Johnny VenomPyrénées 2024 - Day 4: Col des Spandelles > Lestelle-Bétharram. 78km/1413m
(1/2) This is our second year cycling in this region, so it feels like we are just going about business, systematically knocking out the world-class climbs one by one. Col des Spandelles is on the menu today, lesser known and quieter than the rest (but still regularly featured in the Tour). This was our farewell ride last year, done in the drizzle and fog. This year it was still cloudy but everything was green and soft. There's something about this one. Almost no cars and few cyclists. Plenty of cows and birds. There's little at the top. A dirt parking area for a handful of cars and some hiking trails disappearing up the further slopes in all directions. It's a vibe. This time we continued down the descent on the other side which was a jawdropping gorgeous ride snaking down S-curves into the adjacent valley below. I watched an enormous bird of prey (no idea, an eagle? hawk? falcon?) glide silently a few meters above Mandeep's head. Ominous? I don't think so - it was just the angle of view, but it made me so very grateful to be so far out in nature. If it doesn't show already, I am so in love with this little slice of the world. Our ride continued with a loop through the Pyrénées Atlantique region (a subject for a second post), and soon we were on the bike path approach from Lourdes back to Argéles-Gazost.
We reunited with Felix, who had headed off his own way to climb Col de Soulor from the other direction, and made up an incredible vegetarian dinner of chana masala, baingan bharta, raita, rice and salad, using market-sourced farm-fresh local produce.
Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/11943808187
#cycling #pyrenees #hautepyrenees #france #biketooter #coldesspandelles #argelesgazost #birdsofprey #punjab #chanamasala #indianfood #vegetarian #plantbased
(1/2) This is our second year cycling in this region, so it feels like we are just going about business, systematically knocking out the world-class climbs one by one. Col des Spandelles is on the menu today, lesser known and quieter than the rest (but still regularly featured in the Tour). This was our farewell ride last year, done in the drizzle and fog. This year it was still cloudy but everything was green and soft. There's something about this one. Almost no cars and few cyclists. Plenty of cows and birds. There's little at the top. A dirt parking area for a handful of cars and some hiking trails disappearing up the further slopes in all directions. It's a vibe. This time we continued down the descent on the other side which was a jawdropping gorgeous ride snaking down S-curves into the adjacent valley below. I watched an enormous bird of prey (no idea, an eagle? hawk? falcon?) glide silently a few meters above Mandeep's head. Ominous? I don't think so - it was just the angle of view, but it made me so very grateful to be so far out in nature. If it doesn't show already, I am so in love with this little slice of the world. Our ride continued with a loop through the Pyrénées Atlantique region (a subject for a second post), and soon we were on the bike path approach from Lourdes back to Argéles-Gazost.
We reunited with Felix, who had headed off his own way to climb Col de Soulor from the other direction, and made up an incredible vegetarian dinner of chana masala, baingan bharta, raita, rice and salad, using market-sourced farm-fresh local produce.
Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/11943808187
#cycling #pyrenees #hautepyrenees #france #biketooter #coldesspandelles #argelesgazost #birdsofprey #punjab #chanamasala #indianfood #vegetarian #plantbased
