Day 3 - Col du Tourmalet, Col d'Aspin and a bit of Spain

Another early start to the day. This time to Carrefour to stock up on a few provisions including beer, wine, pasta, soups, steak hache, haricots verts, cheeses and a can of William Saurin Cassoulet. I got back and with my newly found internet connection I updated this mornings blog and downloaded Match of the Day 2. I had to watch the Man U-Citeh game!

At midday or so I decided to go and see the Col Du Tourmalet which is just to the east of Luz-St-Sauveur but it rises up to 2115 metres above sea level which makes it the highest pass in the Pyrenees. It's been used for many years as climb in the Tour De France and the race to the summit has seen victories from Tour legends such as Eddy Merkcx, Richard Virenque and Claudio Chiappucci. The road up is a fabulous road to drive on. Full of hairpin bends, huge drops and breathtaking scenery.

On top there are also two statues. One to commemorate the first ever winner Octave Lapize and the other for the famous Jacques Goddet, who was the Tour's director for 50 years.

The summit of the Col is the highest for both me and Bertha I think, just beating Monte Baldo in the Italian Dolomites by 36 metres. That was on holiday with mother in Lake Garda. Mother broke the Hayes family record last year by going up the Jungfraujoch in Switzerland. Bertha's previous best was 1464 metres up the Le Puy de Dome last year. I have to say that driving the 650 metres up the Bealach Na Ba in Scotland was far more scary when I was using the Tom Tom to see beyond the 10 metres I could actually see with the naked eye.

Anyway here are some pictures of the ascent and descent of the Col du Tourmalet, quite a few actually, but its amazing so you'll have to like it or lump it!

Snow in September?

Octave Lapize, gasping for air. Quite a big doodah by the look of it as well. Genetic freak or drugs cheat? Perhaps he was just fond of taking Lapize? Interesting character though. He won the Tour de France in 1910 but was helped by a dog who managed to take out the guy in first place, Francois Faber from Luxemburg. The unfortunate Faber then suffered punctures on the final stage from Caen to Paris and Monsieur Lapize won the tour by the width of a gnat's arse. After climbing the Col du Tourmalet in 1910 he apparently shouted to the Tour Officials who dreamt up such a climb "You are murderers, yes murderers" and then "by the way, have you seen my dog"? Ok, I made the last bit up. Octave died at the age of 29 after being shot down in the first world war. He survived the crash but died in hospital. Faber also died in WW1.

The final look back down to see where I'd come from

This is proof that some architects think the Le Courbusier look goes down well with the natural surroundings! Madness. This is a hotel in La Mongie

Then I drove up the nearby Col D'Aspin which at 1489 metres is a lot smaller, a lot less scenic and a bit boring. However they do have nice cows.

Then after the Col d'Aspin it time to head to Spain through the 3km long Bielsa-Aragnouet tunnel. Completed in 1970, it looks like it was made in 1870. Very rickety and very claustrophic inside. The French banned heavy goods vehicles going through there a while back and its a bloody good job. The french approach to the tunnel is a very twisty affair filled with Kamakaze sheep.

ESPANA!!!!

Still in Spain, a little further past Bielsa. This is a canyon which the River Cinca winds through.

On the way back. Tom Tom said the quickest route was over the passes. By this time the Col Du Tourmalet had moved to Scotland. Fog you say? FOG!!

I spotted this road from the main road. Another road hugging the mountain, unfortunately you need a 4X4 to drive on it. The white speck in the middle on the picture is a Land Rover!

And another lovely cow.

There you have it. Day 3. Dunno what I'll do tomorrow, but I've stolen the Rough Guide from reception.