Col d'Allos

Road cycling: Barcelonette-Col d'Allos-Allos
Distance/Climb: 40k/1150m
The onward route to the coastal part of our holiday in Esterel led over the Col d'Allos towards Colmars and Castellane, so it seemed rude not to ride it on my final day in the saddle. Indeed, it was always integral to the schedule and a climb I very much wanted to do. It provided a nice continuation to the previous day, heading ever further south, and was at one time a regular feature of the Tour. Another perfect crisp sunny morning as I set off from Barcelonette with Kate following. The climb winds up above the valley of the Bachelard. It felt like I'd recovered well from yesterday's exertions (I'd certainly consumed enough calories last night!) as I pushed a bigger gear and made good progress up the fairly gentle inclines. The road emerges from the trees as it embarks on a very long curve around the gorge of the Torrent d'Agneliers, with spectacular views down sheer drops to the south and over to the famously well-named Barcelonette peaks of the Pain de Sucre and Chapeau de Gendarme. The steepest section follows up a series of tortuous hairpins on very narrow roads (horrendous for Kate driving) to finally emerge on steep Alpine meadows below the broad ridge of the Serre de la Crous. The peak of the Cheval de Bois is immediately opposite, and the views north absolutely superb for this top section which is relatively gentle. We all met up at the Refuge on top of the col at 2250m. This was a great moment, as it marked our entry into the familiar territory of the Mercantour and the area around Allos visited last year. Perfect clarity for the views over the Mourre Gros - a stunning backdrop to an amazing descent, more confident now, and dropping like a stone through the hairpins to the village of Allos and a picnic in Colmars. So a great little introduction to Alpine cycling, perhaps pushing 5500-6000m of climbing, and a fine start to the family holiday despite the early rain.