On Tour
Pyrenees Traverse 2016
Day 1 Elgoibar 3 am and I climbed into Richard’s car. Some breakfast at the airport while we waited filled some time. We retrieved our bikes at Bilbao after the plane had landed slightly early. It seemed an age to rebuild the bits and then once underway sort out all the rattles and rubbings caused by refitted mudguards and saddlebags. Out on the road it was hot so it was good to have a steady ride on the flat. A cycle event was underway. Roads were closed to traffic but they let us ride through. We took a turn which took us up a long climb. At the top there was a little lane which looked inviting so we headed along that. Indeed lanesy riding is the best. At Astebarra a café looked inviting. I opted for lemon beer. Now that was very refreshing so it would have been rude not to have seconds. Stella Radler was the brew. The sandwich went down well too.
We were now into the foothills in the Basque country. Up we climbed to drop away and then another climb. We always kept things steady in the heat. My front tyre decided the heat was too much so a stop was indicated on this next descent. Fixed and repumped we had one last (but the easiest) climb before we descended into the valley for the Hotel. Being a Sunday an evening meal looked to be very scarce. I found a fruit shop and made do with a big fruity dessert. 43 miles and over 5000 feet climbed today.
Day 2 Ezkurra Our first Spanish breakfast was a bit of a strange arrangement. We managed tho’ and headed out of town with my sat nav taking us onto a main road. By the time we had climbed out of the valley the error had been recognised but we were now where we needed to be so that was that. We dropped to Azpieta on an horrendously busy road. Azpieta isn’t much fun either and Richard and I got separated. After a few false exits
and asking in a bar I find the correct road out. What a relief to get on a lovely quiet road even if it goes upward for quite a way. It’s in all of this that my helmet gets lost, falling off the back of the bike after a stop. I only brought it to fend off the Spanish authorities if things got that way. Richard takes a slightly bigger road out of town which turns out to have less climbing on the opposite side of the valley but we meet up at Bidania for lunch. The scenery was now superb with the foothills growing to substantial sized mountains. Ezkurra turned out to be a lovely picturesque village in the mountains. What a great spot to stop at. Quite a bit of climbing today with each climb being ~5 miles. 46 miles and nearly 7000 feet climbed today.
Day 3 St Jean Pied de Port After a small breakfast (do they ever eat in Spain?) we took a lovely cool descent into a bit of a busy transport corridor. It was fairly easy and quick riding but the route was shadowing and even using bits of busy road. Time to just ride. At last the turning came for the Col de Ispeguy. Now the road was quiet and as I rode up the valley I could see the wall I had to ascend looming above me. In the end the col was very nicely graded and it was a joy to ride. At the top the country and the scenery changed. France had more crags and dramatic scenery as well as vultures circling. The Spanish side had been more soft and rural. Oddly the French thought the col was 672 meters while the Spanish thought 690 meters. As I dropped off to St Etienne de Baigorry red and black kites
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Arrivée May 2017 No. 136
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