Cycle across France 2008
Home of the Pay and Hibberd clans
intro | day1 | day2 | day3 | day4 | day5 | day6 | day7 | day8 | day9 | day10 | day11 | day12 | day13 | day14 | day15 | day16 | facts |
Liz says...Last nights home made paté smells just as good coming out of my disagreeing arse for the third time in 5 minutes this morning. Sure it's not bacterial, just a disagreement with my stomach. Feel good otherwise and we have a good climb out of the Lot valley back onto the plateau. Day is windy with head-wind on the causse but eventually make it to Severac via a conversation with an 83 year old in beret, a very busy truck laden N-road and an off-road detour along farm tracks. Grab quick coffee by station and head off up a very steep climb with a strong head wind over the A75 Mal and Nixter just seconds behind me and we continue across another causse. Mal and I wait for Nixter to catch up when Mal clasps my wrist, "I feel funny", and she is close to fainting. We sit her on down on the verge and dose her up with dextrose tablets, cake and energy bars ten take it slow to the start of the descent to Le Rozier. The descent is a highlight when we see the village of Mostuejouls perched on the other side of three intersecting gorges.
The descent down to Le Rozier to the confluence of the Gorges du Tarn and Gorges de la Jonte passes the stunning Mostuejouls
Leave Le Rozier for a 27km climb to Meyrueis. 3 km out at 7pm we realise we're goig too slow to make it before nightfall. We take the make or break decision to push on and need to cycle at 10km/h. I take one of Mal's bags and we push hard. Mal and Nixter are ahead and the following chase with me in my leggings and scarlet jumper climbing the edge of the gorge will live with me forever. The walls of the Gorge orange, then pink, the race on, quick food stops in relay, the setting and circumstance reminding me of Last of the Mohicans or Indiana Jones or English Patient. We make it to the gite d'etape at 9.15pm close to complete darkness with lights shining the way. At Gite there's a note and food in the kitchen. Delicious and needed. Nixter says we should push on for the top tomorrow (the 1500m summit of Mont Aigoual) but I'm adamant that an 800m climb tomorrow is punishment following great courage and endeavor today that we should be rewarded with a rest day.
Mal says...wrmrm...
view from Lassouts to two churches on the hills, close ups below
La Chapelle au-dessus de Ceyrac 8km on the left
Le Calvaire De Gabriac a hazey 12 km on the right
We stayed at:
la Cascade
Causse
Salvinsac
48150 Meyrueis
Tel: 04 66 45 45 45
Tel: 06 85 84 07 15
Web: http://camping-la-cascade.com
Email: contact@camping-la-cascade.com
Nix says...The hardest day yet and hopefully it won't be harder than this. [a stream of consciousness follows]...flowery bedroom
big tall climb to first village
constant hill
weather changed at about 11:30. got windy
went on busy road to Severac le Chateaux
Mal lost her sugar
Uphill a bit more slowly
spectacular downhill to Le Rozier where Liz grabbed as much food as he could 10 mins before convenience store closed at 6:30pm
Then we found out it was 27k to La Cascade - uphill. Liz worked out that we would have to cover 6.5 miles per hour (10k per hour) to get there. We made a decision to go for it. Me and Mal went on while Liz strapped on of Mal's panniers to his bike - Thankfully - thankyou thankyou - it wasn't all uphill. We were climbing a mountain but the road was wrapped around at a fairly friendly ascent. We got to 9.5 miles per hour - push, push, push. I ditched my concern over my knee and upped the gear when needed to get my speed up.
Day 12 St-Côme d'Olt to Meyrueis: 92 kilometres/57 miles, 0815h-2115h, m up m down, 7 km/h (remember this includes breaks)
Suggested changes: Getting on a quiet road into Severac is hard The N88 is another favourite of trucks. We headed out of L'apanouse towards Saint Grégoire and then about 100m past the N88 turned left onto farm tracks (bumpy but good enough to ride on in good weather) and headed toward the chateau on the hill. The tracks are marked on the IGN map with a dashed line on one side, but aren't shown on Google maps. When leaving Severac head out with the chateau on your immediate left on the rue Marie Curie. This will avoid going the long way on the busier ring-road and it will give you a great view of the chateau.
View Larger Map
Suggested changes: Getting on a quiet road into Severac is hard The N88 is another favourite of trucks. We headed out of L'apanouse towards Saint Grégoire and then about 100m past the N88 turned left onto farm tracks (bumpy but good enough to ride on in good weather) and headed toward the chateau on the hill. The tracks are marked on the IGN map with a dashed line on one side, but aren't shown on Google maps. When leaving Severac head out with the chateau on your immediate left on the rue Marie Curie. This will avoid going the long way on the busier ring-road and it will give you a great view of the chateau.
View Larger Map
The gaffer wants to make this website
available to everyone, and so here are a list of badges to say that he
cares and is trying...
last updated July 16 2010 © lee hibberd
last updated July 16 2010 © lee hibberd