After a 12 hour drive through the night we arrived at our lodgings for the week. Gary, in charge of logistics, had managed to procure a fabulous farmhouse high in the hills above Rebenacq just south of Pau.
After grabbing a couple of hours sleep we unpacked our bikes and headed out to climb the Col d'Aubisque.
The route starts by dropping sharply for a couple miles down from the farmhouse to the road to Laruns.
After 25k of mostly flat terrain we arrived in Laruns which is where the ascent begins.
A large group of Spanish riders had just set off when we reached the start of the climb. After a quick photo shot we started the ascent.
The first 5k was very moderate and we quickly overtook reams of riders. It was hard to hold back and I found myself pushing the pace. As the average gradient was between 5 and 6 percent I had no trouble keeping up a high tempo.
This proved to be a mistake because after 7k the gradient increased to 8 percent and 10 percent in parts. That in itself was not difficult but as the kilometres dragged on I could feel the energy sapping from my legs.
The last 3k became a crawl up through the dense mist to the summit.
Visibility at the top was down to 5 feet and we quickly became chilled. We turned around and hit the descent, all 17 glorious kilometres of it back down to Laruns.
After a quick coffee we got back on the road home. Cursing Gary for renting a farmhouse at the top of an extremely steep hill, I arrived back quite spent.
Total distance was 85k with a 1700m climb. When I tackle this climb again on Saturday I shall be sure to take it easy on the lower section and save something for the top.
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| The bikes packed in the van |
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| Gourette Ski Station - 4K to the summit |
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| Summit of Col d'Aubisque |
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| Our lodgings in the hills of Rebenecq |
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| At the base of Col d'Aubisque |
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