We finally made it to the Pyrenees after a little rest and relaxation in Barcelona Spain. I have never been to a town in any European county that was as clean and unscathed as Crechets’ France and the surrounding villages. No trash on the streets, clean cold air, sunshine, minimal traffic and the unforgettable smell of pure nature.
Unlike Paris France, the locals living in the Pyrenean towns were warm friendly and helpful. Moreover they were/ are by far the most courteous drivers on the planet. This is such a pleasure for us American cyclist to see, as we have to deal with so many rude and belligerent motor vehicle operators on the streets of Southern California.
Crechets’ is located in a valley in Midi Pyrenees region. Both the valleys and mountains are vividly green, towering and oh so majestic! It seems were every you go you will find crystal clear river and streams teaming with trout. And the water is portable and drinkable. A plus for cyclist needing to fill their bike bottles during long arduous rides.
Avante – Garde’ Hotel Bed and Breakfast:
We booked reservations at a Bed and Breakfast exclusive to serious cyclist named Velopyrenees. Run by a former UK pro cyclist and UK Olympic triathlon coach we were fed extremely clean healthy meals. The produce came from their garden, the fish from their streams and eggs from their chickens. Here are a few photos of the farm-house from the outside and the lovely decor on the inside.
Amazing Food:
No alcohol, sugar or empty garbage went into our body’s during our stay! Fresh vegetables, meats, fish and grains. Although we ate heartily during our two-week visit to Spain and France, we both lost a considerable amount of weight! Yes, we cycled, but no more than we did during our weekly training programs back home
Navigating around the Pyrenees:
One thing that we struggled with was getting to our climbing destination. First of all it is not unusual to have to cycle 50 miles to get to a “Col” (mountain gap), Needless to say there is a bit of exhaustion just to get to a big ass mountain which by itself will kick your butt. Second of all the road signs are difficult to decipher, as they are usually pointed in the wrong direction , and kilometers to the destination point is very inaccurate. Even my Garmin Edge 810 GPS got confused!
We stayed within a respectable perimeter of Velopyrenees to minimize getting really lost. Unfortunately the bigger Cols that I wanted to climb were 100 plus miles away.
The Epic Ride:
One of my favorite rides and one of the most difficult climbs was up the monster Mountain Port de Bales or Col de Bales. This climb is quite historical and has debuted in many of the Tour de France stages over the years. In fact it will be included in one of the 9 mountain stages of the 2016 Tour de France en route to Superbagneres a ski town in Bagneres de-Luchon.
Port de Bales is a Category HC (hors category” climb. The most difficult of the climbs in terms of elevation , distance and grade. These climbs are used for mountain roads were cars are not able to pass. The HC climb is definitely not for the weak of heart! I was happy to be able to climb it in a very respectable time of 1:27:21. In fact I did it twice during my visit in attempt to improve my climbing time. Here are two videos showing me cycling up Porte de Bales, and my idol Alberto Contador beating Andy Schleck on the Port de Bales! Both highly visual and exciting. Enjoy!
September 2015 Rivak Hoffman Climbs Port de Bales’
2010 Tour de France. Contador vs. Schleck racing Porte de Bales’
SoCalPyrennehunters 