Wednesday, July 18, 2012

TOURMALET - BEEN THERE, DONE THAT!





Visibility Low!





These signs are evil. sign says next km averages 9% and there is 6 km's to summit.
Above the Clouds!
The difference a day makes! Epic view. This is the west side I climbed up.


One year after I was there and the tour satge is climbin it today so here is a little retrospective.

The most brilliant and horrific climb I have ever done. Actually breath tacking with the altitude having a significant effect on the air bags when you get to the top. On the second attempt I gave it a quick sprint in the final 300m to shake a young buck from Melbourne, man did that hurt!! If you are ever in the this area of France check out the valley to the west of Tourmalet, so beautiful with amazing scenery everywhere, waterfalls, rivers, cliffs, woodlands. you can mountain bike, ride road, kayak, white water raft,  rock climb, hike, fish it is awesome.

 If you ever plan going there is a hotel in St Savin which is awesome. Little restaurant does you hot breakfast and 3 course dinner 50 Euros!! even can pack you a gourmet lunch for the road! The village of St savin is out of this world. neselled on an almost imposible slope in the hill side above the valley floor it is amazing!

To put the climb in context it takes 20+ minutes to descend at about 60km/h!! The poles they put on the side of the climb telling you how far to the top and the ave grade of the next kilometer sector suck!! So evil!

Loved the climb so much did it two days back to back. one in fog that you could not see a thing  and the next day the sun could not have been brighter! A hard climb, cause setting a tempo was difficult as the grade changes quite a bit. An hour and a half of climbing is a lot! FS

Check Strava info here
More Photos on f.book.