Grenoble Cycling Pages

May 2004 Diary

May 11th - The Col du Lautaret and nearly the Galibier

The weather finally improved enough to think about cycling in the high mountains, but it had taken until the middle of May for this to happen. 2004 had felt like a cold year. Last year, the hot weather had arrived at the end of April, but there had been no such heatwave so far this year. The mountains around Grenoble still looked whiter than I would have expected for the middle of May.

I left the house early and took the car into the Alps, and was able to start cycling from Bourg d'Oisans at just after seven. I didn't know how cold it would be at the Lautaret so I had four layers and a gilet, with my wind jacket for the descent. I started in gloves and my winter overshoes as well.

After leaving the town, there were five kilometres of flat riding before the climbing started and I was aware that my ears felt uncomfortable from the cold. The Col du Lautaret is a 40 kilometre climb from Bourg d'Oisans with over 1,400 metres of ascent. It's a climb that is never very steep, but if there is a headwind, the gradient can feel a lot worse as there is nowhere to hide on the open mountainside on the last kilometres.

The first four kilometres of climbing feel like they include the steepest gradients on the whole climb, and I alternated between the 26 and 23 at the back. It wasn't a day for riding hard as I was happy to be out in the high mountains and to let my legs get used to a long climb. A few scattered clouds hung over the mountains to my right, but the mountains to the left were clear.


The Col du Lautaret below Le Freney	A bridge usually hidden under the Lac du Chambon

It didn't take too long to make it to the Barrage du Chambon, at the foot of the climb to les Deux Alpes. As I cycled over the top of the dam, the lake looked empty compared to the other times. The road undulated along the left side of the lake, passing through a number of tunnels. At one point, I could see a bridge that would have normally been covered by the water and I could only presume that the water was still snow on the high mountains.

The next kilometres follow the valley with steep mountains on each side. The only way to see a view is to look in front or behind, or to crain your neck and to look towards the sky.

By the time I had reached the little ski village of La Grave, the temperature felt fine and my ears had forgotton about the cold and the gloves were in my back pocket. I'd already eaten my cereal bar and hoped to pick up something to eat at the bakery in La Grave, but it turned out to be closed. I would have to make do with water.


The Col du Lautaret above La Grave	Six kilometres to the Col du Lautaret

I cycled through the final tunnel above the village, before a number of hairpins and then the most scenic part of the ascent. Snow covered mountains towered above the road to the right, before they disappeared into a valley with even more dramatic peaks.

I had expected to see more snow at lower altitudes on the Lautaret. Two days earlier, I had driven over the 1,454 metre Col des Aravis in the northern French Alps, and the snow line seemed to be around 1,300 metres. Today, it was only in the last three kilomeres that I started to ride past the snow left from the winter.


The Ecrins massif from the Col du Lautaret	The Col du Lautaret

I rounded the final turn to take me over the 2058 metre Col du Lautaret. The cafes looked closed and there was only a handful of cars parked at the top. I descended for a few metres towards Briancon and took my photo of the Col, with the backdrop of snowy mountains. The road to the Col du Galibier was blocked with about two metres of snow that had been dumped by the snow ploughs who had kept the Lautaret open over the winter.

Behind the cafes at the Col du Lautaret with a closed road sign, and plenty of room for a bike

I could also see that the road to the Col du Galibier behind the snow looked dry and clear of snow. I rode back over the Lautaret and cycled behind the cafes to find a muddy dirt track was ridable. A barrier stated that the road was closed, but I carried on to see how far I could get up the Galibier. The road was completely clear and mostly dry, with meltwater flowing across the road in places.


The view from the first hairpin at 2100 metres on the Galibier	The view of the Ecrins from the Galibier

As I turned the first hairpin on the Col du Galibier, I was presented with an avenue cut between snow walls. The road had been cut out of the snow, with a backdrop of la Meije and the high peaks of the Ecrins massif. The last time I'd ridden on the Galibier in similar conditions was with my brother, Bob, in 2001. On that day, we'd ridden under walls of snow that were seven metres tall on the ascent from St Michel du Maurienne.

The climb was incredibly quite and I could hear myself breathing. I couldn't even hear the wind or the traffic on the Lautaret. About a kilometre above the Lautaret, I suprised an unsuspecting marmotte by the side of the road, who immediately gave a whistle and ran. I hadn't seen the creature and I was as startled by his loud whistle as he was at seeing a lycra clad cyclist on his quiet mountainside.


The view up the climb to the Grand Galibier	Another view of the Ecrins from the Galibier	The view over the Col du Lautaret from the Galibier

The higher I cycled, the more impressive the banks of snow became. I kept cycling but expected to turn a corner and find a wall of snow blocking the road, and that I would then have to turn around. In places, the walls of snow had collapsed and half of the road was covered in fallen snow.


The Col du Galibier	A photo from the right side of the road on the Col du Galibier	The clouds arriving towards Briancon

The largest banks of snow towered around four metres above me, and I cycled on the opposite side of the available road. All I could think was that I had not seen a single car or cyclist, so there wouldn't be too much chance of help if I was buried under some snow.


Three kilometres to the Col du Galibier	Snow starts to appear on the road at 2400 metres

With around a kilometre of cycling left until the tunnel, I rounded a corner to see two snow ploughs cutting through the snow above me. I walked across one snowy section, and a hundred metres after that, the state of the road deteriorated and I realised that it was impossible to cycle any further.

I had made it to about 2,450 metres in altitude, and six kilometres above the Col du Lautaret. I could see the tunnel and above that, the Col du Galibier. The snow ploughs were clearing up to the cafe and the tunnel but they had not touched the final kilometre to the 2646 metre Col. There was one lone skier climbing to the Col, obviously keen to take advantage before the cyclists and cars arrive.


The view to the chalet and tunnel, and too much snow on the road	The Col du Galibier in May	Snow ploughs clearing the road on the Col du Galibier

I took my pictures and then started the descent, quickly stopping to put on my wind cape and gloves. The warmth of climbing was suddenly replaced by the bitter cold of winter, and I had memories flood back of my descent from the Col du Galibier in two degrees in 2002. At least now I was dry and the gloves and wind cape kept me warm.

I took it easy, never gaining too much speed as I was worried about ice on the road. I was not sure of the temperature, but it did feel cold. After stopping for for a few pictures, I was back at the Lautaret. The mountain views I'd seen earlier in the morning has disappeared into cloud, and the wind had picked up enough to be an uncomfortable headwind on the Lautaret's gradual gradients.

On the descent, the tunnels felt darker than in the other direction. The contrast of cycling from sunshine to streetlight meant it took me a few seconds to adjust each time. I tried to cycle relatively quickly and think about the Marmotte later in the summer, with some accelerations on the two small climbs.

Starting the final few kilometres of flat riding to Bourg d'Oisans

The headwind stayed with me for most of the drop down. I had clocked just over 90 kilometres for the ride, and had expected to only be able to get as far as the Lautaret, and to then return for the Alpe d'Huez. Today, I'd ridden higher but the Alpe d'Huez would have to wait for another day.

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