Hmm…I’m still having trouble with this blog engine at the moment, this post was not meant to be in two parts, but hey ho!

Alpe d’Huez is really a ski station, so this time of year it’s pretty dead except for cycle inclined businesses, of which there are quit a few. From Alpe I took a chance and struck out onto Col de Sarenne, which at 1999m is a bit higher. Le Tour crossed Sarenne last year in quite controversial circumstances, some of the team bosses described the road as substandard and a death trap! I can confirm that it’s bloody awful, views amazing, tarmac coverage minimal, edge barriers nil and about as far off road as I ever want to take Harley and that includes Spanish Desert which was a breeze against this!

Nice place for lunch.

Enticing…..

Dodgy as hell!!!!!!

After surviving our mountaineering diversion, I stuck in a quick visit to Col du Galibier, cos I love that place!

Brief pause for a photo opp on the way to the top, you can just about hear Matt Monro, “On days like these, when sky’s are blue and fields are green….”
I’ve written loads about Galibier in the past, suffice to say that for me it’s very special and at 2048m, very high!

…..and all that lot is why I’m bloody well knackered!

“I’ve got 1,2,3,4,5 senses working overtime!”

Dookes