Later that afternoon we were forced into submission by the heat which crept up well above 30 degrees and reduced us to lethargy as we tried to tick off a few bits of organisation in the motorhome and on the internet.
The following day saw us once more testing our legs, this time on an extended gradient of near 7% as we ticked off the first 5km of the climb to the Ski Station Risoul, a summit finish in last years Tour de France. Again, we quite surprised ourselves with how good we felt although it was tough being reduced to our easiest gear for the entire ride (and we missed our triple chainrings from the hybrids).
However, despite the physical challenge the awesome views made it very hard to turn around no matter how sensible we knew it was to do so. Mindful that Esther had been unwell only recently we wanted to build up slowly, however, the road ahead beckoned strongly and it was tough to resist. This is a climb we definitely wanted to return to.
The afternoon again bought sweltering heat, but we discovered a source of instant relief that we really should have tried the day before....a mountain stream just 10 metres from our motorhome door. Wading into the icy water was a shock at first, but braving the immediate cold we soon acclimatised and enjoyed cooling off and splashing about, giving us enough energy to carry on with our afternoon until a healthy dinner when the temperature final dropped enough for our appetites to return.
After a couple of weeks relaxing on the outskirts of the French Alps, arriving back into the higher mountain regions that we had enjoyed so much last July and August has really felt like a homecoming as it just feels so 'right' to be here. The weather is good, our surroundings are invigorating and after our recent 'couples retreat experience' we feel so connected and close that it only magnifies the entire feeling. It is very, very good to be together in this place right now.
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