Tuesday dawned bright and clear and we headed out from Ornon planning to ride to La Berarde on the heart of the National Parc de les Ecrins. After the warm-up descent of the Ornon and a right turn towards BdO we continued east on the road towards the Col du Lauteret. Chris powered in front and zoomed us along at 20+ mph on the flat road. We turned right on the road to La Berarde in the heart of the park. The gentle climb soon turned up hill and we passed through a few small villages including one with a gondola which provided access to Les Dex Alpes ski area.
Then the fun began. We crossed the river on a bridge and began climbing. The marker indicated it would be a 6% grade. That was a lie. It soon became 10, 11, 12 and even 13% according to the Garmin GPS. It was steep and it was hot. And we loved it. Eventually the road flattened for a mile or two before the switchbacks began and the climbing resumed. The views were spectacular with waterfalls and cliffs all around. People could be seen climbing the ridges with ropes and technical climbing gear.
Parc de les Ecrins
the road climbs into the distance
cascades are everywhere
mountain climbers on the ridge
Eventually we arrived at the charming tiny village of Saint Christophe en Oisans. It was a perfect place to rest and have a coke in the quaint little cafe by the very narrow one lane road. The cafe tables on the sidewalk were squeezed into a sliver of sidewalk. A dog lounged about people and people walked by in the street. When a truck or tour bus came through they completely filled the space between the two buildings on the sides of the tiny street. It felt like you had to inhale and pull your elbows to your side to make way. The dog got up and moved off the sidewalk. The traffic slowly passed and peace and quiet returned as though nothing had happened.
After a brief break we continued on towards Le Berarde – but soon the skies turned black and threatening and we turned around to avoid getting caught in a rain storm. The very fast descent was a thriller as we raced to stay ahead of the storm. A few sprinkles fell and some sections of the road were slightly wet from rain – making me slow down – even more cautious than usual. Larry and Chris zoomed ahead and were kind enough to wait for me at the bottom.
We paced back into BdO where the weather was sunny and hot and stopped for a huge lunch. Then a slow slog up the Col d’Ornon road into a headwind towards the lodge. As I rode up the hill and my lunch digested I began to feel re-energized, so at the 5 mile mark I rode past le Rivier d’Ornon and continued to the summit of the Col d’Ornon. I figured that since it was a gorgeous day and rain was predicted for the next few days I had better make the most of it. I fought the winds to the top. Ornon is not a tough climb and it is only a mile or two to the top from le Rivier.
Turning around at the summit I headed back to the lodge with the wind behind me. With no effort I was soon going over 40 mph down the smooth straight-ish road – which is very fast for me. The switchbacks above the lodge appeared soon enough and I slowed to turn into the peace and quiet of le Rivier d’Ornon and put my bike away in the “bat cave” bike storage area at the King of the Mountains Lodge.
the “bat cave”
Sitting at the dining table I stuffed myself with Helyn’s peach cake and pasta salad, drank some electrolyte recovery drink and relaxed, feeling like the luckiest guy in the world. Total for the day…. 45 miles, 5350 vertical feet.