Four counties 100k ride

Keen to build on the small amount of cycling fitness gained during the trip, this was perhaps the first time I've ever ridden to Whitchurch from home. I took the usual route through Rossett to Holt with a slight tailwind, feeling very comfortable indeed. Then the lanes through Tilston to Malpas, but continuing along similarly quiet lanes - very possibly new to me - all the way to Whitchurch (and therefore Shropshire). From here I should have gone south to Hanmer but instead took the road towards Bangor. This was busier than I'd expected so I retreated to the lanes north to Tallwrn Green. The problem with these lanes is that they rarely go where you want them to! I used distant Hope Mountain as an unlikely navigation tool and eventually emerged between Worthenbury and Bangor - more familiar territory which will, for me, always be associated with my 50 mile covid lockdown solo ultra. As with that day, I stopped at the little shop for a sarnie, then continued further south into the English Maelor past the racecourse with a sharp climb to Overton (now the headwind came into play). The road was closed at the Dee bridge near Erbistock but I was allowed to pass and then quite enjoyed the little climbs to Ruabon. From here I rode into Wrexham and then out to the north on an extension to Dodleston and Broughton, in order to tick off my first 100k ride of the year. Almost exactly four hours/100k/1000m elevation. A really enjoyable spin in decent conditions, not too hot but with a nagging moderate westerly.

PitP parkrun

'Race': Park in the Past parkrun

Time/Position: 19.07 (3rd from 199)

This went to form, in the sense that I'm doing very little running (and zero training) at present, but it was still slightly annoying not to go under 19. This is almost a minute slower than my course PB which remains the V55 course record. Perfect conditions this morning, as we are now in a full drought and this course really benefits from dry conditions. Dust clouds and quite warm already. I've been a bit tired all week following the rigours of the big trip.

Leinpfad parkrun

'Race': Leinpfad parkrun (Merzig)

Time/Position: 18.58 (2nd from 98)

The final piece in the complex three-week planning jigsaw, another German parkrun vaguely en route home. After the Tour stage, I was held up by roadworks and also a fairly complex route round Strasbourg to the German border. But I slept pretty well in the van despite parking in Merzig train station! In fact, the stadtpark (venue for the parkrun) had loads of parking and would have been perfect. I had a small but delightful breakfast at the very popular Tinnes bakery and then really enjoyed the friendly parkrun. I went better than expected after the rigours of the last week (last three weeks really!). It was a complex route from the park north to a little pond and mini zoo with animals, then back along the towpath it is named after, along the banks of the Saar. I couldn't catch the chap in front, but watched his movements closely as it wasn't always obvious where the route went. I broke the V55 course record fairly comfortably, somewhat surprising given it had been going for well over 300 weeks. The warm-down was equally memorable, crossing into Luxembourg for a delightful pootle through the Moselle vineyards from Remerschen and Schengen (a famous name indeed). Even better, I ended with a swim in the wonderful Baggerweier, removing a great deal of filth before the long final drive home.

Ballon d'Alsace

A perfectly planned trip to watch a key Tour stage and, as a bonus, do another iconic Vosges climb. The nomenclature hereabouts is famously confusing: I'd done the Grand Ballon on the way down. This was just the Ballon, which is generally agreed to be the first mountain ever climbed by the Tour. After a luxury night in Besancon, I was recharged, particularly because I dined on a knepfle and munster gratin, another heavy Alsatian lunch! My plan was to head up the climb from the east, convenient for the journey home, and for the stage as the riders were heading up it from the north. I parked in Oberbruck and took the cycle path to Sewen and the start of the climb. I packed a rucsac, ready for a longish wait, and luckily the climb is a fairly easy one. Some hairpins lead above Sewen to the Lac d'Alfeld. This is, I think, the name of the valley the route then takes a big loop around. Or it might be the Langenberg, I'm not sure (could be just the usual Alsatian blend of languages). Anyway, after a few steep sections the angle eases and I powered up (by my standards), passing a fair number of other cyclists en route to watch too. It took me a while and a bit of moving around to get to the best viewing place - the Ballon being a huge plateau really. It was a brilliant stage with the field completely fragmented and the weather just about stayed dry. The descent was fairly extraordinary, hundreds (perhaps even thousands) of cyclists pelting downhill (almost all far faster than me) after watching a classic stage in the world's greatest race.

Crete de la Neige

Peaks: Le Reculet (1717m), Crete de la Neige (1720m)

Area: Haute Jura, France

Back to the tranquility of the Jura, in the spirit of returning home in gradual segments rather than in one huge drive (as I would have done in the past). As such, this worked brilliantly. After Semnoz I had the perfect river bath near Mesigny and eventually camped south of Lelex in the dark and quiet depths of the Valserine. These two hills are the Jura highpoints and I had pinpointed them as an ideal outing for M and I. They didn't meet the family criteria however (no swimming lake) so this morning I set out at a 'running' pace, heading upwards through thick and very steep forest. This wasn't particularly pleasant, but eventually I emerged from the treeline and things improved considerably. Across an open upland area I could see the giant cross on Le Reculet. I made my way up to it, running slowly, and gained the main Jura ridge again. I think Le Reculet was assumed to be the highpoint of the ridge for years, hence the cross, not least because it is more impressive and stands alone. From it, I headed south directly and then negotiated several paths that lead through beautiful limestone scenery - copses and hollows - to the top of Crete de la Neige. Lovely nearby views although a little hazy beyond the Jura. I looked down to the Valserine and then headed off on a big extension, diagonally running along an excellent path which ultimately led to Lelex although took a surprisingly long time to reach it! After doubling back to the south I emerged at the familiar Valserine road just south of the village and trotted back to the van, driving to Besancon after breakfast. Just under 15k/960m in a relaxed 2.5 hours.

Semnoz via Col des Leschaux

A noisy Bastille day evening with fireworks, coinciding with a heatwave and a France v Spain semi-final wasn't conducive to sleep in Saint Jorioz on the shores of Lac d'Annecy. But I watched the first half on a big screen in the neighbouring village and actually slept quite well after the festivities ended and the temperatures eased a little. It was nice to be able to stroll to the patisserie for a proper coffee and pastry in the morning before heading off along the superb 'voie verte' towards Sevrier in the Annecy direction. Here, I started climbing right from the lakeside up the very gentle slopes of the Col des Leschaux. This was perfection, an easy but long climb dictating a pleasant relaxed rhythm. It heads gently south on a lovely quiet road, remaining at a steady 4% throughout. The col is at a crossroads in Leschaux village, and after a gel I took the Semnoz road up hairpins to the west. This is, as expected, a complete contrast - more like a standard Alpine climb. Much steeper, much harder from the start. But the hairpins are very long and the gradient was still manageable, and I was feeling reasonably good. Dark clouds were gathering to the south, as predicted, and this added a slight sense of urgency as I certainly didn't want to be caught on top of Semnoz in a storm. They soon dissipated, and the hairpins ended too as the road heads north up gentler slopes to a final steep climax on the open meadows of the summit. Lovely climb: I believe the TdF has been up it just a few times and perhaps only from Annecy, which was the way I now descended. Although as cautious as ever, this was wonderful and I did get some speed up on the gentler slopes towards the bottom. It emerges, quite suddenly, close to the centre of Annecy which is obviously a very stark contrast! I ambled in to the famous view of the old town from Quai de Vicenza but it was incredibly busy so I headed towards the lakeside pretty quickly. Here, I picked up the wonderful voie verte immediately. Although also very busy, this was a perfect route back to the van. I decided to extend the day though, so had lunch near Saint Jorioz at a cafe actually on the cycle path. Thus fortified, I had plans to extend perhaps to Albertville or the Forclaz and felt great along the lakeside to Duingt. However, black clouds had now gathered in earnest at the southern end of the lake and very quickly gathered themselves into a very sudden and very violent storm. All hell broke loose for a while, with whirlwinds whipping up dust and loud thunderclaps. I sprinted back to the van which I reached just in time (albeit a little wet) after 68k/1300m. Within a few minutes it had passed but I was changed and driving north by then!

Aiguille d'Epaisseur

Peaks: Aiguille d'Epaisseur (3230m)

Area: Massif des Arves, France

The basic concept of the trip was set in stone: to do something worthwhile and interesting each day by alternating cycling and big mountain outings. But that involves a very fine balance: if you are to avoid a rest day, and the weather remains good, you have to be careful not to overcook things. I like to think this is where being 56 years old with nearly 40 years of experience comes in handy! So today I wanted to get among the high Alps, and had a few ideas like the Grand Galibier and others, but the Arves massif was new terrain for me and this option emerged as the front-runner, a stress-free 'randonneur' option. I slept well to the sound of the river near the hamlet (just an inn really) of Bonnenuit, aptly named given my good night's sleep. I crossed the torrent des aiguilles which comes down the tight valley I was hoping to explore, then headed up to the first objective, three beautiful original Alpine chalets. Here, the view up the valley starts to reveal itself. At Les Huiles, another chalet, the stunning three peaks become clear ahead, the central Aiguille particularly impressive. The valley is very well defined and I soon saw the hut nested on the lower slopes of the Epaisseur. I was up in good time (40 minutes or so) and there was a water source. I had, however, forgotten to pack food! That was a bit of an issue, as the slog starts immediately after leaving the hut heading broadly north-west. At certain points I did feel close to overcooking it (after the rigours of the last few days) and needed to rest occasionally. The meadows gave way to a rockier upper section where I started to feel pretty good again, and the last part is a more clearly defined ridge. The view was stunning: looking straight across to the three main Arves peaks, and across to the Meije and the Barre des Ecrins to the south. But the vertical interval had been substantial, 1600m, so I was depleted by the time I got back to the hut. I immediately ordered an 'aiguilles' omelette, served with local beaufort cheese and potatoes, and devoured it on the delightful terrace of the refuge, only later finding they only took cash. This small problem was overcome with an envelope - I later deposited the money with the artisan butcher in Valloire! A very enjoyable stroll back down the valley to the van (16k/1600m) where I freshened up with an invigorating river bath before driving to Lac d'Annecy with the heat building dramatically.

Galibier-Telegraph ride

It had to be the Galibier today. I did it in 2011, but from the shorter, easier side. One of my main objectives this trip was to do it in full from Valloire, or perhaps from the lower valley. In the end I went for a compromise, partly because my van camp was on top of the Col de Telegraph to escape the heat. After a quick breakfast, I warmed up with the easy descent from the Telegraph to Valloire and then got to work on the long climb up the Galibier. This is steep out of the village itself, an epicentre of global cycling, but then the angle eases for the distinctive first section along the valley of the Valloirette river. I was feeling reasonably good and greatly enjoying the new scenery unfolding, particularly the Arves massif to the right, which you can't properly see but which started giving me ideas for tomorrow! Ahead the road just drags up, mostly fairly straight but with the looming headwall gradually giving an indication of what is in store. Then Plan Lachat is reached and the alpine meadows suddenly give way to a right turn and vicious kick upwards as the angle and character of the climb changes completely. From here, the Grand Galibier blocks the valley and the road heads up a series of hairpins while the col becomes visible high on the right for the first time. I was still feeling quite good, and loving the TdF ambience as ever, with each kilometre marked. Above, a statue of Pantani and wonderful high mountain views all around (some of the peaks are very accessible from here). At the top of the hairpins the route kinks left and embarks on a very long but fairly gentle uphill drag below Le Rabel, on which I felt good although it was beginning to get quite hot. I passed a few people on the final hairpins and had a quick chat with a chap from Dorset as we reached the refuge below the summit. At this point, one kilometre from the top, route barree! A sense of disbelief among the cyclists, of which there is a constant stream. There was nothing for it but to enact 'plan b' - through the tunnel (cyclists banned) to do the last bit from the Lauteret side I'd done all those years ago. We waited for the green light, then 'allez' through the 300m tunnel and into the incredible scenery and bright sunshine on the other side (which in many ways is more spectacular despite being shorter and easier). I did the last km with the Dorset rider and we took photos on the col, a shrine of cycling and a mythical spot. It was misty when I was here in 2011. Then it was down and back through the tunnel before the long but restful descent to Valloire (going around half the speed of Pidcock's famous descent). I had an energy bar then felt great for the reascent to the Col du Telegraph, deciding there and then not to stop at the van but to descent all the way to St Maurice du Maurienne. I had a panini and drink and then embarked on the full climb up the Telegraph, now at low altitude and in the full midday sunshine. This quickly became fairly desperate and I really struggled. The surface is not great initially, it is quite busy and also quite steep and despite its reputation as the Galibier's barely relevant little brother it really hit me hard. After about 5k I was resting after every mile or so and ran out of water fairly quickly. Still, a memorable day: over 70k and 2250m or so of elevation.

Pointe des Aravis

Peaks: Pointe des Aravis (2325m)

Route: Villet-Pollard VF4C/D+, West Ridge

Area: Chaine des Aravis, France

It's been a long time since I last did a full-length Via Ferrata but I thought it would be a good 'active rest day' option when I noticed this route when cycling up the Aravis yesterday (in the same way that I used to alternate cragging with mountaineering). Technology has moved on since Tim and I did some of the most famous Dolomite VFs in the 1990s - you don't just clip a couple of slings nowadays! I hired the lanyard for a tenner in St Jean after the ride, then drove to a superb campsite in the car park used for the route, near the top of the col. After another thunderstorm it was a delightfully cool night (lovely sunset) and I headed out refreshed quite early in the morning. Not early enough, as it happened, as a large guided party was just setting out on the route when I arrived! The guide showed me a way I could get ahead of them and this worked well, just a few minutes and up a short scramble to the first proper section, all of which were named which was a nice touch (the route was straightforward and very well equipped, but 700m long). Donjon des 2 niches turned out to be a steep corner, and after a few more sections an escape was possible. I was stuck behind another party so briefly considered this but decided to return and was glad I did as then came the mur du bon geste, a superb rising traverse to a steep section. This was followed by a bridge suspended over a big drop, then up to the slabby dalle aux lapiaz where I dispensed with the ironmongery and climbed the rough limestone. Finally, the angle relented and the traversee des jardiniers continued the line along a large horizontal break. In fact, the entire line was less contrived than some via ferratas, as it was really a natural rising traverse up the south face of the Borderan. The escape was easy and after a short break I moved across to look for any kind of continuation path up the obvious west ridge coming down from the main peak. Given the desirability of a rest day, I should probably just have descended and relaxed, but the ridge was so appealing and the weather so wonderful that I continued. After the storm, the clarity was extraordinary with fabulous views across the col to the Dent du Chatelet and its neighbours. I was tired for the steep and narrow initialy path but this led to the ridge (steep to the right, wooded to the left). At a little spur, it traversed left to gain a huge area of slabs very reminiscent of Carnedd y Filiast. They were gentle but the best line across wasn't overly obvious. I went for a rising break (upright, they were very shallow) to round a little crag and make my way up steep grass to the ridge. The Pointe des Aravis itself is just a bump on the ridge, a spur really. The main peak was the Aiguille de Borderan but at this point, running out of water and energy, I made the sensible decision to call it a day with a view to keeping things going. Indeed, the Galibier was on the agenda for tomorrow! It was also getting very hot (the VF had been in the shade thank goodness). I descended back to the ferrata and easily located the descent path which actually took longer than I'd expected.

Col des Aravis-Croix Fry

A double TdF col day is usually pretty tough. This wasn't, partly I suspect because of the direction I took them in. The only price to be paid was an awful finish up the very busy main valley road from Thones. After a night spent high above the village, I started from St Jean de Sixt around 8ish and adopted a nice sustainable rhythm for the Col des Aravis. This is a major link through the Alps and a frequently used Tour col. It is quite gentle, with steady 6% gradients often giving way to even shallower slopes, and as such is really enjoyable especially quite early on a Saturday before the traffic. Through La Clusaz via a giant hairpin and then the valley of Le Nom opens out with tremendous views up the limestone walls of the Pointe des Aravis (which I would visit tomorrow) on the left and the spires of the Dent du Chatalet and its neighbours on the right. A series of hairpins leads up to the top of the Aravis - just under 40 minutes from St Jean so not too terrible. The usual TdF ambience at the col, beautiful meadows and jagged peaks beyond: Mont Blanc in the distance. I then descended to the road junction above La Clusaz which gives access to the Col du Croix Fry from the east. This is by far the easiest side up the Croix Fry and is very quiet although the surface is a tad grippy. It still required a bit of an effort at times though, and led to superb new views over Manigod and Les Clefs. It was clouding over, and thunderstorms were forecast, so I didn't hang around, taking my usual hyper-cautious approach to the very long and winding descent (hundreds of cyclists coming up from Thones). Multiple hairpins before the gradient eases down to Thones. Then came the worst riding of the entire trip and indeed probably the most unpleasant experienc of the entire trip. The unexpectedly hard drag up the valley from Thones via Les Villards. This went on for a long time, and the sun came out immediately after leaving Thones making it very hot indeed. It was also very busy with cars just before lunch on a Saturday, not nice at all. I did a little extension to Le Grand Bornand before calling it a day after 50k/1300m. Just as well, as a thunderstorm did indeed hit an hour or two later, making me glad I hadn't included the Col du Colombier. Instead, I sensibly had a bath in the river and retired for Tartiflette in Le Grand Bornand!

Pointe Percee

Peaks: Pointe Percee (2753m)

Routes: Cheminee des Sallanches (II), West Flank Voie Normale (I)

Area: Chaine des Aravis, France

The highest peak in the Aravis chain, this seemed to fit the solo bill perfectly when I was researching possibilities for the final part of this trip. After dropping the family off at the airport, I drove to the Col des Annes where I spent a comfortable night away from yet another heatwave building lower down. Percee is quite spectacular from most angles, a spire of rock, although as is often the case this is a little misleading. From below, I was convinced the normal route went up the screes to the right of the peak and set off just before 7am after a light breakfast heading towards the refuge (Gramusset). This climbs up to a little ridge, a neck between two valleys. This is the Tete des Annes at 1869m. It then climbs to another little subpeak, the Pointe des Delevrets before it becomes steeper and more rocky (polished limestone) as it moves east towards the hut. From here, it seemed so obvious to me that it went up the cwm towards the Col des Verts that I didn't check the route, only discovering half way up that the voie normale actually went up a complex route on the West Flank, the other side of the obvious West ridge that was now to my left! However, in my research I had already considered going up via the Cheminee des Sallanches and it was obvious that this was the route I was now committed to so I carried on up to the Col des Verts via steep scree. The col was indeed grassy on the other side, but steep and fairly exposed. I moved left towards the bulk of Pointe Percee which is a wall of rock from here. Some ledges gained a narrow crest and then the start of the Cheminee des Sallanches. The first section is the hardest, perhaps a touch of grade III, up a steepish shallow chimney. It was good fun, and not troubling (and there were people above) so I continued, trending left over a mini-ridge into a shallow basin. Across this and then more steeply up short walls giving really enjoyable scrambling, not exposed. It then trended right towards another chimney which was slightly awkward before more scrambling joined the normal route at the top of the West Flank. This moves up to an exposed ridge and final scramble to the top - absolutely superb, strange but very lucky that my 'mistake' made the whole day much better and far more pleasing. Tremendous views along the Aravis chain all the way to the Col des Aravis I hoped to cycle up tomorrow. I descended back to the top of the West Flank and descended the normal route, which was well marked but complex and surprisingly involved, weaving through this very rocky face (presumably why I originally assumed it wasn't the way). It was all very enjoyable though, I wore my helmet as a precaution against loose stones but there were no issues and I eventually gained a snowfield and then scree run to the limestone pavement that is immediately above the hut. I had a break at the hut and was then prevented from leaving by a helicopter making several runs from the valley below. Eventually I was allowed to descend and did so enjoyably, trying to save energy where I could - 10k/1200m/3 hours. At the Col des Annes, I stayed to enjoy the cool weather, refuelling with an assiette savoyard of ham and reblochon from the farm 50 metres away, along with a dry gateaux Savoie.

Dent du Vaulion

Peaks: Dent du Vaulion (1483m)

Area: Lac du Joux, Switzerland

Our hillwalks had to fulfil certain criteria this week: the ladies needed a swimming lake and somewhere to have lunch. So it was over the border again to the little town of Le Pont on the shores of Lac du Joux. All very pretty and stereotypically Swiss, and M and I started off in quite hot weather from the lakeside. The Dent is a very obvious landmark, steep on one side as its name suggests, but very gentle from the other. Our route contoured up past an art deco hotel to farmland and then nice tracks through shady woodland to eventually gain a minor road. This was a bit unfortunate, as cars can get up here to a fairly high-end refuge, but the walk and general ambience was so delightful it didn't really matter. We plodded up to the summit for brilliant views of the distant (slightly hazy) Alps and Lac du Joux deep blue directly below, framed by the rest of the Jura range.We took a more direct descent, with the lake directly in front, back to Le Pont. Alpine meadows, cows and farms, interspersed with woodland.

Valserine ride

The Tour is coming down this valley in two weeks time, so I went for an early morning 45k pootle down the valley towards Valserhone. It really is a beautiful place, gently descending through Lelex to Chezery-Forens. The valley changes character from arable and partially wooded to something close to a gorge lower down, with waterfalls and the river quickening pace. At Chezery, I started the climb up to the Col du Menthieres, but quickly realised it would have taken too long so after steep initial slopes I turned off for Rosset and then climbed back up the valley. This is known as the Lelex Monts-Jura climb and it is pretty gentle but it does drag on, almost all the way back to Mijoux.

Grand Montrond

Peaks: Petit Montrond, Grand Montrond (1614m)

Area: Haut Jura, France

The main Jura hills loomed above Mijoux, and although easier to access from the Faucille, it seemed rude not to get onto them from our accommodation. So Kate and I set out on a pleasant walk initially, for around 2k up the Sentier des Arts until Kate turned back and I broke into a gentle jog along the Route Royale to gain the col. From here the route to the mountains doubles back and becomes hard to follow, primarily because there are tracks, trails and paths everywhere. So choosing the right one was tricky although eventually I found my way up the Petit Montrond and then the main ridge path which continues all the way to Le Reculet and beyond. The route along the broad crest was superb, great views down to Geneva and across to Mont Blanc. From Grand Montrond I descended the Chemin d'Amont to the col then retraced steps back to our apartment just under two hours after leaving. Refuelled with Bleu du Gex crepes and a swim in the Lac du Lamoura.

Haut Jura sportive route (65k)

This was a little bit cheeky, but there was an organised sportive taking place across the Haute Jura today. It would have taken me all day to do it properly, and we had a family Geneva trip planned, so instead I just did a version of the short 65k route by climbing the hairpins from Mijoux (informally known as the Col de Mijoux) and then joining the marked route at Lajoux. It was early, I was well before the event, but the signage was up and took me through some exquisite scenery, the epitome of the Jura. It took the Route de la Simmard to Bellecombe, beautiful farmland, woods and views of the high Jura hills. The roads were almost completely empty, and then became even quieter through the lovely gorge of the Bief des Parres. At La Sechere the views opened out to the west over the main Flumen valley to Septmoncel and St Claude. A fast descent led to a sharp turn and very minor road (which I would never have found) to Laisia. All these places were tiny hamlets. I then got to more familiar terrain around Lamoura and the main Faucille/Geneva road (still fairly quiet) up to the Swiss border at La Cure. This climbs, hugging the border until the gentle descent down the Valserine back to Mijoux. This was so fast and so rideable that even I went pretty quickly on it (5 miles in 12 minutes).

La Goulette climbing

Crag: La Goulette (Jura)

Routes: La Bise (f4:led), Le Sonaillard (f4:sec), L'Aubarete (f4:led)

A short session with Morgan on then gentle crag of La Goulette, nestled in the woods near the final hairpin below the Col de Mijoux. It would have been perfect were it not for the fact that I forgot the screwgates despite packing the rest of the climbing kit! Anyway, the routes were all on slabby pocketed limestone and reminded me how much I enjoy easy French sports climbing. It would have been nice to tick the crag but not feasible. Earlier on I did an excellent loop of Mijoux tracks and small roads around the Valserine, a great run and my deformed heel felt OK. After the crag, we had an excellent lunch at Feodor and then a nice short circular family hike from Lajoux.

Le Noirmont

Peaks: Le Noirmont (1567m), Le Noirmont des Francais (1547m)

Area: La Cure, Switzerland

Morgan was keen to get out for a proper mountain hike and, given our location on the border, to do something across that border. La Cure has a traditional customs post and we parked just beyond it after dropping the ladies off at the lake. A nice path led to a junction and then a steeper track up to broken woodland and limestone crags around the summit of Le Noirmont. The views were slightly hazy but we could see across Lake Geneva to the Alps and the immediate environs were very attractive: the other Jura hills in a nice crest over to the Grand Montrond and the rest of the gently rolling landscape across the French border. The route continued through copses and across the head of a lovely valley up to the next summit which we shared with two other groups (despite its name it is also in Switzerland). Superb views as we descended the broad ridge above a shallow valley called the Croux des Croue. Alpine meadows, cows, the full cliche. We contoured below the Cret des Danses and then headed south to complete a very pleasant 14k loop back to La Cure. An ideal first outing and we both enjoyed it.    

Mijoux-Faucille-Geneva suburbs

Not the first time I have been up the Col de la Faucille - I think I also went up via the busy main road 15 years ago. It is a key pass linking the tranquil Jura with the much busier and more densely populated Geneva area. After checking in to our accommodation in Mijoux I had to engage in over 10k of frantic back-and-forth running to sort out a major logistical problem with the car hire caused by Geneva airport's border location! Eventually we worked it out and I drove the family over the col and down to Mijoux, meaning I had to pick the van up this morning from the French border town of Fernay-Voltaire. Luckily this was an easy and delightful ride in the morning sunshine. The climb from Mijoux take a quiet side road and only requires about 400m of elevation gain to the main road and fast riding to the col. Stunning view of Mont Blanc above Lake Geneva in perfect clarity before the superb descent (albeit with my usual damaging caution) down to Gex. After this a series of suburbs all the way to the border, all gently inclining downhill allowing for fast progress - 75 minutes from Mijoux to the van.

Grand Ballon ride

Way back in 2011 I did Alpe d'Huez in torrential rain and have never forgotten the experience, virtually hypothermic by the time I got back down. This was similar, albeit not as bad because I packed more sensibly. I camped a little way up the climb itself above Uffoltz, and there was a big thunderstorm in the early evening. I felt it was unlikely that I'd be able to do it the next day, but when I woke there seemed to be an early weather window - and since I was in position before 7am I went for it. It's a fairly big climb which the Tour is taking in two weeks time. Relatively kind gradients initially, as the wooded slopes weave up to a gentle section at the Hartmannswillerkopf, sight of a major WWI battle. Then comes a descent to the Col Amic, a tad annoying, and the weather was beginning to look threatening. Big views open out in all directions, with black clouds gathering to the south. There was no time to waste but the climb gets steeper after the col and even has a couple of cobbled sections. All good though, like a mini-Ventoux in a way, such a notable and isolated mountain. I got to the summit just as the rain started and by the time I'd descended back to the Col Amic it was torrential. I obviously had to climb back out of the other side and quickly became soaked, rendering the rest pretty unpleasant - in these conditions you'll get cold whatever you do, and I was shivering by the time I got back to the van.

Rainkopf

Peaks: Rothenbachkopf, Rainkopf

Area: Vosges, France

After lunch and that enormous cheese intake, I had some spare energy so did these two hills directly from the car park. All quite gentle, watching shower clouds track across the landscape and enjoying the views down the Fecht valley towards Mittlach. A contouring path led in a line above the Route des Cretes to a col between the two hills - after which I went up the Rothenbachkopf for big views and then stuck to the broad ridge path over the Rainkopf back to the car.