Col de Columbiere

After yesterday's marathon session where we finished dinner a little before midnight, I knew we would be tired. But the Col de Columbiere (pronounced COAL de CO lum BEE ech) was a true brute. This bad boy only let up for about 2 kilometers in the middle giving us a false sense of security and accomplishment. It was brutal. The last 2-3 kilometers, there was no cover so it was like being in an oven while climbing at 10-11%grade. This bad boy is tough. It is actually easier to climb from the other side, but we are following the tour route and they are going up from Megeve. That is where we are staying for 1 more night.

Over 3600 feet of climb is difficult to say the least. And at 10miles you can do the calculation and you can be sure we were cranking out the watts for well over an hour. I started out with a good pace and felt strong, but this beast just wears you out. I am just glad that I conquered the mountain and have only the Alp d'Huez remaining as my major Alpen climb. Tomorrow should be rather mild or so the profile shows.

Here are a few pics for you enjoyment....

Tailwinds.

Ty