Fargo and Away

Before I tell the story of the day, I have to first share a bit about last night’s dinner, which was not all that remarkable, save for some interesting conversations about shewees and snowstorms. There was, however, one item not the menu that generated some buzz: a corn chowder appetizer featuring cucumbers and a soft-boiled egg that had been lightly fried in panko break crumbs, topped with some mint. There was some debate as to the overall success of the dish, but I have to tip my hat to the chef of the inn for the creativity. I might have to see if I can replicate and even improve upon this dish.

Our dinner finished with a raspberry tort topped with ice cream…which was just ok. But, we got our requisite calories to prepare for day 2, which was bigger than day 1.

As we left the hotel, the fog was still lifting from the valley, and it was cool but comfortable.

We had a 5-mile warmup to bring us to the first big climb of the day: Col d’Aubisque, over 1700 meters.

We faced about 2 hrs of climbing this morning before any descents. Our plan was to meet the van at the top of the first pass. Then, we would follow a high altitude road before climbing up to the Col du Soulor. A long descent would then take us down to Argeles Gazost. We planned to stop quickly at our hotel for the next few nights before heading back out for another 1600 meter climb to end the day.

On our first climb, we passed through some small towns and stumbled upon some unique architecture when we made a wrong turn.

Riding through old mountain towns never gets old.

As we left town, the landscape quickly changed, and suddenly we were in and amongst the large peaks of the Pyrenees.

We each settled into our own pace and the group stretched out. While you can usually keep one or two other riders in sight, you spend a lot of time alone on these rides. Last year, I was a bit unnerved about that. This year, I’m embracing it. It’s a lot easier to enjoy the ride if you’re not trying to keep up with someone. For the ride today, because I had cramped up a lot on my compromised left leg yesterday, I set out to keep my pace controlled. I was also very conscious keeping the pressure off the leg, spinning in an easy gear.

The strategy paid off, and I arrived at the first pass feeling pretty good. The group all made it up on their own time, and we met the van to resupply.

The pass over to Col du Soulor was as advertised — but as most of it was fast downhill, we didn’t stop to snap many photos.

The road was closed to cars between the two passes which made the riding much more pleasurable, though a pitch black tunnel with rough road surface was a bit sketchy.

Jack and Ellen got waylaid when Jack’s derailleur was bent, but they made it down not long after we did.

We found our way to the hotel, hoping to resupply with our guides, but they were about a half hour behind us. So, we filled our water bottles and headed off for the last climb of the day as the temperature soared into the 90s, at least according to Larry’s GPS.

For half of us, there was no question about finishing the route. Ken, Rich, Hal, Beata, Grahame, and Michael all fought through punishing heat on the mid part of the climb to make it to Hautacam and Col de Tramassel.

I made the choice to turn around and at the halfway point when I couldn’t cool off or get my heart rate down. I picked up Larry and Steve on the way down. Jack, Toffer, and Ellen had also already called it a day.

A few of us stopped by the river to cool off before heading to the hotel.

The day wound down slowly as the rest of the group returned from their ride.

We had a light pre-dinner snack courtesy of Larry and Toffer, which was even more appreciated when the hotel dinner turned out to be duck pucks with potatoes and carrots. The picture says it all.

We finished the evening with a stroll around the sleepy town.

Now, off to bed! Tomorrow there are more hills to climb!