Day 3 – Flumet to Bourg Saint Maurice

A gentle roll downhill from the hotel for a kilometre or so was the warm-up for the day then we were straight into the first climb, the Col les Saisies (1432m). This was a 10km climb between 7 and 8 percent most of the way. The day started fresh and after the first half of the climb got even cooler as we reached the summit. By now the routine of throwing on another couple of layers for the descent had been fine-tuned and we were off.

 

The downhills are proving to be very popular and the usual suspects hit the front and made the most of a very good road surface and some open and fast flowing corners.

Then it was through the truly authentic and unspoiled mountain village of Beaufort and we started the 20km climb to the Cormet de Roselend (1968m). The scenery just got better and better as we gained in elevation, with fantastic views not only of the gorge but also the valley below. We stopped for lunch after 11km and thoroughly enjoyed the pre-ordered hot soup and a warm café, and from here it was a very scenic final 9km to the top. 

Again, we threw on as many warm clothes as we could find in the support vehicles and it was a 20km dive to the valley below. A top speed of 103kph was recorded and the smiles on everyones faces at the bottom told the story of another awesome descent. 

The corners started off as open flowing with a very good road surface and we rode easy, until Dallas decided to put the pressure on and took a flyer of the front. We all stepped up of course, and the road changed to a small single lane with the occasional white drop of paint in the middle. It dropped down the side of a a very deep gorge twisting and turning - the corners very sharp and falling away below the front wheel. Dallas kept applying the pressure and Leigh, Dave, Geoff, Mike and JR enjoyed the ride. Some hard over on one side while others had the bike laid over the other way. Only one car interrupted this free fall down the valley towards Bourg Saint Maurice.

From here it was a short ride through town to the hotel and some much-needed relaxation.

We were very fortunate to be in the home town of Domonique and she invited us to her home for a kir aperitif before dinner. It was great to see the inside of one of the many thousands of chalets we see every day scattered throughout the mountains and enjoy the very warm French hospitality.

From here it was out to the restaurant her daughter works in for dinner and refuel for the long 48km climb that will take us up to 2764m on the Col de I’Iseran tomorrow.

Day 2 story from Barry

A gloomy and wet start from Samoens, brief ride down the valley and a slow circuit(s) of Clues as Geoff tried to find the start of  Colombiere. Excitement  levels rise as we see the sign showing a 1613m Col . Group stays together for most of the climb and split as we get closer and the weather closes in

My spies tell me that the leading group comprised   Dangerous Dallas, Dateless Dave, with Compass Geoff tucked in behind. JR was closely follows by Lesley, she does that all day! 

Mike then appeared out of the mist and Barry steered Jonathan to the top guided by a combination of grunts and cow bells. Lee- the Pro manfully rode with Robina

We had great help from our drivers Agnes and  Dominic  brilliantly directed by Jeff- alias one- wing.

Brief regroup at cafe then great downhill before a short ! climb of 566m to the top of Col des Aravis then 10k downhill to Flume-plus a 4k uphill to the hotel!

No sports channels here so had to reply on Laura's updates via viber to get the great result for the Americas Cup.
The dummy award was passed on to Dallas for trying to head plant a wall on the wrong side of a tunnel road.

According to Dallas GPS we climbed 2019m, rode 4.18 hrs for 79ks- not the 48ks in Geoff's riding bible

strava from today - colombiere

http://www.strava.com/activities/81536269

Photos from Thonon to Somoens

Depart Thonon

It all started with a bang

Not the story we wanted to tell but nevertheless it did happen.

Everyone excited after arriving in Thonon les Bains to go riding. Different groups headed out while others were still arriving at the airport.

A txt from Dallas - Where are you ? Jef has crashed. Thoughts of non helmet riding Crown Range dweller rushed through the head. The worst of course - but it was not that bad but bad enough.

A car had stopped un-expectantly in front of Jef and Dallas and both hit the back (Dallas only glancing as he was further back) Jef hit the back of the car. He crashed over the bike to collect the car with his scapular. Which broke a small piece on the bottom edge.

Ambulance / police / hospital all followed and on return from Geneva we went to sit in the hospital. (it so happened that our driver Agnes knew two people in the town - one a doctor at the hospital, so we followed up with a call to him and he duly arrived in sandals and t-shirt after spending a day on Lac Leman)

With his assistance we started getting feedback and soon Jef was back with us - drugged to the eye balls, arm in a sling and not feeling so good about the world.

Not the start we wanted but that was it. Dammmm

Sunday 8th
Gentle riding in scattered groups before the rain, or for some in it. Exploring routes above the lake. French low mountain countryside, riding with paddocks of musical cows.

Monday 9th
The depart.
0820 - pedals clicked in and away. Jean Louis (the doctor) joined us for the ride to Morzine up the valley of the Dranske.  Deep in the gorge where he sun don’t shine - 11 degrees - which is a surprise after riding in 30 + just a day or so before.

A unexpected detour forces a climb up the walls of the valley before descending through sunlight shafts in the trees back to the valley floor. The valley climbs only gently all the way to Morzine so it is really a nice way to warm up.

According to the guide book it was lunch - in fact it is only 10.00 and a chance for those keen to add a bit of extra hill work ie climb to 1800meters / 10 kms above Morzine to the ski station of Avoriaz. Only two keen souls chose this option - Dave Drew and Leslie Logan, so of course I had to accompany them.

A great climb done at easy pace - 1hr 10min takes us to a ‘out of this world’ ski station. Some amazing architecture

But it was cold - so no hanging around. Jackets on and 10kms of flowing descents to follow. Coffee and chips in Morzine , while the main peleton had ascended the Col de Joux Plane on the way to Samoens. 

It is steeper - up to 9 degrees on the sign posts  (but 11 degrees in places)

From our guide book (produced in Qtn)

Col de Joux Plane
Starting from Morzine, the Col de Joux Plane ascent is
‘ . . . a deceptively tough (but not too hard) climb as it starts with a real kick from Morzine town centre. There are a couple of easier sections that give the legs a quick break and the
climb ends with easy last 2km to a small lake. Its not a hair-pin climb so a rhythm is
difficult to achieve."

Col de Joux Plane 10.9km Average Grad 6.5% Vertical 711m

The descent is fantastic again - fast following roads - although very rough in places with slumps, bumps and big cracks.

A great start for the trip

Leigh takes the dummy award - riding around a roundabout the wrong way

Tomorrow the Colombière
Col de la Colombière (1613 m).
Max Gradient 12%. 19.5km Vertical 1120m
and then the
Col des Aravis (1486 m) 10km. Vertical 566m

Riding in Europe
A preliminary to the route des grandes alps tour.

The refuge Miage sits at 1560  in a high valley under the towering massif of Dome de Miage

For the locals who know it is a short walk of 1 hour to experience the sun set on the massif with a glass of beer or fine wine before retiring inside for dinning. The specialty of the house is a fondue with the local mushrooms, and so this was the choice for us.

Two beers before dinner sitting outside after the 1 hour walk from the valley floor (on track or 4 wheel road)

The refuge is on the route of the tour du Mt Blanc - just a few walkers there this night - one from Sydney who heard us talking  (he had completed the tour in 10 days with his father of 83yrs) and had walked from Chamonix to get away from the crowds of this mountain metropolis.

So fine dining of fondue followed by a offering of the house - a glass of locally produced
genepi (I'm glad there was no naked light around otherwise there might have been a problem). It made for interesting walk down in the dark - was it the road wobbling or just my head.

Génépi can be made at home through the simple addition of prepared herbs to vodka or grain alcohol. Each Alpine mountaineer or refuge has their own recipe for génépi, but a generic recipe for a liter would require forty flowers and forty grams of sugar to be added to 40% alcohol by volume.

But the riding. 
Those white wall tyre's give it the impression of an old classic, but we all know that it is a modern carbon speed machine and that the guy riding it is an old classic !! Beau Rapley

With all the pieces of the bike finally here (one bag with skewer and peddles and clothes took their own time) it was time to test the legs.

From Saint Gervais to St Nicolas and then around past the Bettex Telepherique, down a narrow and rough cracked old tar road to the find a connection to Megeve A quick 8kms on good road to visit and then home.  A local rider went past with some enthusiasm but the legs were there to give chase and stay with him.  He dived off on a side road soon and was gone.

Narrow country roads - steep at times but surrounded by peaks reaching to the sky on a cloudless day.  What more to ask.

Perhaps the chance to catch up with some others tomorrow although I did get a txt from Dallas saying it was hotter than he expected, and that was before him and Barry went for a ride.

The Mtn behind the bike is just the biggest in Europe Mt Blanc.
the second photo is at Miage and the third outside the house.

a love story

A love story

Each year a small diverse group of people meet at 4 or 5 different venues around New Zealand for one reason - they are in love, with the sport of skiing, but it is not just the skiing but also the competition.

Masters ski racing draws this diverse group to compete from all different parts, from Hong Kong, from Winton, Auckland and Chch. Everyone comes for the skiing and also for the competition.

We all love the competition, we love the winning, and hate a bit the losing, but we enjoy the race and the company.

We enjoy the family of skiers, the quarrels, the tribulations, we pick each other up when we fall down and feel for the skiers who miss a gate, cheer for the competitor when he or she has a good run, regardless if their time beats you in the end.

We race in a sport that is very unique - the course is laid down a steep icy mountain side that has hugh variation in pitch angle and consistency. In slalom maybe 30 gates drilled into the snow (or more lately the ground) in what appears to the outsider a absolute confusion of red and blue poles.  Even to the racers it requires some ‘course checking’  to establish the line, and then to figure out the fastest way to ski the line - the magic route between the gates that will get you down the mountain first.

34 gates in less than 30secs and to win it means that you will beat the opposition sometimes by only 2 / 100ths of a second over two runs. Yes in 60secs the result can come down to less than the time it takes to tap a key board, or blink a eye. 

To be beaten by a second is enormous in one run of 30 secs, and if you are more than 1.5 secs of the pace then then run is analysis in the mind over and over to see where on earth you were soooo slow. We are talking just 1.5 secs. here.

Its the same in other sports isn’t it. In swimming and athletics the winner is often fritters of a second part. The same - I think not. Athletics - a running surface that is exactly the same start to finish, in swimming - the pool here is exactly the same as the pool in Barcelona, but in skiing every inch of the course is different every time, but I get lost . . … . .

This group of racers are in love . . with the sport of ski racing and the sport of skiing. For most it began from the very first time they slid down the hill - can they remember the exact moment - perhaps not, but many will.