To Sault: Over the Windy Mountain

June 3, 2015

(Another two page entry! Sorry - this has got to stop!)

The day began humorously, with us trapped inside our hotel. The plan was for us to leave early and grab breakfast at a cafe in town - it's forecast to be 90 degrees today and we hoped to get our climb in before it got too hot. Unfortunately when the time came we couldn't figure out how to open the front door of the hotel to let ourselves out. Fortunately the hotel owner soon showed up and let us out by doing exactly what I thought I had been doing, but with better results. Very embarassing.

After that we had a pleasant breakfast of coffee and croissants at a cafe on the main plaza. We've just been eating breakfasts at the hotel so far, mostly because it's been cold in the mornings and we were in no rush to start riding. Now though we'll start eating at cafes because we're in hotter country and they usually start serving earlier; and because today reminded me of how much I enjoy the experience of sitting outside over coffee, watching the town wake up.

We started biking by about 8:30, our best start so far. We soon frittered away a lot of our time advantage by a pair of navigation errors that sent us steeply uphill on a dead end road. While enduring some unwelcome static from the Lanterne Rouge I studied the map, figured out our error, and soon got us back on track for the ride to Malaucene, the starting point for our climb to Mont Ventoux.

Cycling through the low country, en route to Mont Ventoux.

In the description I read, Mont Ventoux is the second most famous bike climb in the world, after Alp d'Huez. It is a forbidding formation - sometimes referred to as the Giant of Provence, it is an isolated limestone pile that rises a verticle mile above the surrounding countryside. There are three approaches. The most difficult, from Bedoin, is the famous one that often appears in the Tour de France. Climbing from the south, it is notorious for being beastly hot, especially on the final five miles crossing the huge barren summit. Our route, starting on the west side in Malaucene, is nearly as hard except that it is less exposed. The third, from Sault, is significantly easier with almost 1500' less elevation gain, and the one most frequently ridden by casual cyclists.

So we set off, with a 5200' climb in 12+ miles facing us. We didn't get far before I found the first of many reasons to stop and pull out the camera. As usual, Rachael continued on - a Newtonian, she likes conservation of momentum; and she dislikes starting on steep slopes. I didn't see her again until the summit, two hours later.

Here's a video clip of Rachael ascending Ventoux.

Maybe it was because conditions were so great today, but there were a huge number of cyclists on the mountain. All the way on my climb to the top they descended past me going the other direction at great speed, whizzing past with their jackets luffing loudly in the wind. There were easily 300 bikers that blew past me on the way up. I didn't see many going my way and most of these were like me, taking their time, conserving strength, and stopping from time to time. Most of them eventually passed me, but then they weren't carrying any luggage on their bikes either. Of the many riders we saw today, only four or so were luggage-toting travelers like us.

The ride was difficult mostly because it was so long, but as long as we weren't racing it wasn't really as hard as I had feared. I was certainly tired at the top - the last four miles especially were a challenge - but neither of us ever questioned that we would make it to the summit. I thought a lot about the TDF racers though, who of course are going all out the entire way. I can hardly imagine it, and know that my experience had little in common with theirs.

After two hours and change I reached the top and reunited with Rachael. The final few miles were really memorable - the top of the mountain is completely bald and dramatic, and the Road at the end switchbacks steeply across its rocky white face. Toward the end, photographers took shots of all the approaching cyclists and then stuffed business cards in their jerseys in case they want to purchase images from their website later.

We loafed around on top for about a hour, enjoying the amazing views, taking some refreshment and recovering a bit, and taking in The Scene. It is pretty crazy at the top, really - sort of a cyclists theme park.

In Malaucene, juicing up for the ascent.

A dramatic outcrop at the base of the climb. Also, about the last I saw of Rachael before the summit.

At about the halfway point the climb stiffens for a few miles.

Looking up at the final ascent. About three miles from the summit yet, this is the first real look at the top from the Malaucene approach. The scars across the mountain are the final steep switchbacks on the road.

The end is in sight. I think I see Rachael up there, whiling away the time while she awaits my arrival.

Stuffing some calories back into the tank.

The carnival atmosphere at the top. The place feels like a cyclist's theme park.

Looking back down on our ascent, and north into the Drome

Finally having our fill of life at the top we hopped back on our bikes and dropped off the south side, bound for Sault thirteen miles down road. It was a glorious descent - most of the way the gradients were modest and we didn't need to spend a hand-killing hour gripping our brakes like we've done on other climbs in this tour. Before long we were at the bottom, facing a small climb up into Sault. Once we stopped the descent, we were amazed by how hot it was - it really must have been about 90.

And, here's a video of Rachael descending:

Rachael beginning the descent from Mont Ventoux.

Just another shot I liked from Mont Ventoux. It's my journal, so I can include as many as I want.

In the interesting transition zone, where a juniper-like vegetation manages to maintain a foothold. From a distance it looks a bit like a mold.

And now for something completely different: a mechanical stag sculpture lines the descent to Sault.

I want to put in a plug here for the Albion Hotel, the most satisfying place we've stayed so far. It's a husband and wife affair apparently, and very well run. We ate dinner there, enjoying a reasonably priced, substantial fixed menu meal. Most of the other diners looked like cyclists also, and the meals looked Ike they were prepared with bikers in mind.

Our favorite hotel of the tour so far, in Sault: reasonable, warm reception, bike friendly, a delicious dinner, and a great gallery of old Tour de France photos in the stairwell.

The lobby of the Albion Hotel, Sault. Looks biker-friendly to us!

From the Albion Hotel: Tour de France, Col d'Izouard, undated

From the Albion Hotel: Tour of Italy, Trieste to Cortina d'Empezzo, undated

From the Albion Hotel: 1970 Tour de France, Grenoble to Gap, Eddie Merckx

Finally, a postscript for the day. After going back and forth about it for a few days we finally decided to support the local economy and spring for a couple of commercial photos of our arrival at the summit. 20 years from now we'll look back and be amazed at how young and hale we looked today.

Action shot! Rachael at the summit of Mont Ventoux.

Commercial photo: Scott at the summit of Mont Ventoux

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Today's ride: 52 miles (84 km)
Total: 490 miles (789 km)

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