velotel
10-04-2015, 02:51 AM
Good days, not-so-good days, some we'd just as soon forget, then there are the, to use a phrase from the Tour de France, hors categorie days. Don't ask; I'm incapable of defining a hors categorie day. But I know when one comes along. Last Sunday was hors categorie . Redid the Grand Traverse, a ride I've already written about here. I call it the Grand Traverse because majestic, splendid, extraordinary, out-of-this-world, awesome, perspective-warping, etc. don't work. They're all true but bad sound so Grand Traverse it is. Simple, clear, honest.
It's a road almost no road cyclist even knows is there. Not many mountain bikers either for that matter. If it was paved, every road rider or rather every passionate road rider would know it. Also every mad motorcycle rider looking for weekend glory. I prefer it unpaved.
Sunday was my fourth visit, second this year, first time with someone. The second and third times I kept thinking I really needed to bring someone with me, watch someone else get blown away by the magic of the place. Sunday I brought Sylvain, a young (compared to me, like 32 years younger) mountain biker discovering the joys of riding skinny tires in crazy places. I think he was amazed. I say think because Sylvain is a frenchman of few words. Dancing on the tables and singing to the moon is not his style. But I'm sure he was pretty much blown away by where we were because he said it was cool! Cool pronounced with his french accent reverberates.
It's a loop with a few interpretations. The one we did Sunday was the short version. Both of us had time constraints so only around 55 K long with some 1600 vertical meters of climbing (5300 ft). The long version comes in at around 80 K with 2450 meters of up. The chemin, the dirt road section, 15-K long, is only a small part. Small like Pavarotti back in the day walking on-stage. This is a road of wonder, a passage of magic, a test of strength, the Grand Traverse between the Col des Aravis and the Col de l'Arpettaz.
The ride to Col des Aravis is good, scenic, enjoyable, a pleasant ride, not one of the great ones. The climb to Arpettaz, either version, is a great one. But compared to the Grand Traverse, they're just preludes, opening acts for the big show.
I knew from the first instant I saw the chemin disappearing into the distance that I had to ride it one day. I was standing on the hill above the Col de l'Arpettaz when saw it. A lot of water flowed before I finally rode it. The reality turned out to be more marvelous than I imagined. And still is. Sunday was a day of dancing, autumn light which just added even more depth to the magic. An insanely good ride. Might even need to ride that puppy one more time this year, but in the other direction, from Arpettaz to Aravis, and do the long version. Then again I can hear the siren calls of a few other rides too, like the Noyer, Mont Cenis, too many, autumn too short. Such sufferance.
Some pics. And don't forget, if you like my ride posts, you might want to check out my book, Switchbacks, on my site, velodogs-publishing.com (http://velodogs-publishing.com). Or if you already bought it, let me know what you think of it which can be done here forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=174848 (http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=174848).
It's a road almost no road cyclist even knows is there. Not many mountain bikers either for that matter. If it was paved, every road rider or rather every passionate road rider would know it. Also every mad motorcycle rider looking for weekend glory. I prefer it unpaved.
Sunday was my fourth visit, second this year, first time with someone. The second and third times I kept thinking I really needed to bring someone with me, watch someone else get blown away by the magic of the place. Sunday I brought Sylvain, a young (compared to me, like 32 years younger) mountain biker discovering the joys of riding skinny tires in crazy places. I think he was amazed. I say think because Sylvain is a frenchman of few words. Dancing on the tables and singing to the moon is not his style. But I'm sure he was pretty much blown away by where we were because he said it was cool! Cool pronounced with his french accent reverberates.
It's a loop with a few interpretations. The one we did Sunday was the short version. Both of us had time constraints so only around 55 K long with some 1600 vertical meters of climbing (5300 ft). The long version comes in at around 80 K with 2450 meters of up. The chemin, the dirt road section, 15-K long, is only a small part. Small like Pavarotti back in the day walking on-stage. This is a road of wonder, a passage of magic, a test of strength, the Grand Traverse between the Col des Aravis and the Col de l'Arpettaz.
The ride to Col des Aravis is good, scenic, enjoyable, a pleasant ride, not one of the great ones. The climb to Arpettaz, either version, is a great one. But compared to the Grand Traverse, they're just preludes, opening acts for the big show.
I knew from the first instant I saw the chemin disappearing into the distance that I had to ride it one day. I was standing on the hill above the Col de l'Arpettaz when saw it. A lot of water flowed before I finally rode it. The reality turned out to be more marvelous than I imagined. And still is. Sunday was a day of dancing, autumn light which just added even more depth to the magic. An insanely good ride. Might even need to ride that puppy one more time this year, but in the other direction, from Arpettaz to Aravis, and do the long version. Then again I can hear the siren calls of a few other rides too, like the Noyer, Mont Cenis, too many, autumn too short. Such sufferance.
Some pics. And don't forget, if you like my ride posts, you might want to check out my book, Switchbacks, on my site, velodogs-publishing.com (http://velodogs-publishing.com). Or if you already bought it, let me know what you think of it which can be done here forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=174848 (http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=174848).