Alpe de'Heuz et Mont Ventoux (travelogue #2 by Matt)

We have now done two days of hard climbing and were are really tired.  Monday we drove up into the Alps (we were already in the Alps, but we drove up a side canyon) and they were spectacular.  The Alps were definitely as wonderful as advertised.  The mountains were really beautiful with broad valleys in between, C'est manifique!

L'Alpe D'Huez has 21 switbacks, is about 8 miles long and has and average grade of 9.5%.  It starts just outside of the town where we rented the bikes and goes right up the mountain face.  We got a later start that we had hoped, so we didn't start climbing until around 10:00 am.  It was cool in the valley so we were dressed rather warmly, but as soon as the road started the climb we were immediately overheating.  Mommy in particular was dying from the heat.

Not to worry, however, because Papa Duck was waiting for us at switchback 20 (the switchbacks count down to the top so the first one that you encounter is 21, the last one is 1).  We dropped off our extra layers and resumed climbing.  Mommy also chose to ride with Papa Duck up to the midpoint of the climb to lessen the challenge and to keep her climbing with the rest of us.

Aaron and Nan proved to be the strongest climbers and quickly pulled away from me, eventually even passing mommy.  I plugged away up the climb enjoying the spectacular backdrop and frequent switchbacks.  It took me about 1 hour and 45 minutes to get to the top and I even caught mommy at the finish line.

After a really fun decent, the four cyclists jumped in the river that runs through Bourg d'Ossain in our cycling clothes (the place where we rented the bikes) and took baths.  The water was really, really cold!  It was harder for me to wash in the water than it was to climb the mountain.

By then Elisse, Garry, and Grandma Suzi had joined us so we all took off for our next stop, Ilse-sur-la-sorge.  Ilse-sur-la-sorge is a really cool town that used to center of textile fabrication.  In order to produce the textiles, they harnassed the Sorge River into dozens of channels and ran it through 70 water wheels.  Now that the textile industry moved, they have turned the multiple canals into the really cool town.  When you walk through the village there are canals everywhere with a bunch of still working water wheels.  It was really neat.

Today we climbed Mont Ventoux.  What a beast!  The climbers and Pape Duck started early in the morning and had a 30 Km climb from the town where we picked up the bikes to the summit.  The first few Km were actually down hill, so we even had farther to climb to get to the summit.  When we had 18 Km left the hill really picked up.  It got really steep and stayed that way forever.

Mont Ventoux was the hardest clmb that I have ever done!  I don't know if it was in part because I had done such a tough climb the night before, but I spent a good part of the time in my easiest gear and I was still struggling to make any progress.  Mommy started this climb part the way up, and when there was about 5 Km left she stopped and waited for me.  That was nice because we climbed the last part of the mountain together.  When I got to the top I felt totally spent.

Aaron and Nan were already at the top when we got there and had purchased a bunch of candy from some candy vendors.  We were all so depleted that we ate that candy like it was our last meal on earth.

A short time later we started down the mountain, Mommy with Papa Duck in the car and Aaron, Nan, and I rode down.  Since the bike shop in the town that we had picked up the bikes was closed, we had to take them back to the main town many miles away in order to return them.  The problem was that we couldn't fit all four bikes on the rack.  So Mommy and Papo Duck went ahead to return one bike and then they were going to come back and pick up the rest of us.

Unfortunately Mommy and Papa Duck had a difficult time finding the town where the bikes had to be returned, and then once they had the right town, the had a hard time finding the bike shop.  As a result Aaron, Nan, and I rode all the way from the top of Mt. Ventoux to the town of Velleron before they had a chance to come looking for us.  By the time it was done we had ridden 50 miles and I had burned approximately 5,000 calories.

The other problem with our bike return difficulties was that it put us a few hours behind schedule in meeting up with Garry, Elisse, and Grandma Suzie who were waiting for us in Avingnon.  We hurried to our rondezvous point with them, but found the inner city of Avingnon to be a mess.  It took us a while to find a parking spot and we hurried to join the rest of the group in front of the Pope's Palace.  They had been waiting for a couple of hours, but took the delay in stride (they are the best).

At this point we split the group again.  Garry, Elisse, Mommy, and I traveled on foot to the bridge in Avingnon to get pictures of us dancing (we had to pay homage to the song).  The rest of the group went a head to Pont du Gard, a famous and really cool aquaduct built by the Romans.  Once we had taken our pictures with the the bridge, we joined everyone at the aquaduct.  Mommy and I changed into our swimming suits and bathed under the aquaduct in the Gard River.  And, the Pont du Gard ruins were really stunning.  I can't believe that something that beautiful and well constructed was built that long ago.

Our day ended by eating in a nearby town and getting to our hotel in Arles.  We are all really tired, but it has been a few great day.  Tomorrow is somewhat of a rest day since are travelling to our next climb and passing through Carcassonne.  Also, the non-bikers are splitting with us to visit some individuals from Papa Duck's mission so the next few days we are on our own.