Col du Lautaret

LA GRAVE, FRANCE

My trip last year was my cancer recovery/celebration tour. That trip to France was part about the cycling and part about the viewing of the Tour de France. We had one major climb on that trip – the Col du Tourmalet. Of the 18 kilometers to the top, we climbed 14, having been stopped four km from the top. On two days, no less, once from each side.

This year’s trip was all about the climbing. I had four bucket list climbs to achieve: (1) Col du Tourmalet; (2) Mont Ventoux; (3) Alpe d’Huez; and (4) Col du Galibier. Having accomplished the first three, I needed only the Galibier.

La Grave is just 17 miles up the road (literally) from Le Bourg d’Oisans, the base of Alpe d’Huez. I stayed at the Hotel Castillan, an older hotel with a great view of the glacier across the road. The rooms were cheap – even cheaper if you got one without a private bath. They did have common shower areas (men’s and women’s). While the hotel wasn’t a 4-star hotel in accommodations, the staff was wonderful.

I chose La Grave as it would be a great starting location for my bike ride up the Col du Galibier. However, last night I checked the weather forecast and it did not look good. The high temperature for La Grave was forecast to be just 10℃ (50℉) with rain, heavy at times, moving in about noon. Up to one inch of rain was forecast. La Grave, at 1,135 meters (3,724 feet) is significantly lower than the Col du Galibier which sits at 2,642 meters (8,668 feet).

I got breakfast at the hotel, packed my bags, then checked out. I grabbed my warmer cycling clothes. I had only brought summer riding gear with some spring/fall accessories. I did not bring winter riding gear.

Depending on which direction one crosses the Galibier, one has to first summit the Col du Telegraph or the Col du Lautaret. From La Grave, it would be the Lautaret. At 9:53 a.m., I started my ride. I was cool, or cold, but dry. That would not last.

Light rain started almost immediately as I left La Grave. At 4 km I thought about doing the prudent thing and turning back. But I didn’t. I also knew that I was climbing the entire time so my return time would be four to five times as quickly once I made the decision.  

I kept climbing and the weather kept getting worse. The winds and rain both picked up and it was cold. On the Tour de France broadcast later that day the announcers on EuroSport were saying it was the worst weather they had ever seen for the Tour. And they weren’t on the climb to the Galibier.

A van from Thomson Tours passed me and pulled over. When I reached the van the driver asked me if I needed anything but I politely declined. I always remembered his kind act. I wasn’t part of his tour or any tour and he just stopped to offer assistance.

I sensed I was getting near the summit and I saw many campers pulled over in anticipation of Thursday and Friday’s stages which will go through here. I saw a camper with a Colorado flag. I had seen it on the slopes of the Tourmalet and then met the owner (renter) of it in St. Gaudens. With rain coming down hard and cold too, no one was stepping outside to say hello.

I continued 1,000 meters to the top then stopped and took a picture. Although I had a full jacket, arm warmers, Under Armour, full-length gloves, shoe covers, and leg warmers, I was freezing. These were not my winter clothes.

It was decision time. The rain seemed colder and I was soaked. I knew the farther up I climbed the worse my descent would be. And I became concerned for my safety. I turned around. Once I started downhill, I could not wait for the descent to end.

I was freezing as I was cold and soaked. Shaking at times, I descended as fast as I could to get back to La Grave. Of course, the faster one goes the colder it gets from the wind chill but the sooner one gets back to the start. I had a hard time controlling the bike I was shaking so much. The roads were wet and treacherous and there were many switchbacks. Once I reached the tunnel that goes into La Grave I felt a sense of relief.

In La Grave, I went back to the hotel, and although I had already checked out, I grabbed a clean towel from their cleaning cart and ducked into an open shower stall. I quickly got out of my soaking wet clothes and changed to dry clothes. I did not stop shaking for 40 minutes.

Still very cold but dry, I got in the car and decided to drive up to the Galibier. I figured that may be the only way I would ever see the summit. I knew the rain was very cold as it was hitting me but didn’t realize how cold it was until it hit the windshield. The raindrops were forming a splat pattern. This was snow.

I normally don’t make wise decisions when riding, especially when I’m tired. But today was one of my wisest. I was thankful that I made the decision to turn back.

On my drive to my next hotel, which was at the summit of the Col du Lautaret, I had been so cold I didn’t even notice that I had just biked to it. Back at the summit of the Lautaret, I decided to keep going up the road to Galibier. The snow was falling heavily and the road was soon covered. Driving an unfamiliar car with a stick shift, I was getting scared just being on this road. I looked for a spot to turn around but any open space was already occupied by campers. So I drove carefully to the summit.

I saw one guy on a bike trying to make it up but on my way down I didn’t see him. He must have wisely turned around or gone over the edge. Hopefully, he turned around. While it would have been hard pedaling up in the wind and 2″ of snow on the road, it would have been far worse descending.

I never want to be defeated by a climb but was sure happy I didn’t attempt this. Foolish and perhaps deadly.

I made it to the summit of the Col du Galibier, but not the way I would have chosen.

I came to France to ride the Col du Tourmalet, Mont Ventoux, and maybe more than anything else, Alpe d’Huez. Anything else, including Col du Galibier, is just icing on the cake. I don’t need more icing.

Only later did I learn that on Sunday, 200 cyclists had to be rescued from here.

While some pictures of me and my bike at the summit of Galibier would have been nice, perhaps it is a better story to tell of the day I was turned back by snow. July 19, 2011.

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