I climbed out of the valley the cloud disappeared and I was back to warm sunshine, meadows and cowbells clanking everywhere. Next up was the climb to Mont D'or summit 4736ft and this was a corker of a climb. The climb itself is just under 4 miles with some of the gradients being 19 and 20 % with the steepest parts being near the top when my legs had had enough. I was determined not to walk any of it but had to stop a few times to get my breath but I did get there - to a round of applause from an old guy who proceeded to talk very rapidly to me in French whilst I was slumped over my handlebars trying to breathe. I think he said what a great bloke I was coming over & conquering this mountain in the name of C & D Cycles. He then put his hand on my chest, obviously detected a pulse, said 'bon' & let me carry my bike the last 300m over the rocky ground to the summit !
On reaching the summit the view was breathtaking, above the clouds was a 360 degree view taking in the forests & lakes of the Jura round to the cloud covered Lake Geneva with Mont Blanc and the Alps beyond. After a rest it was a pretty rapid descent and then back to base through another mix of forest,meadows and rocks accompanied by sunshine all the way.
It was a brilliant day, my only regret being it was a solo ride, it was one of those you want to share.
A couple of years ago I could never have imagined doing a ride like this, I hope anyone just starting out who reads this far will realise anyone can do it.
Me again. I have nothing to add other than chapeau Andy!
Happy pedalling
No comments:
Post a Comment