So back in Gap and we decided it was time to go away again. So take this:

and then drink this:and you end up with this:So we decided it was time to build up the touring bikes and go test them out in relative civilisation before we go to India with them. So tomorrow we are getting a train down to Marseilles and then cycling along the coast to Nice and catching a ferry over to Corsica where we will ride around for a week before we come back. Not sure why Corsica, but it looks a very pretty island and is suppose to be brilliant for cycling so that was good enough reason for us.

Today was very hot. Around 30c ish, I have not had my hair cut since the wedding and it is getting a little long and shabby. I am sure most of you are well aware of my phobia of going to hair dressers in the UK, so imagine what it is like for me out here in France. I kept on waking up in cold sweats after dreaming of coming out with rat tails or mullets etc. So there is only one thing for it. The wife.

She went and got her computer out, watched something on Youtube, and then said she was ready. I was very scared but grateful of not having to go to a froggy snipper. I am not going to post up a result picture, you will have to come back and see the up dates later, but I can say that I am happy to report I do not think I will ever go to a hair dressers again. I knew there was a reason why I married her.

We shall be back in 10 days or so time, so till then stay, away from hair dressers!!

So today we decided it was time for the full loop of the Gorge. We packed up our campsite and drove for and hour to our starting point of Lac Du St Croix. So heading off it started with an initial warm up of 10km of up hill

Above is Lara (aka wife) going up one of the hair pins with the lake in the background. The one thing we had not counted on with this route was the complete and utter lack of flat road. Over the entire 87km of the route there was only 800m or so of flat ground. It was either up or down!
Lara and the Gorge, for those who have not visited, I would thoroughly recommend it. It is and incredibly picturesque place and as a route for cycling brilliant, the down hills are great and the uphills are numbed by the views.
Lara at the bottom of the Gorge cycling through all the cut out rock. One hoped that the engineers got their calculations right!

The final descent was over 20km and and not too steep. it was just a windy road down the valley, it was one of the best I have done on a road bike, catching up with cars and overtaking them as we can corner faster on two wheels.

The view on the descent. If you look very closely you can see Lara on the road on the left hand side (you may need a magnifying glass!)

So once down we have driven back to Gap where we shall stay for a while, not sure what to do with next week yet. We shall discuss our many options whilst having a few beers on the patio…..

So Lara woke up at 6am with nerves and decided it was best to wake me up and kick me out of the tent to make her coffee… hmmm. we headed down to the river and met our guide, Didier. We put on our wetsuits with great difficulty, either they were very hard to put on or he underestimated our sizes. I will go with the first option as he gave me a size large! So once through the briefing we were ready to go. During the briefing we assured him we were both fine and understood what to do.

So here we are all kitted up and ready to go. We walked down to the water put our flippers on and off we went. The first thing Lara did was flip over and head off down the river upside down submerged. Didier look worried! After she righted herself she was fine and we both had a great time swimming down the rapids and thoroughly enjoyed it. Lara with her fear of swimming and water did brilliantly and thoroughly enjoyed it.This bit was the hardest we swam through, doesn’t look much in the photo, but when you are swimming towards it I promise you it does! there is only one clear line through it otherwise it was smashing into rock time!

In the afternoon we decided it was best for us to lie on the rug next to the tent and sleep it off. then in the evening we had a quite burn up to the local col and work our lungs. An early night was had.

Yesterday the wife and I went on the same ride as I did with the PJPC bike club, we went for the ‘Tour de Lac de Serre Poncon”. We had a glorious day’s weather and the roads once past Savine le Lac (about a quarter the way around) were completely quiet. Lara was very vocal in telling me that she does not like head wind! I think this was Lara’s second longest ride ever (second to competeing solo at 10 more at Moray race 2 years ago) at 120km. Which she seemed to do pretty effortlessly and was not walking funny this morning……… Unfortunately I did not carry the camera, I need to work out a way of attaching it to my bike somehow.

Today she decided she wanted to do some gardening. Today I decided it was a good day not to spend with the wife. So I grabbed my ipod and my mountian bike and headed off. Once I had got up to te Col Bayard I realised that I had picked up the wrong map for where I was. So off I went on a blind mission. I ended up wading through rivers, carrying my bike up scree slopes on my back, getting my shins ripped off by thorny things, and being chased by amorous cows ( I swear they were going to kill me, I don’t like cows unless they are cooked and on my plate). All in all I had a brilliant ride and found some really good trails, just have to work out how to get to them with out the wading / carrying & cows! Again I did not take any pictures, I think the music was making me a bit carried away and I never stopped!

Tomorrow we are off to Italy to go and ski tour around the Grand Paradiso National park for 8 or so days, So there will be no more updates until then. So till then have a good week D&Lx

I thank you

Woke up this morning and felt the need for a rest day. We thought we have 8 day solid skiing coming up next week in La Grave so we might as well try and rest the legs and have the best chance of survival for next week.

So up I come with a stupid idea of going for a short road ride just to get out. So we decided on a route that goes up a Tour De France climb ( Col Bayard) and around a hill and back. I just about spat my lungs out and shat in my pants at the top, totally under- estimated it!

So an early night for us tonight and off to La Grave tomorrow, so I doubt there will be any updates until next weekend. so till then…….