We set off bright and early for the Alps, approx. 2 hours to the south of Lyon. Drive was a beauty through French countryside to a town called Bourg d'Oisans. The village was situated at the base of a famous mountain frequented by the Tour de France called Alpe d'Huez. I've seen these mountains for many years mostly on TV and through pictures. I knew the Alps would be pretty, but I never knew they would be THIS pretty. It was jaw-drop amazing.
We arrived around 8:30am in Bourg d'Oisans, ate breakfast, and then proceeded to get outfitted by the local bike shop with our gear. We were ALL prepared to climb Alpe d'Huez on our shiny rental bikes. The boys even managed to convince Holly to give it a go. Finally, off we went to conquer the beast.
The ride up Alpe d'Huez is almost 9 miles long comprised of 21 switchbacks, a little over 3500 feet. of climbing up to about 6000 feet to reach the summit. Each switchback is numbered and lists previous Tour de France winners of the fabled climb. This is a nice feature of the mountain since it allows you to count down until you reach the top. The rule among all of us was to stay within your limits and have fun. There would be no shame in turning around.
The climb starts almost immediately out of the village. Holly in the first two minutes proclaimed she had never ridden a road bike. Ben & Max in their teenage bravado raced up the mountain. I stayed with Holly to help coach her on this new experience for which she was grateful. The first pitch is straight up, and Holly did great as we ascended to the first switchback #21. We pressed ahead even steeper to switchback #20. The boys were waiting and encouraging Holly with every pedal stroke. Already we were just shy of 2.5 miles into the ride, and the view of the village below was breathtaking. Getting to this point was no joke. After some discussion, Holly decided to turn around which was good as we referenced the rules again. Personally, I was more concerned about the downhill than the uphill. The decent required advanced road bike skills, and would be a serious vacation wrecker if taken lightly. The boys waited at #20 while I escorted Holly back down to the village. I am so proud of her! Go Holly!
I bounded back up from the village to the boys at switchback #20, and we pressed on. We stopped at #19, hydrated, then I suggested we stop at every odd numbered switchback. This proved to be a good strategy because it allowed for enough distance covered, time for pictures, and made it fun as we counted the switchbacks down. Each pitch up, the views became more incredible. Then, I couldn't stop thinking about the many Tour de France battles that have taken place here, and wondered if those riders, even maybe for a second, glimpsed at the shear beauty of this place.
After 2.5 hours we made it the summit. The boys both described where it hurt on their body. They did amazing. I am so proud of them! After a little break, pictures, and a stop at the mountain market for a snack, we were refreshed enough for the harrowing decent. I made the rule we would stop at every 5th switchback going down. This was good because it allowed time for your hands to get blood flow back since they were numb from grabbing hold the brakes so tight. We all stayed within our limits which made for a super fun downhill. Alas, we made it down to the village in about 40 minutes, unscathed. Holly was relieved and excited to see us. We had a little lunch, bought souvenirs, and made our way home. Epic day!
Now, there was one casualty. Ben bonked afterwards. The exertion, lack of food, sleep deprivation, and heat all combined in putting the kiddo down. He has not felt well since and has essentially laid himself out on the apartment couch in Lyon since. He is recovering and we expect him to be better in the next couple of days.
Chapeau to Holly, Ben & Max!
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| Switchback #20, village below |
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| Bourg d'Oisans below, some switchbacks in view already conquered. |
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| Max nears the last few switchbacks |
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| Ben nears the last few switchbacks, Alpe d'Huez village up top |
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| View from above |
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| Ben making the turn |
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| Done! |
Pictures from Ben starts here and below.
Great pictures, great adventure - good going gang.
ReplyDeleteAnd it would appear that Ben is paying the price of high living - pork belly, sacher torte mit Schlag, and more. Max is impervious to all of this - his training at Chipotle has immunized him to any dietary attacks. And we're equally proud of Holly - she looked really excited in the picture of y'all astride the bikes. Love it all!
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