Wednesday 18 June 2014

Col des Aravais

Col de la Croix- fry  1467 m and Col des Aravais 1486m
Start Le Grand Bonnand 22 miles
Total ascent 874m

It was an uphill battle all the way to Croix Fry, I was unsure why and blamed it on not been fit, but on the downhill descent I realised it was quite a climb to the top of the Croix Fry. The weather was threatening all day and I declared that it would be amazing if we didn’t get wet, which of course we did a few minutes later. It was a lovely quiet ride towards the Croix fry through a wooded area with great tarmac. I wondered as I cycled over it that ‘I bet it was this way because the tour had passed the previous year’
We came to the Col at long last me puffing and panting, it was very quiet except for a bus load of Grannies having lunch at the hotel. By the way these are the best toilets I’m sure in France. A grand coffee and equally large Chocolate Croissant was ordered.


We free wheeled back to La Praise and started the steady climb up the Aravais with markers along the way showing pleasant gradient markers ranging from a wonderful 4% to 7% the going was much easier and with switchbacks that seemed to flow we soon made our way to the Col top with much more ease. Maybe the Croissant did the job.


I had an email this week saying that 'I seem to be enjoying the sunshine and does it ever rain where I am'  as you can see, it does rain and quiet alot! We didn't waste time on the top.


The joy with uphill cycling what goes up must come down!
 

I even by the looks of it raced a car down!
La clusaz with the threatening rain clouds above


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