Epic Climbs of France

Epic Climbs of France Itinerary:

• Day 1

  Your trip begins today in Grenoble, France. We will meet our guides in Grenoble and transfer approximately one hour to a charming hotel nestled between the huge snow-capped peaks of two mountain ranges in the small village of Freney d'Oisans. After a thorough bike fit and safety and orientation talk we can warm up with a downhill spin to Bourg d’Oisans and back up to our hotel. Dinner is included in our inviting mountain inn where locals come to dine in the gastronomic restaurant. Cycling: about 15 miles (24 km). Dinner included.

• Day 2

  The ride up Alp d'Huez isn't long but is everyone's goal, so we make it our first objective right after a hearty breakfast. While the Tour de France route varies from year to year, Alp d'Huez is the most famous mountain climb and has hosted a stage finish almost every year since 1976. Located at 1869 meters (about 6100 feet) above sea level, Alp d’Huez is a year round hub of outdoor activity. A ski station in the winter, it offers glacier skiing, gondola rides, hiking and, because of the history with the Tour, it is a huge draw for cyclists. We’ll keep focused on the task ahead while pushing hard through the 8% average gradient (12% max!) and counting off the famous 21 switchbacks. Fantastic panoramas and memories of legendary history-making races are guaranteed to distract you from the hard, but very gratifying, climb. Afterwards, we are rewarded with one of the most thrilling descents, and stronger cyclists can opt for more riding on the nearby famous climbs of Croix de Fer (+43mi/69 km) or Col d'Ornon (+34mi/54 km). Cycling: 34 mi/54 km (elevation gain: about 3600 ft.) with many options for longer or shorter rides. Breakfast, Dinner included.

• Day 3

  The big challenge for the day is one of the most impressive climbs in all of the French Alps: the famous leg-burning ascent of Col du Galibier! After breakfast we have a long climb up to the highest col (mountain pass) in the region, passing first over Col du Lautaret (6750 ft.) and then up, up, UP! Along the way we will pass through several tunnels and the charming little ski town of La Grave before reaching the saddle-summit of Lautaret. Up above tree line now we continue on to the Galibier pass (8681 ft.), where we can admire an amazing view over snow capped peaks all around. This summit is rife with Tour de France history, as it is not only a very popular climb on the Tour (having been climbed more than any other col in Tour history) but is also where the monument to Henri Desgranges - the founder of the Tour de France - is located. Another long descent takes us back to our hotel, or you can add on a trip up Les Deux Alpes, a category 1 climb (+15mi/24 km). Cycling: 38 mi/61 km (elevation gain: about 6500 ft.) with many options for longer or shorter rides. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner included.

• Day 4

  After breakfast we say goodbye to the Alps and transfer 4 hours to Provence and the quaint town of Bédoin located at the foot of Mont Ventoux. We’ll still have time in the afternoon for a nice spin through lavender fields and vineyards to keep the legs warmed up for tomorrow’s big ascent. Be sure to leave some time for visiting the village, and perhaps a dip in the refreshing pool! Dinner tonight will be on the terrace of our very charming Provencal hotel with the sound of cicadas in the background. Cycling: 30 mi/48 km. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner included.

• Day 5

  Known locally as the Giant of Provence, the infamous climb up Mont Ventoux is long and steep with little relief from the first turn of the crank in the direction up! At an average grade of between 9% and 10% for the first 9 miles, it will take some time to reach the summit. But who’s in a hurry? We have all day to do as much or as little of this climb as we like. We’ll make a stop for water, snacks and a much needed break at Chalet Reynard, 3 ½ miles below the summit. The final miles are breathtaking with beautiful open views of the Provencal countryside. After a mountaintop photo we have a great descent and ride through the Gorges de la Nesque on our way back to the hotel. Options abound, and for those wanting to give their legs a rest we will have an amazing ride bypassing Mont Ventoux and instead focusing on the rolling countryside of lavender and sunflowers, as well as the option to stay behind and relax poolside and schedule a great afternoon massage. Tonight we are free to eat on our own or with our new friends in one of the many quaint café’s in town. Cycling: 54 mi/87 km (elevation gain: about 5100 ft.) with many options for longer or shorter rides. Breakfast, Lunch included.

• Day 6

  After breakfast we will jump back in the van and drive to the Southern French spa town of Bagnères-de-Bigorre in the High Pyrénées. It is a fairly long drive at about five hours, but once we arrive we will loosen up with a short spin on flat to rolling roads to help recovery and stay ready for the climbing ahead of us. Our hotel for the next three nights is a former cycling museum that has been converted and updated to a cycling hotel. Used by the professional cycling team Cofidis during the Tour de France, the hotel is named after the former great racer Laurent Fignon who won the Tour twice but lost to Greg LeMond in 1989 by just 8 seconds in what some consider the most dramatic stage comeback in Tour de France history. Complete with views of the Pic du Midi de Bigorre and the Pyrénées mountain chain, we will relax in updated style with comfortable rooms, an in-house spa and meals specially crafted to replenish cyclist’s energy requirements while still allowing us to sample the regional specialties. Cycling: approximately 25 miles (40 km). Breakfast, Dinner included.
  
  * Special July 7th Tour de France departure: We will instead transfer today to the town of Argelès-Gazost, just south of Lourdes in the High Pyrénées and situated perfectly for viewing the upcoming Tour de France stages, but also away from the frenzy so we can rest peacefully at night. We’ll have a short ride to keep the legs loose and ready for tomorrow’s climbs (if time permits, we may be able to conquer another Col).

• Day 7

  This day will go down as the longest and most epic of the trip as we climb some of the famous Pyrénéan mountain passes of La Mongie (5900 ft.), Tourmalet (6900 ft.) and Luz Ardiden (6300 ft.). The ride starts off mostly flat around Bagnères-de-Bigorre and then quickly starts to climb up to the summit of Tourmalet (18 mi/29 km), slight at first and then steep from St Marie de Campan.  At St Marie de Campan be sure to stop and visit the famous forge where Eugene Christophe repaired his own bike using the blacksmith’s workshop in the 1913 Tour de France. The Pyrénées were originally added to the Tour in 1910 and the incredible climb up Tourmalet was part of the first experiment. After conquering it you may feel much like the professional rider Octave Lapize who, when climbing it for the first time in the 1910 Tour de France, reached the pass in great pain (pushing his bike!) and saw a group of race officials and yelled the infamous phrase “Assassins!”. Once up Tourmalet it’s a long 11 mile descent to Luz St Sauveur, followed by 9 hard miles up to the pass of Luz Ardiden. We return by the same way with the long 11 mile climb on the Tourmalet – this time from the other side - and then cruise down 30 miles to our cycling hotel. A very satisfying day – epic in every sense of the word and one you won't soon forget! Tonight, dinner is on our own, allowing freedom to schedule a massage, visit the “baths” in town or grab a quick meal and get some rest for another big day tomorrow. Cycling: 90 mi/145 km (elevation gain: about 14,000 ft.) with many options for longer or shorter rides. Breakfast, Lunch included.
  
  * Special July 7th Tour de France departure: As the Tour de France riders make their way towards us on Stage 9, tackling the interminable Col de Peyresourde and Col d’Aspin, we will conquer our own mountains (Luz Ardiden, Tourmalet, La Mongie) and meet them at the Arivée in Bagnères-de-Bigorre for an exciting stage finish. If you have never seen a Tour de France stage finish in person then you are in for a thrill! You will not believe how fast, or how daring, the last 200 meters can be...it is unforgettable. Depending on time, we’ll either ride or shuttle back to our hotel in Argelès-Gazost.

• Day 8

  We’ll ride another important climb made famous by the Tour de France today as we set our sights on the summit of Hautacam. Revel in Tour de France history while climbing the same mountain where Lance Armstrong dispatched Marco Pantani on stage 10 of the 2000 Tour with what has become one of the all-time legendary attacks of Tour de France history! The Hautacam (5300 ft) is a beautiful and difficult climb that is a must-do for serious cyclists. Be sure to stop at the summit and take in the breathtaking views in all directions before returning the way you came. For those cyclists who have not had enough climbing yet feel free to continue on and attempt Luz Ardiden again, or perhaps nearby Col du Soulor (4859 ft.) and Col d’Aubisque (5600 ft.). Tonight we will gather for a celebratory dinner with new friends to recount all the major climbs we did throughout the trip and revel in our grand accomplishments. Cycling: 56 mi/90 km (elevation gain: about 4400 ft.) with many options for longer or shorter rides. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner included.
  
  * Special July 7th Tour de France departure: Another strong mountain stage in the Tour de France brings the excitement and drama to a climax, as the riders test each other on Tourmalet and then crush each other on the finish up Hautacam. Look for riders bonking in the hot July sun, riders suffering to finish the race in time, riders pulling others up the mountains, and (most importantly) riders pulling away and conquering the mountains, showing what a true champion is made of. In the morning we’ll try to bag Col du Soulor and Col d’Aubisque (time depending) before climbing Hautacam to catch the stage finish, where it’s guaranteed to be a party of epic proportions!

• Day 9

  After breakfast and a final farewell, we will transfer 1 ½ hours to Toulouse for rail connections back to Paris or other European destinations. Please do not schedule a departure from Toulouse prior to noon today. Breakfast included.

If you are traveling alone and specifically request single accommodations, you will be asked to pay the full single supplement noted on the trip itinerary.  If you wish to share accommodations, we will assign you a roommate if one is available. If a roommate cannot be found, you will be asked to pay a reduced single fee, which is half of the full single supplement. Please be advised that there are a limited number of single rooms available on most departures.

Hotel accommodations; Eddy Merckx CHM carbon frame road bike; meals as noted in the daily itinerary; expert guide/leadership; vehicle support and luggage transportation.

Air transportation to France; rail transportation within France; 3 lunches; 2 dinners; soft drinks and alcoholic beverages; guide gratuities; laundry fees and items of a personal nature.

This trip is rated Strenuous [5]. Trip members should be strong, experienced cyclists in excellent physical condition. Your physical fitness level will be a very important factor to your success and enjoyment of this trip. A serious conditioning program should be undertaken several months ahead of departure in preparation for the demands of this itinerary. Time in the saddle during the trip ranges from 4 to 8 hours a day. Although options abound and a support vehicle will be available, trip members should feel comfortable in their capability of completing extended, difficult climbs most every day of the trip. Pace and speed are not important, as there is sufficient time each day to complete the big climbs, however slower climbers and riders may have less time for extended riding. Those individuals considering taking advantage of longer cycle options should increase their pre-departure conditioning accordingly. Grades on these climbs can range from 7% to 14% and are extended over many miles with little relief. Descents are fast and caution is mandatory. Consult with your physician.

We have scheduled our departures to avoid the mid-summer heat and crowds while still traveling during periods that typically offer abundant sunshine and comfortable temperatures. Weather in the Alps and Pyrenees changes greatly and can be warm and sunny in the valleys and cold and wet at the summits. However, temperatures typically average from the mid 50’s to mid 80’s. Provence is generally warm and sunny in June and September with daytime temperatures ranging from 60-85 degrees and a small chance of rain. As we are in mountainous regions, participants must be prepared for variable weather conditions that can change suddenly and include hot, sunny days, prolonged rainfall and even an occasional dusting of snow on the mountain passes.

This trip is subject to the booking information set forth in the current REI Adventures Reservation Information. Please read this information carefully and call us if you have any questions. A full gear list and pre-departure information is sent upon sign-up. We highly recommend the purchase of travel insurance through REI Adventures. If coverage is purchased within 21 days of your initial trip deposit, the 'Pre-existing Conditions Exclusion' is waived (certain exclusions apply).

We look forward to having you join us for the trip of a lifetime! Why wait? Space is limited, reserve your adventure today.

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