The Pyrénées Day 1

I booked this trip with the intention of going in 2018. Unfortunately things got in the way so the very understanding people at The Col Collective kindly allowed me to hold it over until this year.

Arriving at the house by car on Saturday afternoon I was welcomed by Knut a Norwegian cyclist who is part of the guide team. He showed me my room and then took me to the main house to get a drink where I was made to feel at home by Clara and Deb.

Most people fly so Mike was still on the airport run. After about 30 minutes they all arrived and we introduced ourselves. There were 4 other riders from all over the world. Kiril; a Russian who lived in the Netherlands, Mark; an Australian and his wife Pip (not riding), Jeff; an American who lives and works in London and Jason; who is from Singapore. Very cosmopolitan!

After everyone had settled in and bikes had been built up we went for a nice short ride to stretch the legs before the challenges that lay ahead.

This was followed by a fabulous 3 course dinner and drinks. All home cooked by the team.

The ride was on the board and started after a great cycling breakfast with porridge, eggs, bread etc etc etc! As Mike says…there is no such thing as a ‘petit’ déjeuner at The Col Collective!

The Col du Soulor was approached by a 90 minute roll down the valley. After a quick stop for sustenance, provided by the support car team, we hit the slopes.

The climb was 7 kilometres at an average of 8%. The numbers mean nothing, the sheer scale of the Pyrenäen landscapes were breathtaking, and with no breath in me, due to the adverse effects of gravity as well as the altitude, it was tough going. The only thing that kept me going through the 45 minutes or so was the beauty of the surroundings.

The sun was shining the sky was perfectly clear and the views were absolutely overwhelming.

After a quick decent over Soulor we arrived at the bottom of the next climb. The Col d’Aubisque which took us up to 1709 meters above sea level. The Aubisque was less steep (looking at the numbers) but that was deceptive as there were some very steep pitches towards the end. But the road was just as amazing as the first and the views were stunning!

After a break at the top and yet more food (at the cafe this time) it was time to make the descent. This was fast and quite scary in places. I managed to take the wheel of Clara who is one of the guides. She helped me get the right line and speed and gave me some good tips to help me get down the mountain quickly and safely!

We arrived back at the house to be welcomed by ice cold recovery drinks, as well as a beer and a snack to keep us going until supper.

There were a couple of hours to spare which gave people time to chill out or go in the pool before eating.

The supper was another 3 course home cooked meal with wine and beer. Followed by an early night to prepare for the next day.

A great day on the bike with good company. Great food and fantastic weather. All this and the splendour of the Pyrénées…what more could a cyclist ask for…Except maybe some new legs for tomorrow!

A bientot.