Col des Bordères / Col du Soulor / Col d’Aubisque / Col de Spandeles

Col des Bordères / Col du Soulor / Col d’Aubisque / Col de Spandeles

83.5km    4:23:06     2,378m climbing  i.e. about 3.5 times the Crown Range

Average speed 19.1km/h     Top Speed 74.9km/h

The perceptions have changed. The day above is now considered by all a easy day.

A gentle hill climb out of the hotel winds through little villages and over the Col des Bordères before going the main road to the Soulor. We are idling along until a french guy and girl pass in a ‘flyby’.  Well the noise from the back of the peleton indicated that this probably was not on and we jumped across onto their tail. Phil aided by offering a draught and then it was bang straight onto the hill. Rather than a easy approach it was game on with the French peleton.

The leader made some comment to phil - like i think not and that was enough - off he went.
Everyone rode strongly up the hill (my own average wattage was about 188watts - peaking at 200watts) not high but enough to ride the french peleton leader off our tails.

Col du Soulor is reached after just 7kms or so and a short break before we head down and along the La Cercle de la Mort – The Circle of death.  A narrow balcony cut into the side of the mountain.  Al and myself seem to be in the front (think the others taking photos etc) and the gradient slowly ease’s up from 3 to 8% but  the top is in sight and we roll up with Al leading the way to the top of the Col d’Aubisque.

Over lunch we are joined by a couple of Aussie’s. Their plans also include the Col de Spandeles.

Back across the Cercle de la Mort and up to Soulor. A brief stop and descending and descending and more to the town of Ferrieres. A couple clicks later we turn onto a narrow paved goat track which climbs through a narrow valley and ‘rain forest’ to the summit
Average grade: 8.4 %. Length: 10.18 km. Height start: 520 m. Height top: 1380 m.
Ascent: 860 m.

We chat on the way up with John and are soon joined at the top by Jenny, and we drop down the still narrow, gravelly and bumpy road to the town of Argelès-Gazost for a second lunch, and a gentle roll home