DAY 3 – Col de la Croix de Fer

Today we were going to experience a great Col...a real Giant...the 28 Km long goliath of Col de La Croix De Fer...a climb described by many as the finest and most scenic in the French Alpes...the climb had a few surprises in store...huge dammed lakes...major downhill sections! (and I really hate that in a climb)...it soars to a height of over 2060 meters...its going to be interesting!

The climb starts direct from Allemont...out our Chalet and that’s it....turn right and we’re on our way...the road remains flat until the far reaches of town...it then sweeps upwards in a series of long shallow hairpins...

                                Approaching the Bge Du Verney

We were thumping up there and full of confidence...up ahead on one of these long hairpins we happen on a cycling couple...they are riding a flat bar hybrid road bike thing...we flew passed and said “hello”...we were going to meet again....

These long hairpins deliver you onto a big lake known as the ‘Bge Du Verney’, the road snakes along the right hand flank of this...the road itself is a series of land and over water bridge roads...we hammered along here and passed by the  Power Station at the far end...

                                                 The Power Station at the far end of the Lake

We then descended into a wooded area...this meandered downwards for a Km or so before bottoming out...then we climbed...Oh Yes, we climbed!...this wooded section lasts all the way to Le Riviere d’Allemont...and even just a Km into this section I was reduced to my 30 x 24...up it rears at a solid 9-10% gradient...no corners to rest on...just a weaving steep ordeal...Brian said very early on “Richard, my legs are gone”...I replied “Just put it into your smallest gear Brian”...but he said “I’m already in it”...Oh dear...looked like Brian was going to have an off-day on this big mother of a climb?...however we made slow and steady progress up through the trees...about 4 Kms up I heard a noise from behind...it was the male part of the couple we had passed earlier...he just cruised passed us on his hybrid Flat-Bar...(I bet he enjoyed that)...Up ahead there were road works...probably in relation to the upcoming TDF which uses this climb aswell?...the workmen started shouting words of encouragement at me and Brian and we managed a smile or two...but Brian was in real pain and I was wishing for the road to ease off...a Km or so further on I was granted my wish and the road flattened off as we reached Le Riviere d’Allemont...we recuperated through here somewhat and prepared for more pain...it’s here we experienced one of the downhill sections...and does it not go downhill!...it drops away in a series of very tight and steep hairpins (around 12-15%)...and as we bottomed out we were confronted with the steepest part of the entire climb...a solid steep straight ramp which was easily 11% average...this proved a major effort but I was more worried about Brian...he was in pain alright but didn’t look quite as bad as he did earlier on?...I never said much as we steadily made our way up....

After around a Km it relented a tad ...to around 8%?...we were both looking ahead but couldn’t really see where the road went...it just kept to the right hand side of a huge ravine which basically had near verticle cliffs on either side....every now and then we would come across huge big rocks and boulders on the road...there was metal netting holding some of the rock face in places but I guess you cannot make it entirely safe?...I wouldn’t fancy riding up this after a big storm I tell you?...onwards we ventured and we ended up crossing over the ravine to the opposite side...this is where another series of Hairpins presented themselves...these were not too steep but did hurt somewhat still the same...

        Hairpins leading to the Grand Maison lake

As we rounded a few more bends another team of road workers were hard at work...they had resurfaced the entire road!...I didn’t realise this until my wheels started to sink into the moist hot tarmac...the workmen directed us off to the left and we made our way up over a tiny meter wide strip of road that hadn’t been resurfaced...after this the road eased off to around 5% and a better cadence was adopted...up ahead we saw the face of a huge ‘quarried stone dam’....there was a dirt road that zig-zagged its way up this dam...

                                                                        The 'quarried stone' Dam

Thankfully our road just gently hugged the left hand side of the ravine and delivered us to the top in a very appropriate manner (meaning not too steep :-)...as we approached  the top we were blessed with one hell of a view...the mighty Bge Grand Maison...

                            Beautiful Gran Maison Lake

A huge body of water that’s basically plumbed into the Bge Verney down in Allemont  and allows such a water flow that it can turn the Turbines...excellent engineering strategy utilising one of the planets most ancient attributes...gravity!....anyhow, around here the road really eased off and I almost got back into my 42 chainring!...we hammered up here and way up in the distance lay a huge spacious valley Pasture...and at the top of this lush green valley I just managed to make out a small building...

                                                                   The huge Valley after the Lake

I turned and said to Brian “that’s the Junction where you can choose to go over the Glandon or the Croix de la Fer”....ok doky...the end is nigh...at the end of this huge lake we encountered the 2^nd of the downhill sections...not as steep as the first one but still a serious plunge...and I simply cannot stop thinking negative here...”I’ve climbed all the way up here now I’m going to lose a 100 meters or so”...we stormed down there and as we bottomed out we flew over a bridge which straddled a water feature/small waterfall?...the climb had now totally transformed into a very lush and green windswept ordeal...very different from what went previous...but the gradient had kicked again...upto 8% easily...this must have taken a toll on Brian...I had unintentionally forged ahead here and when I looked over my shoulder he was a fair bit back...I slowed up and made my way ever closer to the small building...

         The Road leading to the Glandon / Croix de La Fer Junction

After a real effort I finally reached the Junction...Left to the Col Glandon...Right to the Col de La Croix de Fer...I circled around here for a spell and slowly but surely Brian made his way to the Junction...I asked how he was and he indicated he was suffering but managing...we took a Right and around 2 or 3 Kms in the distance Brian seen the top of the Col “there its there Richard!”...”Good”...we marched on and once again the distance grew between me and Brian...I just let Brian cope with it in his own way...a slightly gentler gradient ~6% delivered us to the top of the Col and what a relief to actually top out...it had been one huge long experience...I  dismounted the bike and awaited Brian...he came into view a few mins later and when he topped out he punched the air...he was absolutely chuffed to bits...he said “Richard, I never thought I was going to make it, I was feeling dreadful at the beginning and the entire climbs been so hard for me, I cannot believe I managed it afterall”...but being fair...this was our first outing in the big mountains...we hadn’t properly trained for such efforts...and Brian had been very restricted with training due to ‘new parent’ duties...so I suppose we had a right to be very happy with ourselves?

The views of the surrounding peaks were awesome....especially the ‘knife like’ Aiguilles D’Arves... got some smashing photo’s up there:-

                                                                               Brian at the Col de La Croix de Fer

                                   Me at the Col de La Croix de Fer

                                                                            The Pointy Peaks of the Aiguilles D'Arves

There were quite a few motor bikers and mountain trekkers up there...but one guy caught our eye...he was dressed in full denim...jeans,denim Jacket, normal buttoned shirt underneath...all worn out and scuffed and torn...he had unkept wavy long grey hair...he wore an old pair of disintegrating trainers...but the thing that caught our eye...he was holding onto a bike!...no ordinary modern bike...an old steel frame contraption that looked akin to the one in the Hovis bread advertisement...surely he never cycled up here dressed like that and on that machine?...he was eyeing us up and came over to speak...he couldn’t speak a word of English and we couldn’t speak a word of French...in the end a series of finger drawing in dirt and pointing led us to understand he had cycled up from the opposite side...arguably the tougher side from St Sorlin and the Maurienne valley?...here, me and Brian were dressed like bloody TDF competitors... and along comes 'Shakin Stevens' french twin brother out for a stroll on his nineteen canteen relic....it's not fair!...Now, you may think that’s impressive enough...however he had one other surprise up his sleeve...or should I say Trouser leg!...he lifted one leg of his Jeans and unveiled a prosthetic limb...I near fell over...Me and Brian just looked at each other in sheer amazement...this was truly incredible stuff...and also very humbling!...we continued talking way with the aid of a translator (a French Mountain trekker had offered assistance to our situation, he spoke fluent English)...turns out the one legged guy is very famous around the region...no wonder I thought...once the translator realised we were from Scotland his eyes lit up...”Ahh  Ben Nevis”...I just laughed...he went on to tell us he had visited Scotland and was blown away with the beauty....and here we were in the middle of the French Alpes?...nice to hear right enough!.

After around 20 mins we decided to head off...and we prepared for a huge descent...with 2 unwanted uphill sections to negotiate....but before doing so we headed off at the Junction with the Col Glandon and detoured up another few hundred meters to snap a photo of the other famous Col:-

              Me getting a sneaky pic at the Col du Glandon

Not going to say too much about the descent...the 2 uphill sections did hurt as predicted...and by the time we arrived back in Allemont we were pretty well spent...

That night I was reading a book I had borrowed out the Library ‘Cycling France’ by Tim Hughes...and by pure coincidence I happened on a passage in his writings...he wrote “Cycling heroes aren’t always champions of the great races, for instance one of my biggest heroes is Bernard Miguad from Metz, he suffered a child hood illness and lost one of his legs, but he had a prosthetic fitted and has just become a member of the Cent Cols club”....I read it out to Brian and we both said “we should have got a bloody photo with him”...however it remains and will always remain a remarkable part of my cycling memoirs.

SUMMARY – This is basically the first climb on the infamous ‘Marmotte’ Sportive...how it does not get spoken off more often I do not know...it’s a beast!...its a 28km climb...that’s enormous!...it has some very steep sections...and having 2 serious downhill sections along with constantly changing gradients makes it extremely difficult to adopt any kind of consistent rhythm?  The climb is truly spectacular...forestry...ravines/ cliffs...huge Lakes...lush green pastures...yes this ones got the lot...out of all the climbs I did in the Alpes that year...this is the one that I remember most vividly?...Tremendous.

DAY 4 – Taking it easy on the lovely Col D’Ornon

After Brian’s biblical duo with the Mighty Col de la Croix de Fer yesterday it seemed fitting to embark on a much easier task today...the previous 3 days of continuous climbing had taken a toll on our legs and body and a more manageable effort was the order of the day...The Col’ D’Ornon would do just dandy...and its just along the road!

This climb ascends 640 odd meters in around 11kms...close on 6% average...that sounds ok to me?

After a good lie-in we totally chill and have a no pressure breakfast...I’ve already assured Brian that today would be a total breeze...so we take it real easy and head off on the N91 again...the start of the Col D’Ornon starts just before we head into Bourg d’Oisans....we see the road and we take a Right...here we go again...

The road steadily cranks up....but never too steep...and as a result I’m managing ok in the 42 x 24...after yesterdays experience Brian had decided to just go into the granny chainring from the off...he’s on something like a 30 x 21...after the first initial kilometers the road enters a big dramatic ravine...where vertical stone walls adorn either side...with shrubs and foilage growing out of every nook and cranny...its absolutely cracking!...the gradient was still fairly kind and we were in no difficulty at all...however I had shifted into a lower gear (42 x 27)...this section lasts a good few Kms before you are spat out onto a more open valley...we were really enjoying this ascent and it was proving just the ticket!..the gradient was never problematic and the road was continually twisting and winding its way upwards...good stuff!...we bypassed a few villages enroute and they were all very beautiful and ‘Heidi’ material...you know the same gorgeous small mountain villages you see on all the TV programs about  the Alpes...the scenery in every direction was stupendous...with huge peaks off to the right and left.. and basically the next 6 Kms or so were just a repeating  feature...unfolding waves of awe and splendour...and this road hiked right up the middle of the damn lot...superb!...the nature of the climb remained pretty much the same until the very top...a very achievable gradient throughout...and after around 40 mins me and Brian were at the summit...Brian was well happy with todays efforts and we had both really enjoyed this very beautiful ascent....a couple of photo’s to commemorate the occasion:-

                                   Me at the lovely Col D'Ornon

                                                                               The restaurant at the Col D'Ornon

                         Brian looking back down the Col D'Ornon

After this we simply road back down to the Chalet and enjoyed a day off the bike...instead we spent the day in Bourg d’Oisans.

SUMMARY – Ideal choice for a more resting day...its still a healthy climb of over 600 meters...but it has such a nice steady gradient all the way up...but in my opinion the main reason for riding up this must be the scenery...it really is a lovely climb...maybe not quite as gorgeous as La Berarde but in truth not much is?...however we both loved it!...A very sensible choice for this day.

DAY 5 – Another Titan looms – The Col Du Galibier needs no introduction.

We had decided that this would be our final foray in the Alpes...and sometimes the biggest gets left to last...It was ‘Galibier’ day...and this ones a monster....reaching to a overwhelming 2600 meters...although in the May of 2004 the climb was ‘only’ open to the Tunnel at 2550 meters...the actual Col itself (a further 100 meters up) was still shut off with snow!...bugga!...I had wanted to do the climb from St Michel de Maurienne...from there we would tackle the mythical Col du Galibier from the tougher and more infamous northern side...taking in the stepping stone of the Col du Telegraphe enroute...the weather forecast for the area was fairly dodgy...a slight chance of a thunderstorm in the afternoon....Brian didn’t fancy a 1850meter climb in his current  form and with the possibility of a storm at 2600meters it was agreed we would indeed tackle the climb from the Northern side...but we would drive the car over the Col de la Croix de Fer and from there head down to the Maurienne valley...where we would drive to St Michel and drive over the Col Du Telegraphe and park up at Valloire (the proper start of the Galibier)...we would tackle the big boy from there (1200 meter ascent)

True to this plan we drove over the Col de la Croix de Fer in the morning...and we were absolutely brickin it as we were driving off the top of the Croix de Fer into St Sorlin...what a real scary drive that is!...anyhow we soon negotiated the Maurienne valley and not long before we were up and over the Col Du Telegraphe and parking up at Valloire...the bikes were quickly fitted up and soon we were ready for the off...big boy time...

The small village was fairly quiet as set off...the gradient was fairly straight forward...and I was cruising up on my 42 x 24...this would not last!...as we were leaving Valloire Brian noticed a group of rock climbers scurrying there way up some crazy vertical slope....whatever tickles your fancy I suppose?...again, I’ll stick with cycling!...as we were leaving the town the gradient kicked up a tad and I shifted into my 42 x 27...Brian again opted for the Granny Chainring around here...he was pushing a 30 x 21...the road continued up through a series of smaller settlements...and I felt pretty good...Brian told me he felt pretty good also...a couple of Km’s further up and the road had become a more solitude affair...with only a few sparse settlements lining this most famous stretch of tarmac...up ahead the road veered off to the left which led into another small village and this is where the road kicked upto around 7 or 8%...I was still struggling away in my 42 middle chainring and this is where Brian said “stick it in the granny ring Richard”...and that was common sense...it was becoming too much for me...I immediately kicked the gearing down  and in doing so another huge relief was experienced...and being honest I was spinning up the climb at the same pace anyway?...

Me and Brian were thumping up here with very little difficulty...it all seemed really easy?....the road now clung to the left hand side of an enormous valley...and way up in the distance at the very top of this valley lay what looked like an inaccessible and impregnable rock face...How the hell did this road overcome that?...we were gonna find out fairly shortly!...the road remained fairly consistent at around 7% and it never changed much in character...it just hung onto the left hand side of the valley and basically went straight on up....very little in the way of corners are tight bends...we were now around the 9Km mark and fast approaching the big natural rock barricade...and as I scrutinised the rock face I barely made out the road...Wow!...did that not look steep...I pointed it out to Brian...”That looks bad”...he was fairly hesitant and so was I...the road just tore away up the rock face from left to right...and the start of this steeper section is realised at the small hamlet of Plan Lachat....and we were already passing this by...

                  Brian at Plan Lachat (where the real action starts)

The road kicked sharp right over a small bridge and ahead lay the crux of the climb...the next 8 Kms never dipped below 8%...it was going to be tough alright...onto the steep section and it must be said that me and Brian were in total cruise mode...we were both pushing the 30 x 24 and it was no problem at all?...Strange!...after this huge ramp which was the best part of a Kilometre the road morphed into a series of very tight bends...hairpins in every imaginable direction and it was just so damn twisty I hadn’t a bloody clue where I or the road was going?....after a good couple of Kms the road re-emerged at the top of the rock face...we could now look down and see the crazy twisty section below...

                                             The snaking spiralling road that overcomes the barricade

And up ahead lay a huge barren lonesome valley...and again in the distance the road looked to be heading into yet another impregnable area?...what a bloody road!

The gradient never seemed to change much around here and it wasn’t long before we were experiencing some serious snow build ups on either side of the road...another 3 Kms up and the snow ‘walls’ on either side of the road were around 6 foot in height...and it was around here whilst we were taking a tight corner that a Motorbiker came downhill and signalled for us to be careful...as we rounded the bend we saw that part of the snow ‘wall’ had collapsed on our side and we were forced onto the left hand side of the road...dead nice of the Motorbiker to warn us!...Now, even at this altitude (~2300 meters) the snow was seriously deep at parts...what would it be like at 2550 meters?...we marched on upwards and I started to feel funny?...I started to get very cold...I said to Brian and he said “Are you alright?, how can you be cold climbing up this?”...however I was feeling weird and I felt a pressure in my chest...not a heart attack or anything...more like needing to bring up wind?...strange?...

Brian was pushing the pedal well on this climb...probably a tad better than me as I had to ask him to 'take it easy' on the final few Kms...the snow banks were now biblical on either side of the road...maybe 10 feet?....and it was up around here we saw children playing on sledges on the small slopes opposite?...that was pretty strange to me...we had been cycling up this beast for around 15Kms...and now at a height of around 2450 meters there’s kids playing on bloody sledges?...somehow takes a bit of the achievement away?...we continued on and fairly soon we were fully enclosed in 'catacombs' of snow...basically snow tunnels carved out by serious no-nonsense snow ploughs...I honestly had no idea where I was going...I turned to Brian and said “This is pure mental”...”I know” he answered...after around another kilometre of 8% we came to a small plateau and perched at the top was a restaurant...

                                                  The Shop / Cafe at the Tunnel on the Col du Galibier

As we approached the dwelling we observed a sign signalling 2550 meters...and there in front lay the Tunnel...I looked upto to the ridge and could easily see the Col itself...I then quickly looked at the barriers which blocked the road and stopping anyone trying to reach it...

          The Barrier that scuppered our dreams of reaching the Col itself

For a brief second I was actually going to forge ahead and go for it but Brian shouted “Richard, you can’t go up there its dangerous”...he was right of course...but I clenched my fist and swore at it...in better conditions we could have cycled upto it easily in around 10 mins...what a pity!...still, at least we made it safely to the Tunnel!...

                                             The Tunnel on the Col du Galibier (directly above is the Col)

As I dismounted something was wrong...I felt fairly dizzy...and I just didn’t feel good at all...Brian asked If I was alright...”Yeah, just feel a bit funny”...he told me to eat a Energy Bar and a gel...this I did but I felt very sick trying to swallow it down (all this was probably down to the altitude!)...we got ourselves regrouped and observed the mandatory photo shoot...

                         A shaky me at the Tunnel on the Galibier

                                                                             A confident Brian at the Galibier Tunnel

We also took a good  ‘scale’ photo of Motorbikers next to the snow ‘wall’....just to give an idea of the incredible snow build up....and a few other photos to convey the atmosphere:-

    Can you see the Motorbikers? Theres 3 of them in the lower left corner

                                                                Looking back down the Mighty Galibier from the Cafe

We felt a few spits of rain and decided to head back to the car ASAP....we took a few photos on the way down...

                   Brian snapping a photo as we descend the Galibier

                                                                            The road that leads us back to Valloire

Fairly soon we were back at the car...the bikes were quickly broke down and fitted into the back...and we were soon driving back up the climb...our intention was to drive back up the Galibier and through the tunnel....the drive itself was not so bad...and after the long scary tunnel we paid homage to the big Henri Desgrange Monument that resides at the other side of the tunnel...

   The superb Henri Desgrange Monument - Fitting as he idolised the Galibier

Now the drive down to the Col du Lauteret...terrifying!...I asked Brian what it looked like off to the left...he said “Richard, its like looking out an airplane”...after a very nervous drive we finally reached the safe hamlet of the Col Lauteret and onto the big N91 again...we hung a right and made our way through La Grave and through the series of big tunnels...after a spell we are back in Bourg d’Oisans and 10 mins later seen us at the Chalet in Allemont....thats it!...its all over...for this year!

SUMMARY – An enormous brute...a fairly stark experience...with a feeling of dread all the way up...its not a happy climb...more of a nervous encounter...but it is one of THE 'must do' climbs...and I can understand why it is so famous...if starting from the foot of the Col Du Telegraphe it would be a very serious undertaking...from there its a 1850 meter Monster!...I do wish we had did it from there but as a result of my failure to reach the Col itself I feel its the one climb I must return and fully complete one day? (along with the Col du Telegraphe)...its the highest point on the ‘La Marmotte’ sportive....and tackling this after the likes of the Col du Glandon is going to be one sore experience...and then after this the Alpe d'Huez?...a real challenge for sure!  I'm glad I did the Col Du Galibier but I’ll be back!

OVERALL TRIP SUMMARY – A real lesson learned in the High Mountains...we were nowhere near fit enough to really do justice to the area...but at the time I suppose we did ok?...and since then a major improvement has been attained...mostly down to a greater fitness, better endurance and more importantly...a greater experience!...the climbs were memorable...how else could I recall all this after 6 years?...it really stamped an impression on me...so much so that I’ve been out in the continent nearly every year since for even more torture ;-) 

La Berarde was IMO the most beautiful, the Alpe was tough and mandatory, the Col de La Croix de Fer was (for me) the toughest, and again we simply had to tackle the giganto Galibier...we had witnessed the Telecom Pro Cycling Team in action (we also saw the CSC pro team training)...we had seen Vino crush Alpe D'Huez...we had met the amazing Bernard Miguad with his prosthetic (bionic)  leg...a good trip?...I think so.