Col du Glandon, Col de la Croix de Fer Redux

Yesterday was a beautiful day here in the French Alps.  It was sunny, hot and clear, and I did not wake up in the morning with any particular riding route in mind.  If I was smart, I would have taken it easy after my ride up the Col du Galibier the day before, but I am not particularly bright, so I decided to ride up the Col du Glandon and see whether or not Mount Blanc was visible from the top.  The sky was clear as a bell when I finished the first part of the climb up to Rivier d'Allemont.

The obligatory memorial to the war dead from the First World War in Rivier d'Allemont.  Every French town, and I mean every town has one.

Right after Rivier d'Allemont there is a big down hill.  It is a big climb to get out of this dip and continue the climb up the Glandon.  Also, as you head down the switchbacks into this thing, you realize that you are going to have to climb back out of this same hole on the descent from the Glandon.

The down hill after Rivier d'Allemont

Aa you climb out of the hole the reservoir damn below the Lac du Grand Maison comes into view.

towards the end of the reservoir the top of the Col du Glandon comes into view.  It is off to the left.  The road to the right is the last few kilometers up to the Col de la Croix de Fer.  You can actually see the Auberge du Glandon, the little cafe at the foot of the col from here.  Below is a picture from closer up.

There is a herd of cows off to the left and above them the short road up to the top of the Glandon.  Up a short path above the parking lot at the top of the Glandon there are four stone pillars that line you up in such a way as to frame where Mont Blanc should be in the distance.

It's hard to see in the above photo, and not much easier to see in the below zoom shot, but Mont Blanc was there.

I dropped back down to the Auberge du Glandon for a sandwich and a couple of Cokes, and then I spun up to the top of the Col de la Croix de Fer.  There is a little bistro up there right next to the iron cross.

There are usually several herds of sheep near the top of the cols as well as their shepherds and sheep dogs, but they must have had the day off as all I saw yesterday were cows and goats.  There are two quad chair lifts on either side just below the Col de la Croix de Fer and one of them was inexplicably running.  Nobody was on it.

On the way down the pass some of the goats struck majestic poses for me.

It was hot on the road yesterday and I cannot remember a time when I pushed more fluids into myself.  Every cafe I entered I ordered at least two Cokes or Oranginas.  It's on days like this that you are really grateful for the public potable water fountains in every little town.  I lost track of the number of bottles of water I drank.  When I got back to the King of the Mountains Lodge I immediately drank four large glasses of water.  I felt okay and I did not have any cramping, nor have I had any cramping on this trip.  It was a good day: 57 miles of riding, 7,000 feet of climbing.

I would have written this blog last night, on day of the ride, but we had some internet issues here at the KOM Lodge.  I had a great ride again today.  The weather was quite different, and I will blog about it tomorrow.