The Col du Galbier ......

I am totally cooked but alive and elated to have climbed what I am told is the 2nd highest pass in the Alps @ 2642 meters. Yes I did take the more difficult route. 

I am too wasted to blog and am now going to have dinner and crash. Maybe tomorrow I will write about a most incredible day ......

........ when I hope to have recovered and should be into Italy.

It is now Friday night and I am just over the border in Italy, but before I write about today I will record some of the incredible day yesterday.

Yesterday started ironically with my departure from the "Voyager" hotel in St. Jean de Maurienne ......          

...... my room was with one with the open shutter ......

..... still debating which route to take today, I made a strategic decision to lighten my load. I am traveling incredible light compared to most other touring cyclists. I have no tent or cooking gear but I certainly have much more gear and weight than most of the cyclists climbing the high passes here and  more weight than what I usually ride at home, Nellie, a very light carbon fiber bike that weighs less than 20 pounds. When climbing, every ounce let alone pound means a lot.

On this trip I have a relatively heavy steel frame with fenders and disc breaks and fatter tires with heavier stronger rims, although to compensate lots more low gears. But weight is still a big factor, especially when going up and I have often debated in my mind my heaviest, but least used item ...... weighing in at almost 3 pounds, an air mattress. On 2 or 3 nights and also for Hannah on the day in Madrid when we got thrown off the train, it has saved the day and provided needed comfort when I was in a pinch. But 3 pounds when I am carrying less than 20 total in gear and clothes is a lot. So I visited the local Post Office and mailed off to Julian in Flourie about 4 pounds ....... the air mattress and 5 or 6 maps that I had used, marked up and dog-eared but wanted to keep.

Then I headed toward the east and St. Michel de Mauriene my decision point ....... where I headed up toward the passes and the more difficult road less travelled.

 

........as I went up I looked back at the path not taken ....... an easier but clearly more heavily travelled route. And looking back I went up .............

......... and up .........

I had my baggett and cheese and water and felt pretty good at the first col, telegraph hill.

...... and at this point there was even another couple from Italy who, although slightly younger than I am  had more gear. Then a descent to Vailorie at about 1200 meters alt. where I had thought to spend the night. But it was only about 2 PM and I was feeling pretty frisky.

So thought to give it a go and continued on.

....... and headed up .....

..... and up some more .....

...... near to the top it just got ridiculous, until I was ready to drop. At this point there was a tunnel that I could take to avoid the last few hairpin turns to the top.

....... and I was tempted but at this point how could I stop. The last 2 kilometers were a real bitch at a 10% or better grade.

......... looking back to the tunnel. All along while I was passed by many, I always kept spinning or at least peddling with my low gears, except for several rests for photos (always a good excuse). And I was never hurting or in trouble or thought of turning back and over the last 5 or so kilometers even passed a few pour, really hurting souls.

At the top for all who reached by their own power there was a real feeling of comradery and elation combined with exhaustion and for some pain.

At this point I could have climbed higher by foot, but decided I had had enough. 

And in another bit of incredible, small world coincidence, while recovering at the top a young guy came over to me to say hello like he knew me. I was baffled because who could I know at the top of a pass in France!?!?? But it was the guy from Barcelona I had met at dinner with his wife and small boy. He had ridden to the top leaving early in the morning and was now there by car with his family.

The little boy was much more rested than the night before when I had taken his picture.

I was so happy to see him, so that I could thank him for his encouragement because he had been one who thought I should go for it!!!! And to do the climb in one and not 2 days.

Then the descent by now in the late afternoon.

The view east toward Italy.

 At this point I was desperately tired and needing a place to stay to recover and refuel ......... then as my good karma would have it, as if by design, a refuge about half of the way down.

Le refuge du Lautaret and an unbelievable real mountain man and his wife dogs and 16 month old child.    

It was a bunk house type jete mostly for skiers, but doing a scaled down business for bikers and hikers in the summer run by a man who really enjoyed his work.

This was the crowd I joined in with for dinner along with mountain mans wife the chef.

Still half of the way up the mountain, needless to say I slept very soundly.

More tomorrow on my incredible hosts for the night.