Col du Galibier

Having talked up my cold to life threatening manflu status I was feeling pretty ropey yesterday morning but thought while I'm here I might as well see if I can get half way up to the Col du Lautaret and watch the stage from there. The official Galibier climb starts in Monetiers Les Bans and climbs at a steady 4% up to the Col du Lautaret, with a little 7% sting just before the Col.

It is a glorious ride on a wide winding road with spectacular views of the alpine masif on each side. The headwind proved to be pretty fierce at times but it was manageable with such an agreeable gradient.

After a dicey part through a tunnel and a couple of switch backs I reached the Col du Lautaret with only mildly burning lungs and plenty left in the legs. Now I had left it a bit late in the day to start so was perilously close to the passing of the caravanne which would put an end to any summit bid.

Pushing on, the 8km to the Col du Galibier pops up to about 7% which was putting my lungs under a bit of pressure. It sort of felt like breathing broken glass. I was now at about 2300m above sea level and I'm guessing the air is starting to get a bit thinner? Maybe I'm just lame!

At about 4km from the top I was duly stopped by the gendarmes. Bugger! So very close, but this could be the first Col I tackle next year. (I hope you like the way I slipped that one in. A couple of weeks 'peak bagging' is on the cards I reckon and on a road bike this time.)

I descended about 2km back to a spot with a great view of the switch backs down to the Col du Lautaret.


The caravanne came and went and I got talking to a lovely French couple who had been on the mountain for a week. They saw the stage the day before that ascended past them and spent two days with a foot of snow!! We discussed the monarchy, the strength of La Republique, draconian French laws and dis respect for gendarmes. They said I should have just ignored the gendarme and carried on regardless!

Anyhow, the riders arrived and this was the first time I had seen a mountain descent and these guys were flying. They weren't fre wheeling but giving it everything they had got. The bikes were right in the edge. Hitting a stone or a pothole and they would be finished. Real courage risking everything to get to the foot of L'Alpe d'Huez first. Chapeau!

While chatting in the afternoon I had decided that 4km was too close to walk away from and although getting late, I would continue with the last of the climb. Forgetting that I had descended 2km it was of course 6km. Bugger!

Feeling like a salmon swimming up stream I battled my way up against a steady flow of descending pedestrians, cyclists,cars and camper vans. The views, terrain and switch backs on the road are amazing as you reach the summit at a reasonable 7% gradient. The signs keep telling you the height you have reached and hiw far you have gone. Some basic maths and you realise with only 2km to go at the current gradient you wont make the summit height, you'll be 100m short. Unless that is the last kilometer is at 10%.

Once you get to a tunnel and set of traffic lights there is the answer. Taking a right at the lights, the Tarmac kicks up alarmingly and a terrifying series of alpine switch backs is your reward to take you up to the summit of the Col.

So with heart pounding and chest sore, for the first time, the numbers scribbled on the road indicating distance to the summit wee correct. Reaching the summit of the Col du Galibier at 2645m above sea level is sometime else. You are on top of the world.....looking down on creation and the only thing.....la! La! La! Thank you Karen Carpenter, that was my ear worm for the entire descent! Aaargh!!



Gratuitous summit shot!