The tour guide does not like to blow his own horn, but the weather (as noted earlier - that he is responsible for) was perfect again today. We were so fortunate that our timing for this foray into the Pyrenees mountains worked out so well. The route he chose was not bad either.
We had breakfast in our room and packed our panniers to leave Luchon and head back to Saint Bertrand. The route will be through the Col de Balés. Port de Balés was paved in 2007 for the Tour de France and has been used six times since. We were both a bit apprehensive about this one, as we are with all the longer climbs. But the challenge and the amazing sights are such a strong pull. We should have been doing this twenty years ago when our bodies were far better suited! It is a 20 KM ride with an 1125 metre gain.
Leaving town, we stopped at our favourite patisserie and bought some sandwiches and treats for the road. The ride began on the same route as yesterday but turned off 4.5 KM from town. Immediately the grade picked up for the next couple of kilometres and then it was really a most enjoyable grade until the last 5K.
The route is open to the Port de Bales from this side but was closed to cars from the other side. It looked like there had been a rock slide but bikes could easily get around it.
Views like Saccourvielle in the hills can help take your mind off the grade but it can be tough to get back on your bike after the photo has been taken.
Entering Saint-Pauls d`Oueil. It is a really pretty village and the grade became quite manageable from here for several kilometres. It breaks the ride up nicely.
The final section of road to the col begins through these cows and is cutting across this slope somewhere. We encountered four of them on the road just ahead!
This is one of the old gondola cars from the lift that was replaced last year in Luchon. They appear to seat 4 skiers and the new ones 16. Good place to put your old skis too!
Bourg-d'Oueil. If you can believe it - Wikipedia states,¨Bourg-d'Oueil is a rural commune with 10 inhabitants in 2021, after having had a peak population of 171 inhabitants in 1821¨. We counted two dogs as well.
The village of Bourg-d'Oueil has their own ski hill. From the internet, ¨this pretty resort welcomes you in all simplicity on its six slopes facing the village, which offer modestly but surely three levels of skiing, a sledge area and the whole mountain for snowshoeing. Hiking, sledging or learning to ski. Nature up close and personal.¨ Looks like a fun place to learn to ski.
We did not stay up top for long. The refuge / coffee shop was closed and it was a bit breezy. We were very impressed with one racer that came up from the other side. He hit the flat section, took both hands off the bars, reached into his back jersey pocket, pulled out a light wind breaker, put it on and zipped it up without changing his cadence. He did it all in seconds and was gone.
The ride down on other side of the col was quite different than the valley ride up. The road was much narrower and had a rough chip seal surface. After riding through the high alpine we traversed through a thick forested area with the Ourse River below. Scott was being very cautious, trying to keep his rims cool! He did let some air out of the tires to allow for expansion. Not sure if this helps but we made it down without any problems.
Lots of tight corners on the steep route down from Port de Balés.
We returned to Hôtel Candide in Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges. We really liked our hosts at this hotel and we were very happy to be returning. It seems that the guide was in such a frazzle when we left a couple of days ago that he forgot his water bottle, his cell phone and to return our room key. Unbelievable!
We sat in the lobby and enjoyed a local IPA made by Brasserie Moehau in Pointis-Inard. - about 25 KM away. Their NZIPA is quite good. We strategized about our remaining schedule and route going forward. The weather looks really bad tomorrow and continues to be iffy into the week. Do we need a pivot? I guess the guide can only do so much.
