Today was my Alpe d’ Huez day. I had plans to add on Col du Glandon and Col de la Croix de Fer but the weather has been looking like it’s on the verge of raining all day. I’d prefer not to get stuck in a thunderstorm anywhere but especially not in France where I don’t speak the language and nobody cares that I’m soaking wet, on my way to stage 3 hypothermia, and 2 hours from my hotel. Where’s my sense of adventure you say? I left that in my 40’s.

I left the hotel and took a back road towards le Bourg-d’Oisans. It’s the “big” town down valley. Ross had mentioned this alternative route to me and told me it would probably be less hairy if I only went west as it is a narrow road cut into the side of a cliff. I think he said something about a long fall. What he didn’t tell me was that immediately on leaving the hotel you start climbing at a minimum a 10% grade…for a long ways. It’s one of those situations where each hairpin you think you’ll probably level out so you keep going. By the time you think better of it your warmed up and committed. The long fall was an understatement. You are hundreds of feet above the valley floor on a narrow road (8 feet from a rock wall to sheer panic). Even on the cliff side of the road I felt like someone had just taken the training wheels off my bike. As soon as I’d hear or see a car I’d stop and look for something to hang onto. The waiter in the restaurant told me it’s called “the balcony route”.

I met up with the road to Alpe d’Huez but a couple of miles from the valley floor. I just couldn’t say I rode the famous Alpe d’Huez without starting from the bottom so headed downhill first. What I didn’t’ know was that the first part of the climb is the steepest with 10% plus grades. Does it sound like I’m complaining?

The ride is fairly short…a bit over 7 miles (13.2 km). It was a nice ride but not as spectacular as yesterdays Col du Galibier.

The rest of the afternoon was spent having a nice lunch in le Bour-d’Oisans, browsing in bike shops, and heading up valley back to the hotel.