Col du Glandon and Col de la Croix de Fer open - video diary

russell_in_france
russell_in_france Posts: 124
edited June 2009 in Tour & expedition
Hi all,

The1924 metre Col du Glandon was opened this week, with the 2067 metre Col de la Croix de Fer opened a few days before that. I got up early yesterday to ride from Allemont over the Glandon, then dropping down to St-Jean-de-Maurienne. This is the first climb of the Marmotte event. I rode back over the Col de la Croix de Fer. I wanted to share my video diary of the 115 km ride.

http://www.vimeo.com/4807620

The Col du Galibier is still closed, but it's very warm in the French Alps at the moment and the Dauphine Libere is climbing over there on 13th June so we can expect them to clear the road soon.

Cheers, Russell
www.grenoblecycling.com

Comments

  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,666
    That is so stunning it nearly had me in tears!

    You lucky, lucky man!
  • APIII
    APIII Posts: 2,010
    Beautiful climb 8)

    Right, I'm booking my flight.
  • mac111051
    mac111051 Posts: 92
    Hi Russell, could you tell me how long that ride would take
    thanks, Mac
  • russell_in_france
    russell_in_france Posts: 124
    Hi Mac, It took me five hours and 45 minutes so a 20kph average for the 115 km with 2,600 metres of climbing.

    Haven't ridden more than 80 km this year and did feel shattered at the top of the Croix de Fer.

    Hope that helps.

    Cheers, Russell
    www.grenoblecycling.com
  • geoff_ss
    geoff_ss Posts: 1,201
    I really wish you hadn't posted this :)

    We're usually in France at this time of year for a 4 week campervan aided cycling holiday but circumstances this year have prevented us - partly the Euro/Pound ratio, partly paying for a kitchen refurbishment, and partly because we've had such lousy weather the last 2 years.

    I think I could grow to hate you whilst at the same time thanking you for a stunning taste of Alpine cycling :)

    Geoff
    Old cyclists never die; they just fit smaller chainrings ... and pedal faster
  • dilemna
    dilemna Posts: 2,187
    Another excellent video climb diary. Nice one Russell and thanks.
    Life is like a roll of toilet paper; long and useful, but always ends at the wrong moment. Anon.
    Think how stupid the average person is.......
    half of them are even more stupid than you first thought.
  • ermintrude
    ermintrude Posts: 514
    How do you rate the Croix de Fer difficulty wise. I've always found the climb from the Allemond side the most difficult I've ever done (mind trying Ventoux for first time this year so that may change !). Thanks for the video as always your posts and your website are a real treat.
  • Brian NZ
    Brian NZ Posts: 59
    I am going to be climbing the Col de la Croix de Fer and hopefully spending a night up there to watch the Daphine Libere go through. Your video has made me even more keen to do it.
    Thanks
    Brian
  • meenaghman
    meenaghman Posts: 345
    Russell cool vid. I notice in one of your posts that you state the camera you use is a canon ixus 860 IS. Do you have this on a bracket on your bike or do you just take it out and video as you're going along ?
  • berliner
    berliner Posts: 340
    Mmm nice videos that brought back some memories. Some happy some not so.
  • russell_in_france
    russell_in_france Posts: 124
    ermintrude wrote:
    How do you rate the Croix de Fer difficulty wise. I've always found the climb from the Allemond side the most difficult I've ever done (mind trying Ventoux for first time this year so that may change !). Thanks for the video as always your posts and your website are a real treat.

    I found it quite difficult on the Croix de Fer this weekend at the end, as it's the first time I've ridden two big climbs this year. My third youngster was born six weeks ago, so family life has come first this year. The climb from St-Jean-de-Maurienne is steep in some places, but the climb from Allemont is a little harder in the first half. Thankfully there are some places that are flat or descent so you can recuperate over the 30 kilometre climb. You can see the Col with about 12 kilometres to the summit so it does give you something to aim for. Here's the profile.

    http://www.salite.ch/croixde.asp

    Ventoux from Bedoin or Malaucene is certainly a harder climb.

    meenaghman, I'm still using the little Canon camera with a 4gb card. That gives me about 30 minutes of high quality video and I hold it in my hand. It's fine on a climb, just need to be very careful on the descents.

    Cheers, Russell
    www.grenoblecycling.com
  • guinea
    guinea Posts: 1,177
    I did the ride out from Bourg up Glandon earlier this year as preperation for La Marmotte.

    It was early May - the 4th or so and the road was still closed. There was a small sign in the road saying it was closed and then some boulders strategically placed with enough room to cycle past so I went for it.

    The road had avalanche debris in places, but was easily passable.

    The route is stunning, especially with nobody else on the road. Although with all the debris on the road a couple of puncture would mean a hell of a long walk in bike shoes to get assistance. There was no mobile reception.
  • peter_andrew
    peter_andrew Posts: 373
    Ah! Russell you make me cry! :lol:
    Attempted this last year, day before the tour came by. couldn't believe it when it descends half way up only to climb higher straight away, (the hairpin bit early in the video i think).
    Never made it to the top, glimpsed the dam wall through the trees and decided enough was enough. So to see your video of the top only makes me more determined.
    My excuse was that i had fallen earlier in the day as i cycled from Grenoble when my front wheel got caught in old tram lines :twisted:
    Please keep posting the videos as i for one, and im sure many others, appreciate them.
    Peter

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