Around the Mountain Mont Blanc — on foot. 2014

It was meant to be a catchup over dinner with two other local Queenstowner’s - Graham and Gabrielle Smolenski - and a pleasant dinner it was in Chamonix.
The subject of discussion was -’the walk that they have planned around Mont Blanc’

Why don’t you join us? and  Why not? perhaps after the rain.

So join we did for the first day. We picked them up at the Hotel Heliotrope and drove to Le Tour and walked uphill to the Col de Balme, where we bade then good bye and - maybe see you later!

After a day of storm and rain and reservations we left for La Foulie by train and bus. The train from Saint Gervais to Martigny and then bus to La Foulie.

When I wandered into the hotel in La Foulie with the current edition of the New York Times International Grahams eyes lite up - You came?  but yes of course.

I had brought my tramping boots to Europe for a walk and this ended up being the one.

A quiet dinner with two kiwis, a couple of Australians, a Swiss Aussie and a German Australian that Graham and Gabrielle had already met. They were to be the companions at dinner and drinking for each night.


Next morning departure La Foulie to Grand Col Ferret to Elena Hut.
Now these aren’t huts as we know in New Zealand but small hotels in the mountains. This one  (the night time photo) slept 80 pax in shared bunk rooms and private rooms as well.  We were on the budget version and carried all our own clothing and lunch food - but Graham and Gabrielle had booked a supported trip and each day the baggage man arrived after 0800 to take the ‘no more than 10kgs’ extra luggage onto the next destination - all by van as each hut had some access by 4x4.

Our packs were about 4kgs total - but that was enough with the clothing for the night, a rain coat and the clothes for daily use. A little lunch things bought before leaving and thats’ it.

But there is no worry about missing lunch - there is always a refuge to buy a coffee, une tarte, or omelette.

So to the Grand Col Ferret.
A nice walk uphill on a small track. We are passed by a couple with bikes as we depart the top but their progress was only just the same as ours at they spend as much time off the bike as on.
9 - to 4.36. No it was not that time but approx anyway.

Not enough for the day - after many days biking my legs are fine, so I scamper over the left over moraine to the base of a receding glacier. It takes a bit to scramble up the last few hundred meters over quiet steep exposed rock and glacial rubble to get near the tongue. Near only but not there, as it is a bit exposed, and a slip would see me in the freezing waters of.the glacial stream.

Pleasant evening with laughter and drinking and new companions from Germany.

Elena hut /  Bonati hut /  Bertone Hut /  Courmayer / Maison Vieille
44,000 steps as measured on a pedometer - makes this the longest day of the trip.

It is also a day of down, then up to up Bonati and then up the valley (actually off the correct track) but Graham and I of course knew where we were going and we turned at the valley head to regain the ‘correct’ track and cross the first col for the day.

We have enjoyed crossing paths with the 700 runners who are competing in the the 330kms around the Courmayer mountains ultra marathon. We see only about 50 of the 700 eunners - some running freely - others in this last 50kms suffering the effects of the previous 300kms or so,

Another climb leads to the next col with Courmayer down the valley ahead, but the track ascends very steeply in the heat of the day up to the the days high point.

We stop for lunch with fantastic views of the Mont Blanc massif from the Italian side.  The Grandes Jorasses dominates the skyline.  This descending ridge then leads through high open meadows through grazing herds of sheep and goats and a couple donkeys.

A steep decent down to the Bertone Hut and a much welcomed hot chocolate.

Riding in France 2014

Based out of Saint-Gervais-les-Bains

What defines a holiday - the endless sunshine, the beautiful girls on the beach, the sun rising over tall mountains on snowy peaks. All of those would be nice but the often don’t happen in the same place.

But the one thing that totally defines a pure holiday nowdays for me - is the lack of connectivity. And a trip down the Grand Canyon will do that, where unless you have a Sat phone then you remove yourself from the world for a period of time. In our case a few years ago we actually removed the watches to also remove our connection with the daily world so dominated by the time to be here or there.

Riding in Europe, well just riding full stop does for a short time remove you from the everyday, although the pressure of returning on time, or being somewhere is ever present.

Riding in Europe and more particularly France is a pretty good escape even with the computer - just to mix it up so that neither the schedule, the work or the riding has predominance. To get the life balance right.

Think that there is about 14 different rides on this map with many thousands of meters of climbing.

Riding in the Haute-Savoie
With Saint Gervais as a base I was able to explore many different areas. The 3 day Ride Around the Mountain blog precedes this one, and after that the 5 days walk Around the Mountain. So what follows is the balance of the time in the Haute-Savoie.

Out and about after the 5 days of walking and which way to head. A easy spin down the valley to Sallanches with a killer 6 degrees speedy hill climb to follow, and then a gentle descent to home, followed by a day dropping down the  valley of the river Arve (thats drains out of the Chamonix Valley) through little villages below the Tête du Colonney. right at Araches and up to Flaine (21kms @ 8%) yahoo - a climbers delight.

Flaine is a ski resort in the winter with perhaps 5,000 beds but it is completely shut in the winter. No coffee, nothing. I really was glad for the coffee shop at Araches - la - Frasse on the way down.
Other local rides include a 11km hill climb to Plaine Joux - a small resort on the hill opposite. Suburban rides round the other local hills after computer work in the morning filled in days of superb riding. Quite narrow ‘country roads’ through the high villages and petit ski resorts along the flanks of the valley

Time for a another ‘famous’ col. The Col des Saisies (Up to 2010, the pass was 11 times on the Tour de France schedule) But it was not just to climb the pass but to circumnavigate the Saisies mountain. I had spotted on a map a ‘white road’ and felt like exploring - so guessing that white meant that it had tar I turned right at the saddle and followed my nose around the mountain. This very little used road had tar laid on it once and with so little use it was still in pretty good shape. Not another soul to be seen in 3okms of quite rolling with views extending down the valleys to Albertville and then Urgine.

The navigation works and eventually the circuit is complete. I emerge on the Saises road at a small resort of Notre-Dame-de-Bellecombe. Crepes and coffee and 3okms to home (up through the valley to Megeve, and then down to Saint Gervais)

More local rides in the afternoons after emails and other computer work in the morning. I found a small ride at 25% to Bonnessy quite hard, when mixed with a fast 1hr climb on 3-5% to Contamines.
I used the 1hr return to Contamines as a test of fitness and something that could be fitted in at the end of the day. But it is autumn and the sun sinks fast from this tight confined valley.

So two more weeks pass quickly. Saving one more climb as a checkout for the July tour 2015.
Col de Aravis followed by the Col de la Colombière. Down the valley from Megeve and turn right at Flumet. the road climbs a bit at first and then flattens before climbing through La Gettaz. A nice little town. The pass is high to the left after a series of switchbacks.

The descent through La Clusaz and Saint Jean-de-Sixt is pleasant. More so after ‘tart and coffee’ on the corner in the latter.

Just around the corner is the valley of Le Grand - Bornard which sits right a the bottom of the Col de la Colombière. This south side of the Col is easy as Le Grand Bornand, is at 923 meters height. That only leaves you 690 height meters up. Only the last kilometers was up to 7-9%.  
But it was nice day and the chain is running a bit quieter now after the bike shop on the corner added a little chain oil. Thanks guys.

 

So a nice climb over a famous pass - but wait it is not finished yet. After a few kms of descending a little town of Le Reposoir. appears and the Route des Grandes Alpes signs turn me towards the Col de Romme. I don’t remember this climb from the past (we had come straight up the valley from Cluses) The road climbs steadily before dropping quite steeply at times across the cliff face above Cluses.
A fantastic way to end the climbing and descending day.

Now just to get home - 3okms up the valley on roads that are familiar, with the super highway to the right (it goes up to and through the Mont Blanc tunnel into Italy)

This was to be virtually the last climb in Europe ’14, and it was good to end with a great one.

What can I say about riding in Europe that has not already been written. For Kiwis it is riding in the dream world. Polite traffic with trucks that wait behind until the way is clear ahead, and then they give you oodles of room when they pass.  Cars that are polite, roads that lead to high mountain meadows, roads that climb every hill visible, often with ski lifts crowding the ridge lines or passing overhead the road. Glaciers hanging overhead (in some places)

Great coffee, great croissants, crepes, tartes and coffee to revive a cyclists - guaranteed on every col. Can’t wait to go back.

Come and join me in Sept 2015

PS I did sneak in another climb up to the Megeve airport. Just a 1hr 30mins climb and twenty mins back to the house.

Picture link: https://www.flickr.com/photos/geoffryjh/sets/

On the Bike. Around the Mountain day 3 2014

Now - where was I........ the thread  of the ‘Around the mountain’ story got a little interrupted by another around the mountain activity. Walking around Mount Blanc in the company of some other Queenstown folks - but more eon that in the next edition.

Yes - Aosta Italy - staying in the  .. . .. . .. .. hotel. 

Breakfast done with a small roll  - bread and cheese tucked into the back pocket and out on the road at 0830. Are the tires hard ?  Well they are going to be hard enough because there is no big ground pump to take them at the preferred 115pds. Well whatever is the pressure - it will do.

A few flat pedal strokes around a roundabout and then uphill - ahead lies 1878 meters of climbing over 32 kms at a average 5.9%.

The Grand Saint Bernard climbs through farmland to start - through several small towns before turning dramatically and heading up a 10% incline. It got my attention a little.
But back soon enough to around 6% and steady climbing. A small town and highway signs marks the start of the impressive tunnel system that is the route back through into Switzerland. Of course I have to turn onto a small road (the original that must have been interesting for trucks) In the shade for a while and then forest with the tunnel system above.

Just as it crosses under the old road a group of open Lotus’s go past - playing chase over the mtn passes and now I see across the valley the zig zags that lead to the col. I hear those cars racing for the next few minutes and then the silence is only broken by the passing moto’s (motor bikes) and of course my breathing.

The long zig zags are conquered soon enough but it is not the top - In fact it is still some kms away but at least in sight.  In the distance another rider. A little effort brings me quickly onto the wheel of the rider I had seen yesterday. He is also doing a ‘around the mtn’ ride on a classic ‘Gitane’ with shinny 32 spoke wheels. We chat for a minute in Frongley but his pace is a bit slow and I move on.  ‘See you at the cafe on top for coffee.’ Not sure he understood.

The top has two hugh buildings - 4 stories tall - houses / hospice for the Saint Bernard Monks which make a narrow gap on the broad saddle.

But I’m looking for a coffee shop with a view, but the cold wind dictates a inside small room instead.
The french cyclist joins eventually and we chat - sort of, and go to leave together, but he says he goes downhill slow so I say bye - au revoir - and point down  A few curves and twists before the road is joined by the tunnel traffic and we enter a avalanche snow tunnel. Sort of open on one side but still a bit dark. It lasts for about 5 kms or more. At 5 - 6 degrees downhill - fast but the dim light means that I watch the brakes every now and then. The outside world of the upper valley is non existent. Finally pop out into the sun and glance behind but the col is just a distant memory now.

Ahead the road continues at the same gradient - I haven’t tuned the pedals over and i’ve gone 15kms. No braking outside the tunnel and the kms quickly tick over - 44kms to Martigny - but at this rate I’ll be there shortly.

I stop briefly to check directions but the postal lady assures me - down to the t-intersection and turn left to Martigny.  More free wheeling down and soon I reach the left turn. Now I have to pedal and am facing a strong wind in this section, but it still descends. Just a little tired now after the morning effort and when I hit the outskirts of Martigny  and the roundabout that takes me to col de la Forclaz
lunch is declared. A roadside rock serves as a good chair and a gel, a bar, another bar, the sandwich from breakfast, some water, and refueled Im good to go.

Behind is 1998meters  - in old terms - that i s just under 6,000 feet) of downhill over 44kms.

Ahead lies the col de la Forclaz but I have no idea how far it is, the gradient or anything and there are no roadside markers to assist, so I assume the 20km hill climb pace as I climb up through the steep hill sides covered in grapes. Above the forest closes in on the road and I am in a world of my own when another cyclist pulls up beside and bon jour.  Company - I click up a gear and match the cadence. He is from town and just up the hill for his daily.

Soon with company the col appears (he has kept me informed  of the distance - it was 16kms in total) We pass thanks for the company and he turns and disappears.

2nd col for the day, just two more to go and a climb up to Saint Gervais. Cole de Montets - is just a bump really and Chamonix beckons. I roll straight into town about 40 mins after crossing Forclaz with rain threatening. Inside a coffee shop on the main ‘square’ and the thunderstorm lets loose. It’s a tiny cafe. I sit at the bar with the locals and I’m teased in english about being to soft to ride in the rain, and enjoy a warm half hour topping up the fuel levels - coffee, smoothie and tart.

As the rain eases I make a dash for home but only a minute down the road it thunders down and i seek refuge under a overhang of a old building. Ahead is bright sun and behind - it’s to wet to look.

The storm pauses briefly and I gamble on the sun ahead. Sure enough - just two kms down the road I ride out onto dry roads, but behind is as black as and the rain must still be pounding down.

Through Les Houches and start to climb up towards the small settlement of Vaudagne when a young boy on a leftie Cannodale comes up fast behind. Can’t be passed by a mtn bike so we ride together up (quickly - he seems to be in full training mode) nd then down a closed  - repairs being done - road through Vaudagne across the highway and quickly to Servoz. We shake hands and he peels off for home. But he has given energy to the last part of the ride and i continue pushing over some bumps down through Sevoz, across the valley to La fayet and up the last 4kms to Saint Gervais.

3,229 meters of climbing and about 175kms today.
Makes a total of 6,058 meters of climbing and 355kms approx of distance over the three days,



The figures from day 3
Col de Grand Saint Bernard (2469m) from Aosta.
32km and elevation gain of 1878 meters.  5.9%

44kms meters descending to Martigny

Martigny (471m) - Col de la Forclaz ascent is 16 km long. Over this distance, you climb 1050 height meters. The average percentage thus is 6.6 %

Col de la Forclaz to Saint Gervais 50kms with a little climb thrown in from Les Houches to vaudagne - just for good measure

So lets see -  1878m up Col Grd Saint Bernard  32kms
1050 meters up Col de la Forclaz  16kms
300meters up and 4kms up to Saint Gervais

3,229 meters of climbing and about 175kms
Another easy day in the saddle

On the Bike. Around the Mountain Part 2 2014

Thursday 4th sept
Bourg-Saint-Maurice to Aosta (Italy)

Just a one pass day planned until Eric says - you just have to go over Saint Charles - it’s fantastic and steep on the back side - you will like it.  OK ok - i will see.

But first the col de Petit Bernard - it goes over the border into Italy at 2188meters and is 26.5 kms
Over this distance, the climb is 1,348 m (an average slope of 5.1%), with the steepest sections at 8.1% at the start of the climb. The Little St Bernard Pass was first crossed by the Tour de France in 1949 and has been featured three times since.

So the facts and figures out of the way - yes it is a little harder at the bottom but still nice climbing on good roads . The small video shows the conditions.

Two hrs 20 mins climb for 30kms about 13kms hr. I had a cold wind for the last 9 kms but the Crepe and coffee warmed me up.

The descent - 23kms to the Aosta valley floor  is nice twisting descent to begin. The road a little rough but not bad. The police pull in behind but i wave them through as i want to use the total road dropping into the hairpins and not sure that they would agree with that so much. As they leave I enter on a stretch of baby bottom smooth black tar 5 or 6 kms with nice sweeping hairpins The road is perfect - no markings just black tar forever. And so into Therox.

I wait for a minute for another cyclists who had been leaving the top but no sign of him and I turn onto the Saint Carlo climb. It begins easy enough but soon there is no more nice 5-6 % climbing Bottom gear - out of the saddle and climbing. I think it is at 12% average with ramps to 14%. It is honest enough that I take to zig zagging across the road to make it a little easier. (nice friend - he didn’t mention the up part) But it is not long and at the top there is a new sign that I have not seen before. Cyclists beware.

Sure enough - it is a steep downhill- corners flowing but brake pads are taking a hammering, and even the rear tire as I lock it up to dodge a wing mirror. Ops - better bring it back just a notch. But when a couple motards pull in behind I begin to chase them. It’s steep enough that they do not go away from me that fast and i can corner just as quick (sometimes)  The forearms are pumped when i reach the valley floor with a yahooo to the motorcycles parked on the right.

Turn right and head for home in Aosta. But its still almost 30kms away. A quick slurp of some gel and away - lucky its top gear downhill.

Again ice cream and coffee:  revival food.

Just a 90km day but feels like a bit more.

On the Bike. Around the mountain part 1 2014

Weds 3rd
Saint Gervais to Bourg-Saint-Maurice
Start of the circumnavigation of Mount Blanc. In the Ultra run a last week the fastest runners did just under 24hrs, but I ma planning on three days.

The beginning is now on familiars roads - from Saint Gervais to Megeve to Flumet. It’s a hour before eI turn onto the slopes of the Saisies. A few meters and then stop to reduce the layers to just the bare essentials as ahead lies 15kms and 760 me of climbing. A few sweeping climbing turns into the forest and it’s nice and cool climbing - just  hour until the top - a quick stop for the clothing to go back on and down 17kms of it - 950 meters. The road is mostly in good condition but eyes are open for the mid corner frost cracks.

A small climb near the bottom - just a few meters and then some kilometers of barn new fine chip covered road - slowly I descend to the valley floor and turn left to the small town of Beaufort. Time for coffee and sandwich.

Three english cyclists are sitting outside the shop and as they leave i ask if the know the way to the col du pre - it’s s new one for me. previously I had been up the ‘normal’ route but it lies deep in the valley and forest and i was looking for sun. Yes I found it and the col du pre is in the hot sun the entire way. I soon catch two of the poms but the third had too much lead and I find him on the col after a hr of climbing. Not your average 6% road - more like 8 or 9 % so it is a honest effort.  I don’t stop but roll straight down a short distance onto the lake edge and cross the kilometer long barrage Roseland.
Ahead the road zags twice and disappears into a small confined gorge and the entry into the top plateau. 3 kms later the top. Ahead i know is one of the best descents.
16kms - 1150 meters.
The top is fast and open sweeping bends for 10kms, and then it drops into a tight gorge with the corners tight one after the other - narrow road - free falling down through the apex. It’s fantastic and then after 5-6kms it opens slightly and the speed increases. One last hard - well signposted right turn and below the town of Bourg-Saint Maurice. The pass empties directly into town and opposite on the other side of the roundabout a cafe beckons.

The first thing that I see is banana split - sound perfect finish to a day of riding in France (coffee as well of course)



881 meters of climbing / 36ms of climbing /  45kms of descending / 92kms approx

On the Bike. Saint Gervais to Bettex gondola top Day 2 - 2014

Saint Gervais to Bettex gondola top
8.4kms but ride to small village of Saint Nicholas on the way (4kms) and then after to another small village.  900meters to 1458m    558 m vertical climb

A easy day after 130kms or so yesterday. Just to climb to the top of the Saint Gervais gondola - in distance it is not so far (8.4kms) but a height gain of 558m and a small side trip to Saint Nicholas on the way (4kms) and then after to another small village after and a ‘point the nose’ navigation down small tar seal country roads (they put tar on them once only and the wear and tear of the winters slowly destroys them) - felt like I should have been on a mtn bike.

Makes for nice adventures.

Tuesday
Saint Gervais  - Chamonix.
If I am going to do a circumference of Mount Blanc then I should inspect the way home. 24.1 kms by car but by bike it’s 35kms or so. With the big highway not allowed for bikes - it’s a path through le Fayet, Passy, Servoz and then up a closed road to Vaudagne, and on to Les Houches and Chamonix. A height gain of 570m. Coffee and home.

Les Houches 1000m  Chamonix 1035  le favet 570m  570m gain

Riding at last - France 2014

Got the bike (just 48hrs behind me) but it arrives with a bent rear deraillieur. A bit of force and it is almost straight and I retune the  DI2 system to get the gears working again.

Today I ride from Saint Gervais over to Megeve and down the valley and crossed small col of Hery into Urgine and on to Lake Annecy.

Some of the names are familiar to cyclists around the world - others just european names.

Leaving Saint Gervais

But in detail it is ‘a small hill climb followed by gentle valley road through Megeve and then a small twisting climb up to Hery (pronounced Eric  - don’t ask me why - but it is)
Down - great little road twisting and turning - past the fete day in Ugine and onto the cycleway that links Albertville and Annecy

It’s paved two lane - wide enough for 4 abreast. It feels like I should be going down to the lake - but it is uphill and the wind is on my face. I quickly adopt the time trial position with arms on the bar and proceed to do a 30km time trial dodging slow moving cyclist, walkers and roller bladers.
It goes quick enough and I am soon at the appointed town of Saint Jorivz

A nice lunch for a 3yr old and then back on the bike and another 30km time trial - this time with the wind and downhill (1 degree or perhaps 2 degrees) - yahoo. The average speed jumps up.

But two time trials on the first day on the bike  -  hmmmm

Up and over the pass of Hery. I do stop on top and consume the two jet aeroplanes (well actually crocodiles) and some gel before continuing - knowing full well that it is 3 or 4 or 5 percent grade all the way back up through Megeve. Lucky me the wind is still on my tail until almost the top but the legs seem still to be working.  Roll down off Megeve into Saint Gervais - about 10kms and then just 1 km uphill to home.

Not bad first day out - 6hrs in the saddle 130kms or so - about 21kms hr average.

The following two days were Saint Gervais - Chamonix return and a ride on the hill opposite the Saint Gervais town.

Servoz - on the way to Chamonix. Mount Blanc

Tomorrow it is over the Cole de Saisies and the Cormet de Roseland and down into Bourg Saint Maurice,(about 89kms with 36kms of climbing) then Thursday over into Italy vis the Col de Petit Saint Bernard, and the following day over the Col de Grande Saint Bernard into Switzerland and back over the Col de la Forclaz into France and Chamonix. A three nations ride and a complete circuit of the Mount Blanc.

These stories will be posted in the weekend.

Looking back from ski area Bettax

The roads are not all black tar - patches of rough roads like this are everywhere

.

These sections of road - snow and frost damaged make it interesting in mid corner.

Without the bike - in France 2014

Twice now I have arrived in France without a piece of luggage. Last year it was my small carry on bag which h was taken at Queenstown airport - rather than put it in the overhead it was put back in the hold, and of course it arrived two days later. No problem.

This time it was the bike that arrived two days late. It missed a connection in Hong Kong. Mind you both of my connections were tight - just two hours in Hong Kong and the same in Frankfurt - which in fact is only just enough time.

Frankfurt is a big airport - perhaps the biggest in Europe and even though I was traveling on Lufthansa for the next leg as well, it was still a long way to the customs and security and then the same terminal back.  Anyway the bike missed the Hong Kong connection

It could have been just 28hrs behind me but a festival in the small town where I stay meant that we delayed it till the next morning. My mistake as that meant another 24hrs of delay. So without bike - what is there to do?  but indulge in the French national pastime of drinking and eating.

But first on the Friday I was taken to the start of the Ultra-Tail Mount Blanc - the North Face sponsored event that is the major event on the Ultra Trail circuit. Some 7,500 runners over 5 divisions - from the short 55kms CCC (Courmayer- Champex- Chamonix) to the long distance PTL (a full extended circuit around Mount Blanc  Chamonix - Chamonix for teams of two or three) of 300km.
But the main event is the UTMB - the Ultra Trail Mount Blanc 168ms (Chamonix - Chamonix)

Of course the town is full of fit and some not so fit looking runners. After a stroll through the athlete village and chance meeting with Tom Langley from The North Face Australian 100kms race (a ex Southern Traverse competitor) we move to the main start line and watch the grande depart of the UTMB.

Of course traveling in the company of senior manager for WL Gore (now retired) means that she knows everyone in the outdoor world in Europe. So standing on the steps we meet the boss of communications world wide for Salomon, and then his boss - the overall GM for Salmon. Later we are joined by Martine and Daniel. Martine is also a ex senior promotion manger for Gore.

We stand in the rain and watch the depart  - the rain stops just a short while later, and we shop for desert to have with the invited meal at Martine’s house up the valley. To much wine and fine food later I arrive tired back in Saint Gervais after midnight.

The following night the same - more drinking and eating (of course the eating part comes between 10-11pm - just the normal time in France - but quite late for this Kiwi) This night was a 30th birthday celebration of a kid I meet more than 20yrs ago. Her sister politely remembers meeting me and explains a couple of things that I had done in company with her parents.

So another days passes - and still no bike. Am I getting less or more tired - of that I am not sure.

More tomorrow and hopefully a bike story.