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McCleverty’s climb the Alpes

8 Aug 2017 16:18 | Deleted user

By Sally McCleverty

After a trip last year to see the Tour de France and cycle a few famous Cols, my husband and I are hooked on climbing the most famous climbs of the Tour. So this year the main aim was to climb L’Alpe d’Heuz. So here is a short resume of our trip.

 Bourg- d’Oisan

This is the perfect place to explore this region of the Alpes. We pitched our Caravan on a campsite 30m from the base of L’Alpe d’Heuz! But we managed other climbs as well.

 

Croiz de la Croix de Fer.

27.km long, average gradient of 11%, climbed on a day of over 30degree temperatures.

On the Way Up.....      

 Views from the top.......

We really did make it!!

On the way down.

 

Alpe d’Huez

13.2km long, average gradient 11%.  An amazing climb with 21 bends all with a plaque commemorating previous winners of the stage.

 

We then continued over the top and towards Col de Glandon. We made our decent, v,v,v,v slowly in my case as it was very steep.

Les Deux Alpes

10km, 11% gradient, climbed on a Saturday where 100’s of mountain bikers were using the ski lifts to cycle down.

We also climbed Col d’Ornan, 11.1km with a 9% average gradient.


We then moved onto Chatel. This is a beautiful Alpine ski resort close to the Swiss border where I had my only opportunity to swim!!

We did one small but very steep climb in freezing rain.

Col de Bassacheux is not a Tour climb, but we had to do it for the views, but there weren’t any that day!!

I did Col du Corbier on my own as my husband was ill. 6km  long with 11% gradient and amazingly Geoff Turner did it on the same day!!!

On the way down the other side.

 

I hope you like the pictures.

We're hoping to go to the Pyrenees next summer......


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