Kev and I had arranged to meet Chris and Matt Gilbertson, and Benn Jones, for a club run with a difference – it would start in Morzine, in the French Alps. Chris had suggested we should ride a circular route to include the Col de Joux Plane, which sounded fun – what he didn’t tell us, till we met that morning, was that the plan included two other cols, the Col De l’Encrenaz, and the Col de la Ramaz, which meant we were heading for a minor matter of 92kms of riding, and 2,400 metres of climbing.
It was a wonderful day to be out – beautiful weather, stunning views across wild-flower filled Alpine meadows, pretty chalets, brown cows with big bells on their collars, and range upon range of high peaks, including Mont Blanc. The climbs were hard and hot, but we all established our own pace, and gradients were gradual – thank heavens for Alpine switchbacks – and the descents were fantastic, swooping down on smooth tarmac. The only possibly dissenting voice in our shared enthusiasm was Chris’s son Matt, who many club members will know for his sprinting victories through Delamere Forest. Well that was last year! This year, Matt’s enthusiasm for guitar playing has eclipsed his bike training, which, as preparation for this Alpine epic had consisted of one club run and two rides from the front door to the garage to check his bike. And, dear reader, as you and I know – this is not enough. Not lacking in determination though, Matt plugged away at every climb, finally arriving on the top of the last climb, the iconic Joux Plane, an hour after the rest of us, with a hole in his forehead from where he’d been resting his head in desperation on his headset, a face white as a ghost, staring eyes and the shakes. And did this experience put him off for life? Absolutely not, and I gather from Chris that he did lots more rides during the week and got quite a bit faster. Thanks to Chris for the route, Benn for the company, and Matt for keeping us entertained!