September 10, 2024
Day Eleven - Briançon to Le Bourg-d'Oisans
Finally time to leave Briançon, I didn't manage to get out as soon as I would have liked, leaving the campsite at 9:45. It was a strange campsite - brand new looking sanitation facilities including bizarrely piped music in the toilets, but no toilet seats or toilet paper. How peculiar.
Fortunately the weather was pleasant enough, if not particularly warm. I was still a bit nervous about my otherwise brand new tyre with its hole I'd gained a couple of days before. I managed to find some tyres of the same brand and model, but no matching colour. A small thing really but my Orbea's already had mismatching tyre colours since 2023's big adventure, I really don't want to prolong that situation!
The view from the road up to Col du Lautaret was beautiful with snow topped mountains surrounding me. The only thing I would have changed is the nature of the road, it was rather busy, I definitely got a similar feel to parts of Scotland, where there aren't many options for building roads, so the only roads that do exist that get you somewhere useful are well used. Still, better to be on a road like this here than in a heavily populated part of England!
On the way up I did encounter a helicopter moving some supplies up and down the valley regularly, and also managed to record a video of them doing this. I assume they have a very good reason for using a helicopter...maybe getting the cargo up to the top of a mountain for the upcoming ski season. Try to think the best of people Tom! Check your volume, this video is rather loud.
Before I got to the top of the climb I did find myself stuck at a set of traffic lights for some road works. I decided to be a good boy despite my suspicions and wait. I did wait, and it wasn't too long a wait. Seconds after passing the green light, I found myself on a cycle track with barriers either side. What was the point in the traffic lights for cyclists? Sigh! Even if there had been an oncoming cyclist, the temporary track was narrow enough that no-one would have gone at any speed along it, but wide enough to waddle past each other. Pointless. Half way along it some workmen were standing in it too, very helpful. In fairness they did spot me and make way for me as I was passing without any need to alert them. Compared to what I am used to in the UK I was glad of any cycle track at all honesty.
I got to the top of Col du Lautaret and started eating my sandwich once I'd found a picnic bench to use. I guess the sensible thing to do would have been just to sit there and take in the view, but I couldn't help but watch the remainder of a new Futurama episode which I'd started watching earlier that day! I did take in some of the view anyway, I promise! No-one else bikepacking seemingly. I wondered how many had got the train to their accommodation - I know someone on youtube who I've subscribed to was on a similar trip with friends, they'd go their via a long journey in a van! I've done that before. In a sense it's more convenient than a train if with friends, but it's not very comfortable.
I was also at the start of the famous Gablier climb at this point, yes it was very tempting, but hey, I ended up doing almost 7,000ft of climbing that day, with luggage. I was on a bit of a schedule so it wasn't really an option. It hadn't occurred to me that such a famous climb would start at the top of some other climb!
Descending the col was a very enjoyable experience, none of the descending (I need a synonym for this word. I looked it up, sink, drop, and subside don't quite work!) was too steep, so very little braking required, just casual sweeping corners which I could lean in to without a care in the world. Blissful! Eventually found myself at the bottom of the descent, and on to the next climb. To my left was a stunningly blue lake, Lac Du Chambon. Dead ahead was a relatively straight forward route to Le Bourg-d'Oisans and my campsite for the next two evenings, but I had been told of a climb I could go up instead, which supposedly was a quiet road and had stunning views.
With the easy road ahead, and the steeper yet prettier road to my right...well you can guess what I did - yes I turned right! I was immediately greeted by quite a steep ramp, with a few hairpin turns. Not so steep that I had to get off and walk fortunately, however I did find myself standing up as I pedalled, which I don't do that often with luggage. I also ended up cycling behind a young couple. To my amusement despite the luggage I was actually faster than them up the climb! I was quickly rewarded by my decision to take this alternate route by a random public toilet, very handy. The couple overtook me while I had my "comfort break", only for me to overtake them again later on.
I did find myself stopping a couple of times going up the various legs of the ascent, but that's a luxury I've come to allow myself when tackling big climbs with luggage. It's not as if I'm likely to challenge anyones times up such well cycled roads anyway!
As I approached the top, I could see the final two hairpin bends. On the horizon they appeared like a V shape on its side. Always a scary prospect, such geometry tends to make such roads look steeper than they are. To my relief a little internal pep talk and standing up on the cranks was enough to power me up to the top of that section. Phew! There was a group of other cyclists at the very top of the Col, so with some energy left in my legs I decided to power up to the signpost. Then my glasses fell off my jersey on to the road...typical! Well at least there wasn't a driver right behind me to run them over.
The view at the top of Col de Sarenne was a stunner, although it did require me to scramble up a grassy hill to get to the very top. No bother with my SPD cycling shoes, designed for cyclo-cross and/or mountain biking! I don't know whether other people go bikepacking or cycle touring on road cleats that make it difficult to walk, but I'm glad I've never bothered.
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After taking photos and a quick video call to mum to share the view (modern technology!) back down the next descent I went, another casual winding affair, without a great deal of braking. I wish all my descents could be like this! I passed through the Huez ski resort and down the famous hairpin turns of the Alpe D'Huez climb itself. How many cyclist have descended this climb before every climbing it? Very few I assume! It was novel to get to descend it like this.
I had intended to get groceries on the way down, but managed to miss the supermarket I was aiming for, so freewheeled right past my campsite at the base of the climb and headed to the supermarket on the edge of Le Bourg-d'Oisans. No proper cycle parking, weird! Bought myself a big pack of pasta and meatballs, suited me!
Got to the campsite, there was a sign at the reception saying it closed but feel free to pitch up and settle affairs in the morning, which suited me. Better than the website's suggestion that there weren't any spaces left at all, which seemed strange given the time of year! I ate most of the pasta and meatballs (it was a meal for two!) and spent the rest of the evening alone in the poolside bar.
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