The primary journey of the yr up the mighty Galibier not figuring out simply how far the street has been cleared
While you begin you don’t have any thought how far they’ve managed to clear the snow from the street, however this yr was additional than traditional
It is at all times on my annual listing of to-dos, to cycle the Col du Galibier street whereas they’re nonetheless within the technique of clearing the snow, because the partitions of snow are normally very spectacular.
Every year I fear that somebody on the barrier will cease me from biking up on account of well being and issues of safety, so I at all times intention to get to the barrier at midday as I do know they at all times come again down for lunch, and at the moment was no completely different.
Circumstances have been nigh on good, hardly any wind as I cycled from right here at 1,400m from Villeneuve in Serre Chevalier as much as the Col du Lautaret after which the fitting flip to begin the climb as much as the Galibier.
I cycled it fairly effectively to the day final yr, when the street was solely open to 2,250m with way more snow. Immediately I used to be in a position to cycle to only earlier than the tunnel at 2,550m.
This was final yr at 2,150m
After which this yr at 2,450m
This yr the snow on the street solely began simply previous the Henri-Desgrange monument. At first, a number of bends under, I assumed from the appears to be like of snow to the facet, that the street was open all the way in which to the Col, however this was in truth snow cleared initially by a piste basher that they use (see video) adopted by a snow plough to clear the street again right down to the tarmac.
The descent as ever, was nice, although at occasions marmots can be operating alongside the street making an attempt to determine whether or not to go proper or left and probably beneath your wheels 🙂
Final yr, the day after I cycled up, I went the next day on the e-mtb for one closing ski-tour of the yr, leaving the bike locked up at 2,300m after which ski-touring in direction of the Trois Eveches, I am not too certain if I am going to do a repeat tomorrow, although the Mountain Information I spoke to (who needs to be up there with the snow-clearing groups for avalanche safety) mentioned the snow can be good circa 10:30, but it surely did look very pitted possibly from the current rain.
As soon as down off the Galibier and after a espresso at Fred’s on the Col du Lautaret it was again into descent mode for the run again down into the valley. The wind picked up so I had fairly a powerful tailwind, however sadly there have been main roadworks on the tunnel under the Lautaret o I used to be held up on the visitors lights in any other case I might have put some extra PB’s in. Because it was I managed fairly a number of after the tunnel, not too unhealthy contemplating that descent was round my a hundred and twentieth since 2017.
