May 21, 2014
Layover in Olot
Loop ride to Ripoll
We saw our first rains last night, and they continued throughout the morning. The forecast for today is for intermittent thunderstorms and showers until midafternoon, followed by three more days of fine weather. After that it looks like a prolonged wet spell is on the way. In the face of this we dithered around quite awhile this morning before deciding we should bike today and save our hike to Santa Pau for better weather tomorrow.
We left our hotel about 11, feeling guardedly optimistic from the relatively dry previous two hours. Things quickly changed though, and within a few blocks we were peddling through a soft rain. Too embarrassed at the thought of returning to the hotel so soon, we continued on and were rewarded with a generally terrific ride.
The route west of Olot begins climbing immediately, and holds a remarkably steady 4% grade for the next 8 miles before topping out. It is an ideal cycling route, with virtually no traffic. The rain never developed, but we rode in mist and finally a dense fog most of the way to the summit, pausing only to visit with an interesting British woman cycling solo in the other direction who had stopped to layer up for the long descent; and soon after with a male cycle tourist from Foix, France. Beyond the summit we dropped for about 5 quite cold miles to Sant Joan de les Abadesses where we stopped in at a central cafe for lunch and some warming tea.
The tea and food helped, but we were still cold - especially Rachael, who seemed borderline hypothermic - and we anticipated another cold 5 miles ahead of us as we continued descending to Ripoll. We were berating ourselves for not bringing more layers along on our day ride, and grew increasingly anxious about her condition when suddenly the skies began to lighten and some warmth came through. By the time we reached Ripoll the first patches of blue opened up above. It was a reminder to take more care about our clothing in the weeks ahead when we enter the real mountains.
The ride back was terrific, and similar to the one over - a steady 7 mile climb followed by the long descent to Olot. This time though, we could see further than a few hundred yards and could enjoy the wonderfully verdant landscape surrounding us. We topped out at about 3700', in almost full sun; but barely 50 yards beyond the crest we found ourselves back in the fog. It was quite beautiful to watch it blow up into the gap and disappear. Fortunately the fog was confined to the summit, and we had dry, reasonably warm conditions as we freewheeled for the next eight miles, hardly turning the pedals until we reached the outskirts of town.
And, to top off an already great day, we have a new best restaurant of the trip: La Quinta Justa. Both our meals were splendid and creative. I loved my rugola, raisin, walnut and feta salad and secreto with beans and mushrooms; but when we go back tomorrow night I might try hers instead: salad with feta and fresh strawberries, and a whole dorade with gratin potatoes.
Net elevation gain: 4000' today, 20,200' total.
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Today's ride: 42 miles (68 km)
Total: 283 miles (455 km)
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