Yesterday I hesitated to wake up to go for the Coffee and Croissant loop. I decided to go anyway. This ride was at a relaxed pace. It’s amusing. When I left home I could see a beautiful sunrise, with nice light, and clear skies. By the time we started the ride mist had come up and we were riding through humid clouds. It was so wet I saw drops of water falling from my glasses as they condensed during the ride.
Yesterday I went for a bike ride. When I looked at the route I thought “this looks like a nice calm, relaxed ride. It wasn’t. I rode with group 2, which is a fast group, going uphill at 20-40 km/h on certain segments.
You might look at a cycling route and think “this looks flat, it doesn’t go to the top of the Jura” but don’t let that mislead you. When you’re riding at the foot of the Jura it’s easy to climb, and then descend, and then climb again, and then descend, and then climb yet again.
Yesterday I expected to be quite comfortable on a ride but I wasn’t. The climb was steep, with bits that were at 17 percent according to others. You pedal, and pedal. You feel the muscles in your legs fatigue. You think, “if only I could stop for a few minutes”, but you don’t. You keep going. You keep pushing. You get to the top.
You rest for a bit, while waiting for others to join.
Mt Tendre via Rolle For a year or more I had been tempted to cycle up to the Mont Tendre and on Saturday I got the opportunity to try that ride with Tête de Course, a Nyon cycling community and café/restaurant.
The route went from Nyon to Rolle, and then from Rolle upwards towards Aubonne and then upwards towards Montricher. From Montricher you have the climb to Mont Tendre.
In theory this is a quiet road with limited cars.
This weekend I cycled and I hiked. The bike ride was up to the Combe Blanche, and the hike was from Vallorbe to Croy-Romainmôtier.
The Col de la Combe Climb For the bike ride we rode from Nyon heading towards Crans before heading up to La Rippe, and from La Rippe we went along for a bit before heading up the Col De La Combe Blanche. it’s a 13 kilometre climb with around 1300m of climbing.
Today I tried route 473 which goes from the Morges Train Station towards Montricher and across, before heading back down to the lake side. This is a 57 or so kilometre loop along roads that were quite quiet. I don’t know whether that was because of the rain forecast or because people are on holiday.
The route from Morges up and out of Morges goes along a short voie verte where there are parts that are not tarmacced so be ready for that.
Over the last week I have cycled, and climbed over 3000m. Yesterday I climbed 1664 meters over an 89 kilometre ride. It was divided into the first climb, from the Léman towards La Cure, then a flat bit, ridden fast, before getting to the climb to Marchairuz and that is when I ran out of power.
I wasn’t hungry, or thirsty. My legs were fatigued, after climbing up the Jura on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday.
Yesterday evening I went for a group ride but rather than riding for an hour or so to get to Geneva I rode to the centre of Nyon. I rode to the old garage that was transformed into a café called Tête de Course. This is where the TDC group meet before starting their Thursday evening bike ride. Social Rides
Three Groups The group split into three groups. Group 1 was the fastest, and then group 2, and finally group 3.
If you’re ready to use buses and trains opportunities for walks and hikes open up. Yesterday’s hike, for example, was possible because we parked the cars in Marchairuz before catching a bus to Le Pont. That’s where we met another part of the group before hiking from le Pont, to the Col de Mollendruz. From here we saw the defensive Toblerones before heading back down.
I didn’t expect that the path would take us back down, lower than the road, through the trees for a while, before getting to a clearing and a parking where the smell of barbecue was present.
This weekend I went on two hikes. The first was from St-Cergue to La Dôle and back and the second was from Marchairuz to St Cergue. It amounts to about 66,000 steps and thirty four kilometres of hiking. The La Dôle walk is a familiar walk that I have from multiple directions over the years so it was relaxing. There were some patches of snow where appropriate shoes and crampons or hiking sticks will help but other than that the conditions are good.